22 minute read
WHAT MY FIR ST GR ADERS TAUGHT ME
DESTINATION:
MAJURO , MARSHALL ISLANDS
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WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY FIRST GRADERS
From the moment I stepped off the plane, I knew that this new culture would take some adjusting to. Coming from Alaska where the temperatures are cold and the air dry, the hot and humid air in Majuro was drastically different. I teach 1st grade, and daily I am reminded of the Bible verse that says:
“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
When it comes to religion, children generally have it figured out. By simplifying religion for my 1st graders, I have been challenged in my own faith. Often times we complicate our faith because we can’t understand why Jesus would die on the cross for our sins, when in reality it is just as simple as it seems. Even a child can understand it! The effects from sin is death, but Jesus died on the cross so that we can have everlasting life.
A lesson that I’ve learned since being here is that being a Christian means giving up control. During the first couple of weeks of school I would get frustrated and feel like I wasn’t good enough and wonder why God brought me here. My mindset changed completely when I realized that God doesn’t want me to try to be in control. God is powerful enough, He simply needs me to surrender to Him.
Majuro has been a wonderful place to be a missionary. Sabbaths are filled with outreach programs, like playing music, telling stories to underprivileged children, or bringing the music team to the local hospital to pray over and play for patients. During our free time, the SM [student missionary] team has a great time spearfishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and enjoying each other’s company. I am still amazed at how 40,000 people can live on only four square miles of land!
Something I’ve noticed since being here is that the people seem very happy. Although many of them have far from ideal living conditions – with many sleeping outside – they are so Elizabeth Butikofer
Age: 21 Occupation: 1st grade teacher., Junior Mechanical engineering student at Walla Walla University Church family: Palmer Seventh-day Adventist church in Palmer, AK
What was your most powerful experience? The most powerful thing was really how welcoming the kids were. A local family invited me to a nearby church. On the day that I went, everyone was so friendly! They even announced my name at church, saying how happy they were that I was there. There were two adorable kids at the church that I had never seen before, yet they came over to the pew where I was sitting and sat on my lap for the full service. They never talked to me, they didn’t even speak English, but their trust and openness to me, a stranger, was incredible. At a time when I felt so far from home, the locals didn’t just treat me like family, I was their family. Sabbath and midweek services were my favorite times of the week when all of the kids would come over by the missionaries and fall asleep in our laps. My heart still hurts when I think about saying goodbye to them. The faith and trust the children had in us made a big impact on me.
What advice would you give someone interested in Mission work? If you’re wondering if you should be a missionary, with zero hesitation I would say go for it. It doesn’t matter where you go, you will make a big difference and learn to trust God more. God will never leave us, He will never put us in a situation that is harder for us to bear. If things are difficult, sometimes God has to break you in order to build you. It’s when we give up all control that God can use us the most. God made you for a special purpose. He will use you in ways you never imagined possible.
joyful. Most of the people where I am from in the States have more than they need, yet there is an overarching sadness and stress that fills their eyes with gloom. I began to ask myself questions like, “Could it be that we completely missed what is important? What is it that’s important?” I still don’t have it figured out, but my experience here tells me that the key to contentedness lies in being happy with little and sharing with others.
I am amazed by how the people here have so little, yet never have a problem sharing. Only four out of my 20 students have a box of crayons, yet that’s not a problem for them. When I hand them a worksheet to color, the students with the crayons share without hesitation. I can’t help but feel stricken with guilt when I remember myself as a child. I struggled so much with sharing. I still do. The kids here know that relationships are more important than having nice things.
I’m also amazed at how the students love to adopt each other into their families. I was teaching a segment of social studies that involved families. I went around the classroom, asking the students how many siblings they had. Most of them would say that they had a number between 8-13 of siblings. I got frustrated, thinking that it was impossible and that they were lying. Later I realized that when they have a close friend they automatically call them a sister/brother. On a couple instances I had students come into class sobbing with tears streaming downs their cheeks. When I asked them what the matter was, they replied: “(Blank) doesn’t want to be my sister!” After talking to the students and resolving the argument, I can’t help but smile at the strong bond that they have with each other.
I feel very loved whenever I am walking on campus. When I walk to go home for lunch, I can’t help but be swarmed with children grabbing onto me. It makes it impossible to walk! I feel very blessed to be called constantly “teacher!”
