Are You Right for the Mission Field?
Heather Brown, Director for Mobilization, US & Canada, was recently asked by Mission Network News to describe what it takes to become a missionary with TeachBeyond. Listen to her 9-minute interview below. This article originally appeared on the MNN website.
International (MNN) — The mission field is full of misconceptions, and people are often led to believe that there is only one position in the field: pastoral. The truth is there are many more positions available to people with different occupational and educational backgrounds.
Using Your Skills for Good“One of the biggest misconceptions that I have run into is the fact that people don’t realize that they can use whatever skills or training that they have for in missions,” TeachBeyond’s Heather Brown says.
“With us, many people are coming to us to serve as teachers, and yet, there are other positions besides just teaching within TeachBeyond… We need people to be involved in business development, and communications, and some of those outside positions as well that help us sustain the work at each of these schools and programs.”
Brown says there are positions in maintenance, administration, and IT.
Another common misconception, she says, is that people must study something new if they have a desire to enter into the mission field. However, people may already be more qualified and trained for the field than they think.
“It’s very possible the training you already have, the gifts you already have, the passions that God has already put inside you, already are lining up with needs around the world.”
There are opportunities to expand work positions as well.
For instance, for people who want to work as teachers, but do not have background experience in teaching, TeachBeyond will bridge the gap and ensure training.
“We love when we have a qualified candidate who has teaching certification and is wanting to serve in a role as a teacher, but we also do have a couple other options for people who aren’t certified teachers… If they want to serve as a TESL teacher, we have partnerships to help them get TESL training.”
Are You Right for the Field?Ultimately, TeachBeyond is looking for people who have their heart set on God. They should attend church, be involved, and grow in their faith so that they’re strong enough to face odds in the mission field overseas.
Brown also suggests that interested people should look at how God has worked in their lives so far and consider if they’re being called to a certain country or with a certain people group.
“We’re definitely looking for people who love the Lord and have a genuine heart to serve, and have a growing relationship with Him,” Brown says.
“And along with that, something that we hear from all of our schools and program leaders, who, we ask them this question too, and they continually respond by saying that we need people who are flexible… People who are willing to be flexible in different circumstances, and try new things. So much of life overseas is unpredictable.”
If you feel called to the mission field and want to help different schools overseas, Brown encourages you to pray as you move forward with the process.
“Sometimes it can feel like when we pray, we’re not doing anything and so, we’re sitting, waiting for an answer, and that can be a frustrating experience, and so, I personally believe that we can couple prayer with action, and as we take one step of obedience at a time, and are continually prayerful about the process, that the Lord opens doors and makes things clear as we move forward.”
TeachBeyond has opportunities open to you in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Explore the Opportunity Board.