Two weeks ago I spent a week in Brazil with 50 missionary women at the Continent Care Connection Conference sponsored by Great Cities Missions. I joined a team who went to encourage the missionaries who gathered from Central and South America.
The missionary women arrived from all kinds of circumstances. Some live in large cities, 
others in rural areas. They serve in church plants, medical clinics, community service, social work, leadership training, teaching, all while keeping a home afloat. Some are single; others married. Some are elderly with decades of experience, and others have barely unpacked their suitcases. Some have kids and grandkids; others have neither. Some arrived weary, tired and heavily burdened. Others arrived with eager anticipation, excited about their ministries and the future.
As different as these women are, they have some common qualities and experiences that bind them together as a group. They’ll be the first to say that perfection is not one of them–they wrestle with God, struggle with circumstances and stumble in sin just like everyone else. Each of their stories is different, but all of their stories have the common theme of God working through them.
Here’s a list of 10 characteristics I saw over and over again in this group of missionary women…
1. Courageous—It takes courage to even think of moving to a new country, much less thrive in a new country. These women are courageous every time they go to the market, 
negotiate business at a bank, teach their kids to read in two languages, get their haircut or order a special cut of meat. On top of that, they courageously tell people of the Savior they believe in.
2. Bearers of burdens—They carry the burden of the church as Paul expresses in his letters. The church is their “joy and crown” (Phil 4:1), “their letter of recommendation written with the Spirit of the living God.” They are in “the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed” in the neighbor (Gal. 4:19). And in addition to the church, they actually go through literal pains of childbirth with doctors and nurses using words from a distant language school vocabulary test. These childbirth pains lead them to carry the burdens (and joys) of raising kids in a different culture. For some women, as years pass, they also carry the burden of living far from aging parents.
3. Joyful—This is one joyful group of women to be with! The Spirit lives through them powerfully, and the joy of the Lord is their strength.
4. Tender hearts– Their joy is deep, but their hearts are also tender. They say farewell often. They carry grief frequently. And they often do it alone, without many others understanding their losses.
5. Sacrificial—When these women packed their bags to move to another country, they left a lot on the altar for God. Careers—some were teachers, nurses, therapists, business managers, doctors, graphic designers. Most give up the option of a second income for the family. Conveniences–ranging from peanut butter to a drive thru bank. Closeness to family and friends–it’s a little too far for a weekend trip to be with Grandma and Grandpa or to drop the kids off at their favorite aunt’s house. They constantly loosen their grip of this world.
6. Submissive—I know that’s almost a bad word, especially among a large group of women. But truth is, these women show their strength in their submission to God, 
his kingdom work through the church, to their husbands and to the people they serve. They are living Ephesians 5.
7. Humble—Language learning is enough to beat anyone into a humble state of mind. There’s nothing like a seven year old correcting your pronunciation. Mix that with walking in the Spirit, stumbling through cultural gaffes and seeking support— missionary women are on the fast track to humility, whether they want it or not.
8. Trust God—Every time I ate a meal with one of the missionary women, I heard steps of faith that they took because of their trust in God. Big steps. Many of them live in a world of tension with unanswered questions and complicated scenarios, but they trust. And they keep taking steps.
9. Pilgrims–Missionary women are pilgrims are on a journey. This world isn’t their home, because they’re not sure where “home” is any more. They’ve joined the pilgrimage of God’s servants to bless other nations while fixing their eyes on a heavenly citizenship.
10. Loving—These women love God deeply, love their families and love their neighbors.
I know that I went to Brazil with the intention of encouraging the missionary women. But when they boarded the bus to return to their respective homes on Friday afternoon, I realized that I was the one who was encouraged. Their lives gave me a clearer vision of God’s love and a glimpse of his kingdom on earth.
Thanks, ladies, for opening my eyes with your powerful lives!