I still can’t fully grasp what it means to be a teacher. I have never had the desire to be a teacher. But God placed me here and I have followed His calling. Daily I feel completely unqualified to be a teacher, but God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
God gave me peace when I felt unsure. I chose to be a missionary because it felt right, but I still had doubts that Majuro was where God was leading me.
Before leaving my home in Alaska, I started getting nervous and it was beginning to hit me hard that I would be leaving everything that I knew to go to Majuro, an atoll located in the Marshall Islands. I prayed for a sign that if God was truly leading me to Majuro, he would let me find a four-leaf clover. I opened my eyes, and there right before me was a four-leaf clover. All my life I have searched to find one of these, and God knew when to show me my first one. I was overjoyed! During the rest of the process of leaving for a year, I never once felt worried because I knew that God had a purpose for me in Majuro.
I have currently been in Majuro for three months. I still haven’t felt like I’ve made a great difference, but I know that God led me here. I teach first grade to 20 adorable students. Teaching has had its struggles, daily I pray that God will give me the patience I need. I know that I am far from qualified for teaching, however, the most important thing at the end of the day is for them to know that God loves them.
I think this type of work can help people who are discouraged, and feel that they’re not making an impact, to feel valuable and chosen. You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. God has
a special purpose that only you can fulfill.
For those who are considering being an SM, my advice to you is: without a doubt being a missionary will be a chance to learn about a new way of life, hear God’s voice clearer, and grow spiritually and mentally. It won’t always be easy. Depending on the location, it may be hot, and you will have your share of challenges, but knowing that you are where God wants you is the best feeling in the world. Nothing causes a better sleep than a clear conscience knowing that God has me right where He wants me.
DESTINATION:
PALAU
THE PURSUIT OF PURPOSE
My five years of missionary service have had a profound impact on me. Simply put, the love, knowledge, and life lessons I received far exceeded anything that I gave in all my time in Palau. The best years of my life were those spent among the people, the culture, and the nature there. I feel more at home in Palau than I do even here in America.
There’s just more amplified about the way you feel God’s presence and love when you’re dedicated to His service in a place where relying on Him is your first and best option.
NAME : Ngoriiakl Corey Johnson
Age: 32 Occupation: Master of Divinity student, Andrews University Podcast: Go: The Mission: Available on YouTube, Spotify, Google, Apple, and many more.
What was your most powerful experience?
This is a tough one... there are so many! As the chaplain in Palau, I tried to do all I could to show Jesus to the kids. In a school where less than 10% are Adventist Christian, it was a great challenge. In my last two years, all glory and thanks to God, there were more than 15 baptisms. Students from all different cultural and religious backgrounds seeing Jesus in such a powerful way. During one service, I was privileged to be able to baptize three of my students in the same place (by the bridge!) that I had been baptized during my first year in Palau! To see God bring the experience full circle 7 years later will forever be a reminder of the incredible things He can do through someone who is willing to serve.
From the elementary school to the high school, from PE teacher to Bible teacher and chaplain, being able to have just a small impact on my students was a great joy, but what I got in return was priceless.
On the outside looking in, our first thought might be, “Oh, I’m going out there to change the world,” but I learned even while being there that I was the one being changed for the better. I could have stayed another five years, but I knew that God had another field for me to grow in. I left with the intention of attending the seminary at Andrews University so I could pursue military chaplaincy. Interestingly enough, I didn’t even realize it when I left in 2019, but something had been awak- ened in me that was just waiting to express itself upon my return home.
My first semester in the seminary was tough, not because the classes were diffi- cult, but because I couldn’t fully see my purpose in chaplaincy. After five years of knowing exactly what my purpose was out in the mission field, I felt a bit lost back here at home. I started to pray that God would open and close the doors of oppor- tunity as He saw fit, but I told Him that I
was going to continue to give my best effort in pursuit of chaplaincy.
When it came time for student missions emphasis week, I was asked to help with a booth displaying Palau. I had brought a lot of Palau back home with me and had plenty to display. I remember looking through my yearbooks and seeing the faces of the kids again, and I thought to myself, “This is where I knew who I was, and exactly what I wanted to be.” Ironically, while I was still in Palau I had joked that I could be a missionary forever, but who really does that? Those thoughts came back to me, and I just asked God to let His will be done. I didn’t want to change anything for myself.
