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2. About 6 months ago, another couple on furlough was at our place giving us their "sales pitch" replete with stories and pictures of the extreme poverty in their area of service. I asked how much money they needed monthly support - it's just the 2 of them, no kids - and I was cited a dollar amount a mere few hundred a month less than I make in one of this nation's most expensive cities. Don't tell me sob stories of all the poverty in your area and then tell me that you need over 100k per year for 2 people to live in that poor place.
The other side of this is that missionaries often do without so much that many of us take for granted. My mom told me that when they went to Korea as missionaries when I was little -- 3 children and a 4th on the way -- the mission board at first supported them at the same rate as a single, elderly lady, who had been there long enough that she had many private gifts. We spent our first winter in South Korea without hot water, in a mostly unheated house, my mom unable to take language classes because there was not enough money for her bus fare, eating noodles and tomato sauce. I wasn't aware of this (for my mom rarely speaks of her own hardships) until a few years ago when those years came up somehow in conversation, and she mentioned to me how hard that time was for her. I gather that eventually someone inquired and the data was adjusted.
This would make me think that perhaps mission boards/churches should be careful to inquire regularly to make sure the missionary is adequately provided for and weight their suspicions on this end of the scale. Presumably sending churches/denominations have some confidence in a man's character and dedication, so thinking of him as a moocher without evidence of his attempting to use the ministry as a means to a life of ease would seem unwarranted (especially when he is are working in places where 'a life of ease' would be a ridiculous characterisation -- exposed to illnesses and hardships and risks which most people would not wish for themselves or their families).
I don't understand why so many missionaries have to seek their own support. I hear tales of that often, but I've never seen it.
I don't understand why so many missionaries have to seek their own support. I hear tales of that often, but I've never seen it.
If they are sent by their individual church or denomination, their individual church or denomination should support them, with no need for any regular (or irregular) sales pitches. The sending institution, of course, has every right to receive general accounting of the money, or to insist on paying directly for the non-personal expenses themselves.
The task of planting or pastoring a foreign church is essentially the duty of an elder, and good elders are worthy of double honor. Double expectation, double responsibility, double honor and support.
I cannot imagine feeling mooched upon by any missionary, unless I had doubts about their dedication or discipline in their calling. If your'e convinced of the necessity of their work, and they are doing it, mooching doesn't enter the question. And I don't care one bit if they are able to live on much less than I am in their location, while they make more than I do (now that I think about it, all of our missionaries live in cheaper places than me, and make more than me). If I felt the need to lower the support of a missionary, whatever reason gave me that feeling would likely make me question their call itself.
A problem that may be as big or bigger is alleged waste on the mission field with spending a lot of money on things like building unnecessary buildings, etc. I think Pergy has talked about this and I have heard it from a brother who was asked to work with the International Mission Board of the SBC but who later became an independent missionary (i.e. not sent by a denomination.)
There may be others, but the only denominational missionaries I know of who are fully funded by the denomination are those sent by the SBC and OPC.
Are missionaries mooches?
Pergy,
Most missionaries have to raise their financial support by going out and asking for money. One cannot do that for long before one gets over our cultural hangup about asking for things. Over the years I've talked to some missionaries who claim to not "enjoy" asking for money and other things (but they are nonetheless all pretty good at asking anyway). I've talked to others who openly profess to have absolutely no qualms with asking for things. One expressed shock at my surprise and said - I'll never forget - "I ask for everything. I'm doing the Lord's work and when I ask I'm enabling them to be a blessing. And to be a blessing is to receive a blessing." Isn't that the logic of Swaggart or Baker or a faith healer?
While I have experienced a few things that I definitely think cross the line into mooching, I believe that the seeming appearance of being a mooch stems from the missionary having a lifestyle and livelihood based in large part upon the generosity and giving of others and as such they are comfortable with receiving and being willing to allow others to pay for them, etc. Whereas the predominant cultural norm in our society is that there should be some degree of reciprocity and/or standing on one's own feet, i.e, continually or merely repeatedly allowing someone to pay for one's own way is a surefire strategy for becoming known as a mooch.
Some things I've seen that really irked me:
1. Most recently, a couple came to stay in our house overnight as they were en route to another city to raise support. They asked if they could do "a little" laundry, we said "sure," and at that point they brought in 5 stuffed kitchen-sized garbage bags filled with laundry.
