Contrasting ministry overseas with ministry in the States reveals many similaritiesand yet, in practical terms, they are often not comparable. The distinction is not merely geographical. Serving within established infrastructure and organizational support is fundamentally different from serving independently in an isolated setting where much of that infrastructure simply does not exist.
Serving in isolated missions has a way of turning ordinary tasks into something far more complex than they would be at home. I remember being on my roof recently, doing the kind of work that in the States might mean a quick call, a ladder, and perhaps someone stopping by to help. Instead, I was alone, looking out over an endless stretch of jungle canopy. The sun was dropping, there was no one to call, no one “on standby,” and no quick solution if something went wrong.
As I worked, inconvenience became calculation: What happens if I slip? How far is the nearest hospital? Who would even know I was hurt? How long before someone realized something was wrong? Is there even a vehicle available tonight to get me to town? These were not abstract concerns. They were the ordinary calculations that come with realizing that, in a very practical sense, you are on your own.
Even simple mistakes carry different consequences. Forget a supply? That may mean a 7-8 hour round trip; assuming the item is even available. If it is not, the question becomes whether it must be shipped into the country and whether that process will take weeks or months. There is no Amazon prime in this country. What is a minor inconvenience in the States can consume an entire day or even delay an entire project in an isolated setting overseas.
Ministry itself does not change with geography. Regardless of country, culture, or language, people need Christ, the gospel must be proclaimed, believers must be discipled, and churches must be strengthened. The mission remains the same; the mechanics can be radically different.
The inconveniences are real. The isolation is real. The risks are real.
But the cross is worth it. Christ is worth it. The cost may change with geography; the worth of Christ does not.
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Your feet to the Tiale people and the country of Vanuatu, Seth, Nicole & Selah Stokes
Stoking The Fires 