The next week, after all the paperwork, meetings, appointments, resumes, and effort that went into pursuing the chaplaincy route, I got a call that it wasn’t going to work out. That’s a crazy story in itself, but I knew that I was being called to serve in a way I never thought I ever really would. Within days I changed my emphasis to youth and young adult ministry and, since there wasn’t a missions emphasis for the M.Div., I decided to commit to pursuing the doctorate degree in missions whenever I finish.
It wasn’t long after making the switch that the podcast, Go: The Mission, was born. In my many conversations with not only former missionaries but also the students who have been impacted by missionaries, I knew that I had found my purpose once again. Classes are tougher, yet easier, because now I know exactly where I am headed.
God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. I went my first year in the mission field because I felt I didn’t know purpose after graduating university, and yet it was in that very place, and under those specific circumstances, where He began to guide me towards what He wanted me to do for the rest of my life. I owe it all to Him, and I’m looking forward to giving my all in pursuit of the mission: Go.
1Think less! If the thought is already in your mind, it’s not because of you – God is speaking to you. Often times the more we think about something, the more we let doubts creep in. Trust God and go!
2The mission experience isn’t always about what you receive but what you can give. There is tremendous potential for a powerful impact you might have on just one life out there, and that potential is worth letting God use you. It is more blessed to give than to receive!
3A wider perspective and better understanding of people is something everyone could use more of – and that’s best found outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to go and to grow.
DESTINATION: EBEYE, MARSHALL ISLANDS
MY LIFE IN MISSION
This past year I made a big decision. I felt called to serve as a student missionary and that calling led me to the small island of Ebeye in the Marshall Islands.
Let’s back up. When I was growing up, my parents were missionaries in Guam. Because of this, I had a chance to visit a few of the outer islands, such as Palau, Ebeye, Pohnpei, and Saipan. Ever since I visited Ebeye as a middle-schooler, I felt a sense of connection to that specific island. I felt at home with the people and their simplistic lifestyle. Eleven years later, after finishing two years of college, I decided to become an overseas student missionary. After much prayer and consideration, I was on my way to Ebeye.
After arriving in Ebeye, the school administration and staff soon learned that the Marshall Islands were experiencing an outbreak of Dengue fever, a fever spread by mosquitoes. Much to our dismay, school was postponed for two weeks. This was not what we had planned, but, as a missionary, you must learn to be flexible. Shortly before school was supposed to start, a couple student missionaries, including myself, contracted the fever. This was definitely not how my missionary year was supposed to start! After a week of lying in bed with a fever, I was finally able to start working as the sixth-grade teacher.
After many failed attempts, I soon learned that controlling 26 students in a classroom is far more difficult than it sounds, but, with God’s help and lots of support from my friends and family, I was able to grasp the concept. The beginning was a little rough, yet, over time, things got better. I was reminded, again, a missionary must be flexible.
I soon learned that being a sixth-grade teacher was just the first of my jobs while serving. In addition to that responsibility, I was the school photographer, as well as the yearbook coordinator and editor. Sometimes you go expecting one thing, but God has other plans for you. With lots of responsibility came lots of stress.
The other missionaries and I found ourselves beyond our comfort zones, overstressed, and sometimes unprepared. We had to each find new ways to de-stress. Some took up reading
See Cameron’s video series about his experience in mission at hesaidgo.com/media!
and quiet time, some took up learning new instruments, while others used exercise in the outdoors as their relief. During my time there, I tried all those things, but my favorite was learning to play a new instrument: the ukulele. We had a church group that met and practiced each week to learn new songs to perform. At first, it was difficult, it hurt my fingers and it seemed impossible. I wanted to quit many times and considered dropping out, but for some reason I never did. Over time, I improved. My fingers started hurting less and it was becoming easier to learn the songs.
As I look back on this experience, I realize that learning how to play the ukulele is like becoming a missionary. At first, you are out of your comfort zone, it is difficult, it hurts, and you want to quit a lot. But if you trust in God and stick to it, it becomes easier. It still hurts sometimes, but you notice it less and, soon, you enjoy it so much you could never even think of quitting.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, most of the student missionaries were called out of their locations and had to return home earlier than expected. After much thought and prayer, I arrived home two months early.
Looking back on the experience I can see how much I have grown as a person and would go and serve as a missionary again in a heartbeat. I’ve made life-long friends with whom I shared a common journey. I was given many opportunities to be involved in church services and outreach in the mission field. Through this opportunity, I have been able to share my journey through photos and videos on social media and to my fellow peers at school. I have been able to share my story and encourage others to start their own journey as well.