2. About 6 months ago, another couple on furlough was at our place giving us their "sales pitch" replete with stories and pictures of the extreme poverty in their area of service. I asked how much money they needed monthly support - it's just the 2 of them, no kids - and I was cited a dollar amount a mere few hundred a month less than I make in one of this nation's most expensive cities, a monthly income almost 21x the average in that area. Don't tell me sob stories of all the poverty in your area and then tell me that you need over 100k per year for 2 people to live in that poor place. Don't tell me that you're just heartsick and desperate to do the Lord's work, but oh, we need almost 21x the average income in order to do it. How many pastors in this country make even 2x the average, much less 21x! Gimme a break.
3. A missionary I support is regularly - about once a quarter - sending out an email asking for extra gifts ("I could really use a new chain saw to help cut firewood, would you consider giving?" "My truck is acting up and it is proving to be a burden on time and resources to fix, would you consider donating so that I can purchase a new 4x4 with towing package?" "The tuition at the private school we send our son to has gone up unexpectedly, would you please send money?" "We want to do an add-on to our home to be able to host larger Bible studies, would you consider donating to the project?" My favorite was last summer: "Due to some unexpected expenses this year we don't have money to take a vacation, would you consider a one-time donation to help us enjoy a much needed trip home?".
4. A number of years ago I agreed to meet over lunch with a missionary candidate who was raising support. He wanted to give me his "pitch" and I agreed to listen and consider. We had lunch and THEN when the bills came he said he was low on money and needed to buy gas to get to the church he was visiting that night and he asked if I would pay for his lunch.
Anyway, perhaps there is no genuine mooching going on, but sometimes it seems that way.
2. About 6 months ago, another couple on furlough was at our place giving us their "sales pitch" replete with stories and pictures of the extreme poverty in their area of service. I asked how much money they needed monthly support - it's just the 2 of them, no kids - and I was cited a dollar amount a mere few hundred a month less than I make in one of this nation's most expensive cities. Don't tell me sob stories of all the poverty in your area and then tell me that you need over 100k per year for 2 people to live in that poor place.
Sometimes missions agencies set absurd amounts. For instance, one mission says that a couple in Mexico City needs about $36,000 a year in support; it's certainly possible to spend that much, but it's also possible for a family of six to live decently on that amount, so a couple would probably be able to do it for less.
I once was supporting a missionary who started out good and went off track. He got married and naturally, that required he raise a little bit more support. However, the update letters were becoming more like post cards from every place they were going on vacation. When they bragged about how they were doing a no cost to participate bingo, to attract people to fill out contact cards, I wrote them a letter informing them I was dropping my support and why. I considered them to be a mooch because they were using support money for things I considered excessive and not true to the original mission that was presented to us.
I once was supporting a missionary who started out good and went off track. He got married and naturally, that required he raise a little bit more support. However, the update letters were becoming more like post cards from every place they were going on vacation. When they bragged about how they were doing a no cost to participate bingo, to attract people to fill out contact cards, I wrote them a letter informing them I was dropping my support and why. I considered them to be a mooch because they were using support money for things I considered excessive and not true to the original mission that was presented to us.
The other side of this is that missionaries often do without so much that many of us take for granted. My mom told me that when they went to Korea as missionaries when I was little -- 3 children and a 4th on the way -- the mission board at first supported them at the same rate as a single, elderly lady, who had been there long enough that she had many private gifts. We spent our first winter in South Korea without hot water, in a mostly unheated house, my mom unable to take language classes because there was not enough money for her bus fare, eating noodles and tomato sauce. I wasn't aware of this (for my mom rarely speaks of her own hardships) until a few years ago when those years came up somehow in conversation, and she mentioned to me how hard that time was for her. I gather that eventually someone inquired and the data was adjusted.
This would make me think that perhaps mission boards/churches should be careful to inquire regularly to make sure the missionary is adequately provided for and weight their suspicions on this end of the scale. Presumably sending churches/denominations have some confidence in a man's character and dedication, so thinking of him as a moocher without evidence of his attempting to use the ministry as a means to a life of ease would seem unwarranted (especially when he is are working in places where 'a life of ease' would be a ridiculous characterisation -- exposed to illnesses and hardships and risks which most people would not wish for themselves or their families).
