An Encouraging Evaluation?

I had a meeting with members of the Baptist Mid Missions field council last Tuesday night. The field council consists of the president, vice president, and secretary treasurer of all the missionaries in Australia. It sounds like a very serious meeting but was actually a time of great encouragement and fellowship for me.

About six months ago I met with the field council so that we could evaluate how I was doing. I shared with them some issues I was struggling with and we talked about how to deal with them. They gave me lots of advice at that meeting which proved extremely useful during the months that followed. Now six months later they wanted to have another meeting to check up on my progress.

As I sat down into an easy chair with a cup of coffee Tuesday night I wasn't worried about the meeting. There was no fear in my heart about failures or weaknesses being pounded into my head repeatedly. The biggest reason for that was because I knew the people who sat in that room with me. And I knew that they were only interested in helping me grow to become a stronger missionary. Their goal was to build me up, not tear me down.

To my left was the secretary treasurer of Baptist Mid Missions Australia. Because of this position it is her unfortunate responsibility to care for my business account. There are two accounts for me in Australia. The first is a personal account that I use for items that are not ministry related. The second is a business account that will pay for ministry expenses. It is necessary to have both accounts because it is required by the immigration department of Australia.

About a year ago she took control of my accounts and soon found it was a very complicated job. The fact that I send her receipts for ministry items that I spend personal money on for reimbursement probably doesn't make it easier. But she never once complained about how much work she had to do for me or how hard it is. Instead she does an absolutely amazing job keeping my finances organised. Other times she and her husband have had me over for wonderful dinners. One sticks in my mind because she made me real southern food. It consisted of biscuits, bacon, eggs (scrambled in the bacon grease of course) and sausage gravy. That fattening but delicious meal alone showed that she was willing to help me in any way possible.

To my right was the pastor of the church I attend in Australia. He is officially the vice president of Baptist Mid Missions Australia, but he means much more to me than that. He is a mentor who has given me countless pieces of advice that have helped me in my ministry. He is a friend who will call me just to see how I am doing that day. He is the selfless individual who drove for forty five minutes just so he could have coffee with me at a local McDonald's. He is the counsellor who listens to me vent when I have a bad day.
He was the first person I called when someone broke into my car last month. And even during the meeting he gave me a quick wink of encouragement so I didn't take things too seriously. Sitting across from the secretary treasurer was the vice presidents wife. I have eaten wonderful meals at her house countless times and spent long afternoon with them both. Just last Sunday I came to their house at 1:00 for lunch and ended up leaving at 7:30 (I think they wanted me to stay later)! She is always willing to give me advice and help when I am in need.

Across from me was the president of BMMA. This man is also a great encouragement and friend. He is currently working with a solicitor (lawyer) to help me gain a permanent residency visa to Australia. Before I even came to Australia he was instrumental in trying to get my permanent residency visa application accepted. I have spoken at his church on two different occasions, and he is the first pastor to schedule a meeting so that I can present the CTT ministry. During the evaluation he asked me about any struggles that I was experiencing so that other missionaries could help. He asked me what I wanted to do in the future, and didn't just dismiss my plans as dreams. He expressed concern about my living so far away from the other missionaries and asked about my getting homesick. His last question was, “how can we help you”?

I left the meeting late Tuesday night exhausted but happy. It made me thankful that I have such a strong support team in Australia. It also reminded me of how important it is to have people who will lovingly help and support you. Because things will always go wrong in life. And for those who follow Christ there will be extra “drama” from Satan trying to discourage them. At those times a strong group of mentors who will help you is vital. I could go on about the friends and role models I have in Australia but it would take too long. I do thank God for every one of them though. A solid support team can even turn work evaluations into encouraging and fun experiences!