I wouldn’t change my experience even if I had the opportunity. God sends us each on our own journey and that helps us grow and understand Him better. Even though the journey was not perfect, I learned a lot and grew closer to God. As missionaries, we are told to be flexible no matter what, and being sent home early, even though it was not part of my plan, is a perfect example of being flexible and remembering that God is in control. Cameron Reel
Age: 21 Occupation: Mass Communication/Media Production Major, Southern Adventist University Church Family: Collegedale University Church
What was your most powerful experience? The most powerful thing that happened to me was finally understanding that my students care for me even though they just met me. I felt a sense of connection even though I thought I was so different from them. All in all, I learned that we aren’t so different.
What advice would you give someone interested in Mission work? I would say pray and ask for God’s guidance! If you feel His calling, go for it! Plus, you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to do mission work. You can do mission work in your own neighborhood!
DESTINATION:
MULTI PLE
MISSION: MINDSET OR MAP?
The missionary field has had a profound impact on my life. I credit much of who I am today to what I’ve learned while serving in overseas missions. Having been home for a few years, I have come to understand what actual missionary work is all about. Being a missionary is more about one’s mindset than a map. It’s more about who you are than where you go.
By going to a place that is not familiar to you, the person you were at the start inevitably changes, and that change is something that never leaves you.
NAME : G. Joffre St.Hilaire
Age: 31 Occupation: Student, Theological Seminary at Andrews University Church Family: Voice of Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church
Go! And ask God to give you a heart that is open to what He will do through, for, and in you while you are in the mission field. By doing so, I guarantee that you will not regret it and that your life will be profoundly impacted!
But what happens when you are in the place that you call home or a place that is familiar to you? Are you still considered a missionary? God wants each of us to be missionaries no matter where we are. However, I posit that through the unique work of intercultural missions, one will never be the same. God has a different type of access to you when you give yourself in service to Him in a foreign land.
Though now I’ve come to an understanding that being a missionary is not a term that’s exclusively used for people doing work in a foreign land, I think there are some things that God can only do in and through you once you are fully immersed in a context outside of your own.
I want to share with you some of the things that I’ve learned while serving in the mission field and also how I’ve tried to allow those principles to follow me while serving in the place I call home.
The mission field gave me a new lens for how to see God, others, and myself.
It was in the mission field where I found God and decided to begin living for Him truly. There in the hustle and bustle of Cheonan, Korea is where I encountered the God who fearfully and wonderfully made me and who had a plan for my life. Jeremiah 29:13 became my anchor for that year as I began my quest to find not only my Creator, but my best friend.
Principle: He is a God who wants to be found and wants to be in oneness with us.
It was in the mission field where God gave me a love for His children and His work. A fallacy of thought common among missionaries is that we have something within us that we’re bringing to the people we are going to serve. We seldom consider the experience in the mission field as one that is of an equal exchange. The truth is, we can learn as much from the people we’re going to serve as they
can learn from us, if not more. Everyone has something to bring to the table, and everyone should be heard.
Principle: His children are precious to Him, and it is humbling that He would trust us with imparting precious truths to them. Seeing people as God sees them is beneficial to growth.
It was in the mission field where I learned of how wide-spread the social construct of race is and how far the system of white supremacy extends. In the jungle of Peru is where I began to understand what it really means to be black in this world in a very visceral way. I had to learn and unlearn many ideas about who I was that were imposed upon me from outside sources, not only for me but for those I worked with and served. Though it can be an arduous process, allowing God to affirm the very being of who you are, is life-changing.
Principle: You are unique and special to God, regardless of what you think of yourself or what the world ascribes to you.
These principles or lessons have followed me back to America. The mission continues no matter where you are. God continues to show me that He is my best friend, how much He needs me to commune with His children, and how I’m supposed to see myself. He wants to do the same for you.
What was the most powerful thing that happened to you on your mission trip?
On my mission trips, I got to experience God in a very vivid way. I came to understand that God
is real and that He hears
our prayers, so much so that there is nothing that He cannot do! God went
from being someone that I knew of and did things for to being someone that I know and do life with. I
don’t think I would have
found and encountered
God the way I did if not for the mission field. A
real sense of purpose did not begin for me until I wrestled with God like
Jacob did when on the
mission that prepared him to meet Esau.
