By Laura Roberts
Recently I received an e-mail from Tyler reminding me that I needed to write my article for the PBT PNG Branch website. What could I write about? I do not live in a remote village, like Bible translators. They always have interesting stories. My ministry in Pioneer Bible Translators is teaching at a school for missionary children. There are some differences between teaching school at an international school and teaching in the United States, but overall it is the same basic job. Granted, there are many funny stories I could tell about my students, but this is not the appropriate place.
As I pondered what to write, I began thinking about the tendency the church has to put missionaries on pedestals; a practice which makes me very uncomfortable. I hate to shatter your perceptions, but missionaries are not super Christians. We are just ordinary (though not always “normal”), flawed individuals, just like other Christians. We have our strengths and weaknesses, just like anyone else.
Sometimes, just for fun, I like to make a mental list of jobs I would find interesting if I was not a missionary school teacher (librarian, curriculum coordinator, travel guide, meteorologist, travel agent) and jobs I definitely would not like (school bus driver, pro athlete, super model, emergency room nurse, stock broker, accountant, coal miner, Bible translator). Your lists are probably different than mine, because God has wired all of us differently. The point is that God has made us all unique for a purpose-so that we can work together to build up His Kingdom. One thing that I really like about the ministry of Pioneer Bible Translators is that there are so many ways a person can be involved in helping transform lives through access to God’s Word. I personally would be a horrible Bible translator, but I can enable missionary families by making sure their children get a good education.
No, those of us in Pioneer Bible Translators are not super Christians. The one thing we are is obedient to the Great Commission. What about you? Has God gifted you in a way that can be used to help Bible-less people?
Laura is a teacher for missionary children.