The other side of this is that missionaries often do without so much that many of us take for granted. My mom told me that when they went to Korea as missionaries when I was little -- 3 children and a 4th on the way -- the mission board at first supported them at the same rate as a single, elderly lady, who had been there long enough that she had many private gifts. We spent our first winter in South Korea without hot water, in a mostly unheated house, my mom unable to take language classes because there was not enough money for her bus fare, eating noodles and tomato sauce. I wasn't aware of this (for my mom rarely speaks of her own hardships) until a few years ago when those years came up somehow in conversation, and she mentioned to me how hard that time was for her. I gather that eventually someone inquired and the data was adjusted.
This would make me think that perhaps mission boards/churches should be careful to inquire regularly to make sure the missionary is adequately provided for and weight their suspicions on this end of the scale. Presumably sending churches/denominations have some confidence in a man's character and dedication, so thinking of him as a moocher without evidence of his attempting to use the ministry as a means to a life of ease would seem unwarranted (especially when he is are working in places where 'a life of ease' would be a ridiculous characterisation -- exposed to illnesses and hardships and risks which most people would not wish for themselves or their families).
SO... since this was a thread about whether or not missionaries mooch and not about whether or not some missionaries have difficult field assignments, what I'm taking away from your post is that we need to bear in mind the horrible burden of being a missionary and remember that they therefore deserve to be treated to this that and the other whenever they have the chance. Am I right or wrong?
I don't understand why so many missionaries have to seek their own support. I hear tales of that often, but I've never seen it.
If they are sent by their individual church or denomination, their individual church or denomination should support them, with no need for any regular (or irregular) sales pitches. The sending institution, of course, has every right to receive general accounting of the money, or to insist on paying directly for the non-personal expenses themselves.
The task of planting or pastoring a foreign church is essentially the duty of an elder, and good elders are worthy of double honor. Double expectation, double responsibility, double honor and support.
I cannot imagine feeling mooched upon by any missionary, unless I had doubts about their dedication or discipline in their calling. If your'e convinced of the necessity of their work, and they are doing it, mooching doesn't enter the question. And I don't care one bit if they are able to live on much less than I am in their location, while they make more than I do (now that I think about it, all of our missionaries live in cheaper places than me, and make more than me). If I felt the need to lower the support of a missionary, whatever reason gave me that feeling would likely make me question their call itself.
I don't understand why so many missionaries have to seek their own support. I hear tales of that often, but I've never seen it.
There may be others, but the only denominational missionaries I know of who are fully funded by the denomination are those sent by the SBC and OPC.
But what is the rationale for other denominations and churches not doing the same?
I don't understand why so many missionaries have to seek their own support. I hear tales of that often, but I've never seen it.
If they are sent by their individual church or denomination, their individual church or denomination should support them, with no need for any regular (or irregular) sales pitches. The sending institution, of course, has every right to receive general accounting of the money, or to insist on paying directly for the non-personal expenses themselves.
The task of planting or pastoring a foreign church is essentially the duty of an elder, and good elders are worthy of double honor. Double expectation, double responsibility, double honor and support.
I cannot imagine feeling mooched upon by any missionary, unless I had doubts about their dedication or discipline in their calling. If your'e convinced of the necessity of their work, and they are doing it, mooching doesn't enter the question. And I don't care one bit if they are able to live on much less than I am in their location, while they make more than I do (now that I think about it, all of our missionaries live in cheaper places than me, and make more than me). If I felt the need to lower the support of a missionary, whatever reason gave me that feeling would likely make me question their call itself.
It is true that the IMB fully funds their missionaries, but so many who want to serve are not approved by the IMB because of some violation of one of their thousands of rules. A couple who lived next to us in seminary were denied because their son has a lazy eye and there were no optometrists in the area that they wanted to serve. Really? Because of a lazy eye? This is the reason that many choose to go it on their own. I get a little tired of IMB types always talking about how the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. The truth is that there are many who are qualified and would love to be missionaries but organizations like the IMB turn them down for silly reasons and then they are reduced to being "moochers"
PSALM 147:
He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
Elinor Young was born in Spokane, Washington, USA, on November 5, 1946. Her parents were Alfred Earl and Rosetta Young. Al (sometimes called Earl) was a “range manager” there in Washington state, helping farmers with many aspects of their raising of cattle.
In December, 1951, Elinor contracted polio. She was in a hospital in Spokane, Washington, for seven months, then spent two years in out-patient therapy. Between the ages of 9 and 14, she was hospitalized in Shriner’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington, several times.
