2. I am constantly other people’s servant. They are not on my timetable, I am on theirs.
3. I and my family are always different. Much of the time people are watching us (and I HATE that—I used to always complain to my parents and brothers growing up in a noticeably large-sized family of 8 kids, that I didn’t like having people look at me!).
4. I am often confronted with dirty, smelly, gross surroundings, things, animals or even people.
5. It’s not all fun and adventure. It’s often tougher living than what I’m used to.
6. There are many gross or dangerous bugs, snakes or animals that I wouldn’t find back “home.”
7. I miss being able to speak my own language with more than two people in my life (namely, my husband and my son).
8. If we get hurt or sick in a remote place, it’s more difficult to get out to health care. So if my appendix is about to burst, it will take at least four hours by boat to even get to the port by the nearest hospital.
9. I very much dislike not knowing what to do or say, and until I know the culture and language well (which takes at least a few years), I will daily be stuck in numerous situations of not knowing what to do or say.
10. I don’t like feeling like the people want to be our friends just to get stuff out of us.
11. We can’t get a lot of things here that we can back “home.”
12. I don’t like going out of my comfort zone. I am naturally an introvert and don’t like taking the initiative to make friends with people.
Sounds pretty terrible doesn’t it? You might wonder why in the world I am a missionary then, anyway.
Here are my 12 Reasons Why I Do Want to Be a Missionary...
1. God’s provided me with new “family” and friends wherever I go. As a missionary, I have "family" and friends all over the world. My heart is with people in more places than if I had stayed at “home.”