Missionaries Gather for Learning and Fellowship

Friday, April 01, 2011 

By Abby Smith

For years, they were just faces on a poster on the wall. In fact, for as long as I can remember, the faces have been a fixture at my churches. I stared many times at their pictures, wondering who they really were and what their lives were like. Although I met a few missionaries during the years I spent growing up as a Church of God pastor's kid, they were always people who seemed very far away, almost superhuman.

Fast-forward several years. My own face has joined the ranks of those who are hung on the wall, right alongside some of the families I used to watch from afar. I have had the privilege of getting to know some of my colleagues from around the world during the two years I have spent with Global Missions, but many, even from my own region, still remained something of a mystery to me.

The first week of March, the missionaries from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Montecarlo, Argentina, to spend some quality time together. We spent part of our sessions hearing reports about the work we do in our respective countries. We discussed our successes, as well as the challenges we face, and we prayed for one another. After hearing about all of their work and experiences, I developed a profound new respect for each of my colleagues, while at the same time realizing that none of us is, in fact, superhuman.

During two workshops, we also learned about specific topics. Julie Kurrle awed us and challenged us with a session on using technology to stay connected. Barbara Miller helped us learn to identify and manage stressors in our lives in a session that opened the door for fruitful conversations. We also spent time discussing dreams and goals for each of our ministries, giving us the chance to articulate out loud those things that stir our hearts and to hear useful input from others. In those conversations, I felt that we became something more of a team rather than individual units going about our own ministries.

We also had the chance to do some sightseeing, enjoying especially trips to the ruins of a Jesuit mission and to Iguazú Falls. We came to understand a little more about the history of the people we serve, and we bonded as we soaked in a breathtaking view of God's creation together.

During the days spent in Argentina, we prayed together, learned together, laughed together, and cried together. We encouraged one another, and we gave one another advice. Even as we have returned home, we have stayed in touch, posting and sharing pictures, and feeling connected by the warm memories we have of our time together. Now when I see their faces on the wall, I don't see mysterious superhumans or distant colleagues. Instead, I see teammates, co-laborers in the Great Commission that God has given us, and I breathe a prayer of thanks for their ministries and for the privilege of calling them friends.

Abby Smith serves as your missionary to Colombia.