Elinor had committed herself to finding and following the Lord’s will from the age of 9! And as Elinor’s physical situation improved, she eventually became interested in working as a missionary overseas. After being accepted by RBMU (Regions Beyond Missionary Union – now called World Team), and raising her ministry support, at the age of 27, Elinor was able to begin her work in the Korupun (or Kimyal) tribe in Irian Jaya, Indonesia.
She spent 17 years in Irian Jaya. In that remote interior mountain tribe, she did linguistic and translation work. She analyzed and learned the Kimyal language and began Bible translation, but, of necessity in such a mission setting, did various types of medical work (including tube feeding some babies), used the SSB radio to communicate with friends and mission leaders, as well as for air traffic with MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship), the link through small Cessna aircraft with the outside world for supplies, etc. (There were not – and still are not – any roads in that rugged mountainous area.) These formerly Stone Age people were transitioning from a barter economy to using currency, so Elinor was inevitably an economic consultant as well!
In 1991, with her translation work far from completed, Elinor had a major PPS (Post Polio Syndrome) attack, and had to return to the States for major medical treatment. Her condition deteriorated for some time, precluding any hope of returning to minister in Irian Jaya. By late 1996 she could walk only a few feet, needed a respirator 18 hours out of 24. with no more than four consecutive hours free from it, struggled through thick chronic brain fatigue, and needed prescription pain relievers and sleep aids. Every few months measured new decline.
Then, near the end of 1996, she did receive help through treatment by Futures Unlimited, Inc., and improved to the point that she began a ministry to other polio victims, primarily through writing and the internet. She was so thankful to the Lord for allowing her this new freedom and ability to minister! In May, 1998, she wrote: “Yes, I am enjoying to the hilt my new greater level of strength and health. I relish the ability it gives me to be involved in the kinds of things I was made for. I thrill at the prospect of fulfilled dreams.”
In time, Elinor became more involved in various state-side ministries with her mission, World Team. Though officially retired due to disability, she remains as active as her limited energy will allow. She loves mentoring future missionaries, editing the Great Commission Kids magazine, speaking about missions, and trying to help God's people catch the passion of God's heart for the world.
Now, in March, 2010, she has made a return trip to Irian Jaya (now called Papua, Indonesia), to attend the dedication of the Korupun New Testament, which her colleague, Rosa Kidd, and a team of Korupun nationals, have finished translating.
Based on what we have seen of her life so far, we believe that Elinor will continue to serve the Lord with all the energy and strength He gives her, though far less than most other people enjoy. She will continue to be an inspiration to many! She will continue to be delighted whenever she hears that her life, and her trust in the Lord to use her despite her stringent limitations, has, in some small or great way, had an impact on others! She wants to encourage more involvement in every way possible, to get God’s Word to needy people at the very ends of the earth!
There may be others, but the only denominational missionaries I know of who are fully funded by the denomination are those sent by the SBC and OPC.
FYI, the Christian and Missionary Alliance also fully supports their missionaries.
Some churches (Park Street Church in Boston, for example) fully support their missionaries, as if they are a full-time employee of the church. There are additional restrictions in that. Park Street Church disallows their missionaries to seek support from others, and expect that the missionaries will spend their furloughs working at their church.
Some at my home church favor the full support model, but as of now the philosophy of the missions committee is that, as the sending church, we want to be the primary sender in terms of financial support, but we also want to give the missionaries an opportunity to partner with individuals and other churches and give them the privilege of supporting and partnering with them.
I believe the epistles support the idea that Paul received financial support from a number of churches and individuals.
One of the major concerns is that missionaries often lose the support of their home church. They leave the country for a number of years, people forget about them, and when the leadership changes and finances get tight, the new pastor or elder board decides, hey, we need to cut something. If a missionary's eggs are all in one basket, then if that church fails to meet its obligations, then the missionary could be left high and dry.
I know several couples here who are chronically under-supported and sometimes they live very, very plainly during those stretches.
Allow me to share my personal experience as someone who does the Lord's work here in Vietnam.
First let me say that (while many will not agree with this) I was not sent by a denomination or church. Friends and family have been praying for me since birth to go overseas, and after much personal prayer and seeking of wisdom, I knew that it was exactly what the Lord wanted. So, I may not be your traditional M, but that is who I am.
