The Ohio Independent Baptist, February 1954

Ei~l1t c 11 TI-IE 01-IIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST February 1954 ~----~~ -~~~~~~------------~~- -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A MISSIONARY • l\ Ii, . J:i i11 l 3" .._ 1 e11 t thrre te1·n1. i11 V e11ez11ela 1111cler l\Iid-.:\I i. : io11: a11cl at the J)rcse11t t i111e i. lirecti11g· tl1("l l\Ii.. io11. Departn1e11t at ()maha Bapti. t BilJl In. titt1te. t r:cl i to1-- ) ...\ ,·i.:·i ti11f_: 111i "' io11a1~).. 1·ece11tl} 1 111c1 de tl1e 1--en1a1·l{ i11 011r e l1a IJe1 e1·,·ice tl1at ~ g r ace g·rit , a11d g·111111)tio11 ' ' ,,·er e thP pri11cipal c111a lj ficc1 tio11 of a 111i io11a1--~y·. \\Titl1011t 111i11in1izi11g· the e. ential t1--11tl1 co11tai11ed the1--ei11 or taki11g xceptio11 to it, I ,~011lcl lilce t o epito111ize it f111 ..tl1er boiling: it c10,v11 to a i110'le q11alificatio11. I t eem to me that adaptal)ilitJ'" or the fac11lt~y·· of g·1 ..acio11 adj11 tment take i11 e, 1 erythi110' a t1n1i110· of co11r e that tl1e ca11clidate i · trul,.. ._ con ec1--ated to the Lorcl a11d l1a. a ince1--e lo,,.e for 0111 . Life i11 mo t mi ion la11d taxe. our capacity for a cljl1. t1ne1 t in many directio11. . Foreig11er . a1--e naturally 11bjected to m11ch i11co11- , re11ie11ce. \\Te are t ]1e o1)ject of great a11d co11 ta11t c111"'io. ity. P er– hap t1nder lil{e circ11n1! ta11ce )roll too ,,,011ld ha,,.e imila1.. cur·io ity regardi11g a ho. t of t r ange bei11 o· 11ewly co1ne into yo1,1r mid. t ,vho had a ,vholl3:r differ e11t waJr of life a11d po . e eel an l1nli111itecl 11t11nber of cla 'J.,. colorfl1l gadg·et f 01· do– i11g all tl1ei1-- hot1 ehold ta 1< • . s foreig11er i11 a t r a11g·e 11e,, 1 e11, 1 iro11n1e11t tl1ere i, p e1·l1aps 110 011e thi110· that ,,,.e 1ni11 l . o 11111ch a the laclc of oppor t111Jity to be f r ee from p11blic ol) ·e1--,.ratio11 or o.;crutin3r. 111 the 11itecl 1 tate ,ve move at ,,ill l)a i11g . ore of peo– ple ,,..itho11t a11yo11e . tal{i11g· the lig·hte. t 11otice of ll . But i11 t l1e e tropical land. ,, ..h er e 110 011e i 011 . ch eclule and time i. 110 factor, the p1..i,·acJ .. ,vhich ,ve ha, 1 e tal{e11 fo1· frrantecl i11 the homela11d i , jt1 t a memory. I t wol1ld e,re11 defy ex– pla11ation. :No 'i 011th A1ne1·ica11 ,,·oulcl be able to tl1i1 lt of a r ea 011 wl1,.,. a11,.,.011e , houlcl cle ire to be .. ab olutelJ'" alo11e ! \\ 7 e 1 eed to c11ltivate the grace of tole1 ..ati11a what ee1n to l)e crude i11tr11 io11 or lear11 the fi11e art of excl11cli11g· v·i itor · cou1·teot1. l~.,. a11d cliplomati– calJ,... 111 . h ort we n111. t i11 a n1ra. - .. ure o-ratify curio; itJ... 01-- else be serioll ·lJr n1i. llllder. tood. ,,.,..e ca11 t afford to lJe mi. 1111de1-. ·tood for that ,vould mean th,vart ecl pur- p o e a11d Ol1r ulti111ate u efulne Cl1rtailed. 111 aclditio11 to that n ece aI'Y a co111111odation or readju tme11t to tl1e exter11al of livi1 g \\ 1 hich th e 1ni . io11ary mu t l)e prepare 1 to 1nal<e the1·e i on1ethi11g- deeper and 111or e f1111dame11tal i11 life that al. o 11eed adjt1 t111ent if ,ve are to li, 1 e effecti,Telv... a11d ,l{ea1-- ,vell in the ., 1uicl t of a for eig·n ct1lture. The fore ig11 n1i. iona1·y ml1. t cultivate the 1 abit of mai11tai11ing a teacly poi ed tate of mind. For thi 011e n111 t take time for c1uiet mecli– tation 1"eflectio11 a11d prayer--. n e of the 11 ·11al critici m of hri tia11- ity b3r for·eign p eople i that it i a ct1lt of f e,Teri h ha te and ac– ti,Ti ty ,,,ith littl e r e t of oul. V\T e 