This is Missionary Work?

Orphanages, poverty, teaching, hard work, building, feeding, providing clean water, administering medicine, digging holes for toilets – these things are what I envisioned missionary work to be, before I came to Ecuador.

We came here, as a friend of mine calls it, on a “faith-based mission.” In other words, it means that we weren´t sent by any organization but rather came because we felt God called us here. There are good points and bad points when responding to this type of calling.

The good points are that God directs you in ways you never could have imagined. Since there is no agenda you’re free to wander in any direction and let Him lead. Every gift is a surprise, a joy, something to praise Him for.

The bad points are…as you’re wandering you really don’t know why you’re here. This lack of direction goes against how, as U.S. citizens, we´ve been programmed. Typically, we have a goal and work toward results. With a faith based mission, there is no plan, so it feels haphazard.

With my preconceptions of what missionary work was like, I contacted several people in Ecuador via e-mail prior to our arrival to arrange meetings to find out where they needed help. What orphanages they wanted us to stay in, where would we be swinging hammers and should I bring my own shovel?

Come to find out, God meets you where you are most gifted. As I have met each of my contacts I have found that most of their work is conducted in offices similar to those of the United States. They all have cell phones, a computer; they dress professionally­­; and they are all reaching out to the lost.

Curtis Gee works for Unsion Television. Ecuador (and all of South America for that matter) does not have a broadcast station where family values and moral standards are upheld. Most stations, if not all, offer what we would call “Rated R” television. Unsion stands apart and lets its viewers know that certain moral and ethical standards will be followed. Although, they do not overtly proclaim the gospel, it is there in everything they do.

Gustavo (I only know his first name) works for Radio Familia – A Christian-based radio station broadcasting from the heart of downtown Cuenca. Radio Familia is directly tied to a rapidly growing Christian (Non-Catholic) church called “Verbo.” They broadcast mainly Christian music in both Spanish and English and sometimes they throw in a little crossover English songs.

Tamara Ramirez works for Clinica Medical Cuenca – A low income clinic with doctors that volunteer their time for services ranging from General Practioner to Orthoscopic Surgery. Tamara arranges Doctors, Nurses and their families from the United States to come down, volunteer their time for a week or longer to help the poor in Cuenca. Patients pay as little as $5 for a doctor visit and $50 for cataract surgery.

What could I possibly offer to these organizations? All three of my contacts had the same request: Help us with our marketing! And so, based on my experiences in corporate America, God is using me to suggest things that, to me, are no big deal but to them are very good ideas.

Yes, it is wonderful to embrace orphans, provide medical services to the poor, and offer TV programming that has good values. But in order to do all those things it takes informed decisions, smart people management, and tenacious fundraising.

Call me blind to the obvious, but…I never realized being a missionary meant being a businessman!

-Blake