I praise the Lord that I am using my degree in education here and I have a teaching job that pays the bills for me, my wife, and our baby who will be arriving in February. Most of the time I make enough money to provide for our family.
I have only had to ask for money a handful of times. Most of the time when I have asked for money, it was for the locals. We payed for a life-saving heart surgery in which Truth was proclaimed to the family that we supported, we paid for a brain surgery for an infant and the entire family put their faith in Christ, and have helped others with basic needs.
I have only asked for money personally 3 times. The first time was to send me here. My friends, family, and supporters paid for my ticket, my passport, my visa, and 2 months living expenses. The second time was because I needed an emergency surgery on my pacemaker and didn't have the money to fly home. I paid for the long haul flight out of my own pocket, and friends and family picked up local expenses and a local flight. The third time is just recently as my wife and I will be going back to America for 3 years so she can get US citizenship. As soon as she gets it, we are heading back home to Hanoi. We are doing this to be more "one" then we already are. Currently for my wife to leave the country and go to the US she needs to get a tourist visa which is not guaranteed. We will be covering a lot of the expenses to get back to America on our own, but we have also asked for help to lighten the burden on us. I don't consider any of this to be mooching.
With all of that being said, I have seen Ms who live lavish lifestyles in 3rd world countries asking for support all the time, and the most they are doing in country is giving someone a drink of clean water. They go home multiple times a year on other people's dimes, and they spend way too much where they are working.
Do Ms mooch? Many do, there is no doubt of that. How can we stop it? If an M is a member of a local church, that local church should get behind them fully spiritually and financially. If an M is not part of a local church, like myself, then I think it's ok to periodically ask for money, but don't expect it and don't guilt people for it. If you listen to God's call and you GO, then you should be ready to provide for your family even if you don't receive a dime in support. Another way for an M to avoid mooching, is to not join an organization that charges an arm and a leg in membership fees. I am not totally against M agencies, but many charge $10,000/year just to be a part of it.
That's my experience; take it for what it's worth.
Blessings,
~Keith Tacey
There may be others, but the only denominational missionaries I know of who are fully funded by the denomination are those sent by the SBC and OPC.
FYI, the Christian and Missionary Alliance also fully supports their missionaries.
I know several couples here who are chronically under-supported and sometimes they live very, very plainly during those stretches.
Yes, that is what I was thinking of, along with extra hardships, which should be considered in any discussion of missionaries mooching.
My own amount that I gather is divided into two; (1) personal funds and (2) ministry funds.
The minimum amount set by me and the agency together totals more than 4k per month. This would seem like an absurd amount were it all spent on personal funds. However, half of the raised funds are used for ministry needs (eg., I think I spent over 10,000 USD on medicines, surgeries, medivac flights for sick evangelists, bibles and ministry materials for poor evangelists).
In one year's time I gathered about 80,000 USD, but my own personal funds still remained the same (W-2 has read 27.5k, 28k and we might break the 30k mark this year with baby, who let's us raise our amount a bit. However, supporters send me free books, gifts, etc, that - if their real value were counted - would be worth another thousand or so per year).
So, this all gets a little embarrassing when supporters ask how much I have gathered in the last 12 months, etc.
I know several couples here who are chronically under-supported and sometimes they live very, very plainly during those stretches.
Yes, that is what I was thinking of, along with extra hardships, which should be considered in any discussion of missionaries mooching.
I think that in support-raising something like this already sort of happens. I find that though I am younger and less knowledgeable than some, by virtue of the remoteness of my area (it makes for good pictures) I have an easier time raising suppport, whereas some urban missionaries discipling key leaders in a nice office often have more strategic but less photogenic duties and thus have a harder time raising support.
My own amount that I gather is divided into two; (1) personal funds and (2) ministry funds.
The minimum amount set by me and the agency together totals more than 4k per month. This would seem like an absurd amount were it all spent on personal funds. However, half of the raised funds are used for ministry needs (eg., I think I spent over 10,000 USD on medicines, surgeries, medivac flights for sick evangelists, bibles and ministry materials for poor evangelists).
In one year's time I gathered about 80,000 USD, but my own personal funds still remained the same (W-2 has read 27.5k, 28k and we might break the 30k mark this year with baby, who let's us raise our amount a bit. However, supporters send me free books, gifts, etc, that - if their real value were counted - would be worth another thousand or so per year).