111t1 t r efrai11 from liv"i110' in a 11e1·, 1 ou. , 1111 ettled ma1111er . l\Ioreo, ..er the 111i iona1"y 1n1 t li, 1 e o a. to have a r e er,re of bot]1 phy ical a11d 111e11tal e11er gy. Ther e ,vill be emer ge11cie ,avhen one ca11- not avoid ,veari11g to the poi11t of exhat1. tio11 b11t it i om t l1i11g· to be diligently gt1ardecl a o'ai11 t. °'\\ hile ,,·e lare 11ot cocldle 011r e]\·e ,, 1 i th lllldlle Car e a11d oft11e. , , \,"e n111. t 111ai11tai11 a certain di ci1Jli11e a . olclier do if \Ve a1 ..e to ,,~ork at the l1igh e t po , ible l eg·r ee of ef– ficie11cy. 1 e11erally .. peal{i11g ,ve "-"e t er11- e1-- live 1no1"e happily a1 d 1nor e ef– fecti,rely if life i.' pllr u ed 011 a ~}rst en1atic ba~i. . '\\Te a1·e acc11 - tomed to ,, 1 orl<i1 g ,vith a ·c11ecl11le before ll~. If the 1ni . io11ary life i · to be lived efficiently he 1nt1. t pla11 hi clay u tilizing ti111e a11cl energy to the be t advantao·e. There 1nt1 t be defi11ite objectia'le ,,,ith . 11itable pla11 a11d 1nethocl . The mi. io11ar,r n111 t b e able and .. ,villi11g· h o,vever to . et a ide that pla11 gracio11 l3r when i11t er1--llp– tio11 con1e a11d emergen cie a1 .. i e. A11cl ari. e they 11rely ,vill. l\f o t of the l l p.·et of ch edt1le co1ne i11 the fo1--1n of h111n a11 bei11g· . N' ati, 1 e , a. ,~.rell a f ello,, mi iona1 ..ie , ,vi h to tall{ to l l ~ about va1"iot1. tl1i11g that to them eem. importa11t. ick follc call for h elp, , ,i ito1' come ju. t to sit and be entertai11ed, and . omeon e come to borrow mo11ey l1ntil aturday. ' ' There i 110 e1 d to l111expected it11ation. that demand the mi io11ary atte11tio11 . It oon become cl ear that ,,·e IDll t lear11 the cie11ce of ac1ju ti11g our checll1le-1nil1decl11e to the ea y- going unn1ethoclical t ~t 1 e of native life and do o ,vith 11ch mag11ani1nity of pirit a 11ot to ho,v the lea t impatien ce or di ap– p ointment. Inwarcly too we ml1 t tay calm, not for a moment fret– ting our elve becau e the1·e are everal ite111 on the li t that didn't get done. :Jiaybe it doe r e ult i11 v\'"eari– ne of the fie h tedi11m, and p er - 011al di appoi11tn1e11t. o ,vhat ? Pal1l ~11,ote to the Roman ( 15 :1 ) ' ' "\\Te that are tro110' ought to bear tl1e i11fi1--mitie of the wealc\ a11d XOT T PLEA E lR- ELVE . (W e are llppo ed to be dead 3,.ou lmo,v. ) On another occa ion h e aid The ervant of the L o1·cl mu t not tri, 1 e ~ but be g-e11tl e unto all 1nen, apt to teach patie11t. Thi earlie t of foreig11 mi io11a1 .. ie al o . t1n11necl it up f 01 .. 11 i11 I 01·. 9 :22 ,,·hen h e ,vrote ' To the " ..eal{ be ·ame I a ,veal{ that I might gain the weak: I am macl e all thino· to all me11, that I 111ig·l1t by all n1ea11 a,Te ome. ' g·ai11 \Yitl1 Pal1l ,ve a k ,Vho i. 11fficient fo r the e thi11g· ? ' The ti111l1lati110' an. ,,..e1-- co111e from the 1ni iona1~), ' econcl letter to the I ori11thia11 : 111-. • 11fficienc,r i of .. :rod . . . A11cl ocl i able to mal{e all g·1·ace abol11 d towa1'd J..ot1 ; that 3re al\Va).. ha,ti11g· all 11fficienc) .. in all thi11g n1ay abo1111cl to e\"er3r g·ood ,,..orlr. A~ thi abu11cla11t g1 ..ace i llp– pliecl to 11 da3T by clay we a1,e e11- abled to be , ·ictoriou e, ,.en over the in11u1nerable di 1·t1ption a11d i11 onve11ie11ce of a h eath en Clll- tltre. Tl1u co11fo1--mecl to Ifi imag·e t1·a11 f 01·111ecl bJ.. the r e- ne\vi11g of 0111-- 111ind , ,,,,e becon1e trlll)r acla1)table a cljll. t ed ! vVl1 11 a n1a11 begi11 to 1'ealize tl1e t1'uth abollt l1im elf it r ecll1ce l1i de i1--e to 1--efo1 ..m hi a ociate .