In our first five years on the field, we faced several discouragements that almost sent me packing and headed back to the States. Our sending church changed its mission focus and decided to stop financially supporting us. The country we live in changed its visa laws for ministers of religion so we had no visa we could apply for anymore. Our small church plant had no national believers. I couldn’t understand what God was up to and continually cried out to Him for wisdom and strength to carry on. I wanted clarity to come with our calling, but it all seemed a bit fuzzy at the time. 

Just because our global work is difficult doesn’t mean we chose the wrong path. And when we struggle, it’s not a sign that we misunderstood our calling. We’re not promised life will be easy if we follow Jesus. As a matter of fact, we’re promised the exact opposite. Jesus says to His disciples in Matthew 16:24-25, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” And He Himself is our example of enduring difficulties right smack dab in the middle of obedience to God’s will (Matthew 16:21). Our difficult times are part of our sanctification, part of our denying ourselves and taking up our crosses to follow Christ. As Jesus endured sufferings, we too endure them to become more like Him. 

And prayerfully, with time, the fruit of our calling will become less fuzzy (and ultimately clear in eternity). My husband and I are now twenty years into our global work, and I can see our calling with a little more clarity. I see how God was using those difficult times to draw me nearer to Him, to remind me that this is His work not mine, and to follow Jesus is the best calling of all.