So, this all gets a little embarrassing when supporters ask how much I have gathered in the last 12 months, etc.
First, if anyone thinks you are a moocher I am happy to talk to them and tell them that you are very disciplined and generous.
In remote areas where you are compensating for a lack of infrastructure, of course there is a need for an expense account. A missionary to Liechtenstein probably doesn’t have to do very much at all in the way of diaconal assistance. Given the kind of work you’re engaged in, I’m glad you have a relatively healthy expense account.
I know several couples here who are chronically under-supported and sometimes they live very, very plainly during those stretches.
Yes, that is what I was thinking of, along with extra hardships, which should be considered in any discussion of missionaries mooching.
I think that in support-raising something like this already sort of happens. I find that though I am younger and less knowledgeable than some, by virtue of the remoteness of my area (it makes for good pictures) I have an easier time raising suppport, whereas some urban missionaries discipling key leaders in a nice office often have more strategic but less photogenic duties and thus have a harder time raising support.
Pergs, I am glad to hear that the hardships get extra consideration and that people facing those do not often have to face the undersupportedness as well. However, to take an example of a missionary who faces a lot of hardships and yet still does not seem to have the same financial ease as the rest of us -- recently while on a sort of 'break' in a place that should have been more restful, the family had to stay in a place with a leaky roof and other water supply issues while the wife was recovering from giving birth and adjusting to the new little one. Many of us would have simply found a better hotel.
Also, I wonder what happens in a situation of undersupportedness where one does not have spectacular images -- does the missionary simply pray and wait (as my parents did) until someone inquires, while watching their family go without things that may be critical to their well being? Or do they ask, at the risk of seeming like 'moochers'?
I've had occasion to think a lot about this. I used to wonder why missionaries will often have nicer homes and vehicles than many people they are working with, and at times, than many people I know in the states. After being around more missionaries I understand that in general their homes and cars are used with so much more hospitality, or in more critical conditions, and simply *so much more*, than many American homes/vehicles. Again I used to wonder at high amounts of support requested for poverty stricken areas until I realised that logistics in such areas require more expensive equipment and services; and that much more is being given charitably. I wondered why missionaries on furlough would eat out so much, or get more convenient and slightly higher priced items -- until I had some insight into what it is to try to live with small children out of a suitcase (my mom told me about her experiences, and I've lived in hotels myself for a bit). So it's hard for me to know where to offer points of criticism. I think a man is usually trying to balance being willing to suffer for the sake of gospel with trying to be a good provider for his wife and family -- how much does he ask of them? And it is often the wife and family, at least in circles where wife and family are not directly involved in ministry themselves -- who give up most in the way of being isolated and just enduring whatever there is to endure. While they don't carry the major strain or stress of the labor, there is often a lot of added labor to a wife's calling; and she doesn't have the 'rewardingness' of the man's vocation, nor the normal enjoyments or comforts the man's vocation would provide for her and her children at home. So many things we see as unnecessary indulgences for a missionary are probably something a man is trying to do to offset the impact of this on his family, so that they can stay on the field for a longer term.
The two criticisms I have (and they may be of ignorance still) are 1) I think the idea of trying to lead an essentially American life in another country is an unwise use of funds. I think missionaries should be well enough supplied that their children are able to enjoy advantages of the places where they are; but trying to give them all the same experiences and the same home atmosphere as kids in the states is probably only going to make life on the field more frustrating and needlessly expensive. And 2) I think missionaries who have significantly easier lifestyles than those around them should be careful of resentment in being called on to use/share that niceness with those they are ministering to. I well understand that to some degree things like toilets etc in poverty stricken places are just to facilitate things being more manageable for a homemaker who is coping with much more daily inconvenience than she would at home. But where things are sometimes nicer than what many supporters have in the states as well, it seems like hospitality -- and not just to mission teams but to local people -- should be the end in view. Happily, the most hospitable and generous people I have known have generally been missionaries.
Also, I wonder what happens in a situation of undersupportedness where one does not have spectacular images -- does the missionary simply pray and wait (as my parents did) until someone inquires, while watching their family go without things that may be critical to their well being? Or do they ask, at the risk of seeming like 'moochers'?
I wondered why missionaries on furlough would eat out so much, or get more convenient and slightly higher priced items
...trying to lead an essentially American life in another country is an unwise use of funds