The Missionary

Sister Dorothy Stang, and American sister of Notre Dame and naturalized Brazilian citizen, was killed at Anapu, Brazil, on February 12, 2006. An outspoken defender of indigenous tribes, she had received several death threats before her assassination.

This is the fourth name on the list of missionaries that were martyred the Vatican sends out every year. The list goes up to 26. Of course, Sister Stang is just one of the many Catholic and Protestant missionaries and beleivers that are martyred every year. In the year 2002, there were an estimated 160,000 Christian martyrs that sacrificed their lives for the cause of Christ, and the numbers continue to go up every year.

Obviously, the life of a missionary is a dangerous one. Thousands have have been flogged, cruciifed, shot, tortured, hung, poisened, decapitated, and drowned. And these are just a few of the ways the world has perfected the way of making martrys for Christ.

So, who is meant to be a missionary?

For starters, it seems that missionaries are a rare breed. They are called by God to do his work in this world. And the majority of us are not called to go to the most dangerous corners of the world and risk our lives for the church. However, we all are called to support missionaries, and become a missionary if we are called to it. The Bible tells us to always pray for those who go outside of their safety zone to help others. Monetary support is always a must as well, as is food and medicines.

Why are some of us not meant to be mssionaries?

Few people on earth would dare try to sneak into North Korea to bring the gospel to a nation that kills Christians relentlessly. My point, the life of a missionary is only for the most brave of Christ's followers. A good example of this is a story I once heard about a missionary and his followers in China nearly a decade ago. The Chinesse army caught them in a "religious service." They were all laid down on a road, and were asked to denounce Christ. They all refused, and a Chinesse army official was ordered to have a steamroller crush all of them. As the steamroller crushed their bodies, the missionary lead his follwers in singing "This Is My Fathers World." No one survived.

What can we do to help?

Missionaries always need prayer, supplies, and protection. Protection? Yes. We can protect our missionaries through letters. Several missionaries have been captured over the years, and after an overwhelming number of letters from supporters around the globe, political pressure on the countries that have captured these missionaries becomes so great that the missionaries are set free.
There are several organizations that organize these "letter writings" such as VOM(The Voice of the Martrys).
Also, one doesn't have to be a missionary to spread the gospel. Local areas around you are also good places to spread the Word, you can do this at work, school, anywhere. I hope you consider these thoughts.

The day of Christ's return gets closer every day, and the stakes are being raised. It's time to step up and make a difference.


In Christ,

Hackett