Lay People's Vocation to the Foreign Missions

The Peace Weekly recently reported on a group of young people meeting monthly to determine whether they had a vocation to the missionary life. Meeting at the Columban Foreign Mission Society Mission Center, they were advised by Christina, a Christian missioner who has worked in the Philippines for 10 years, that "missioners overseas have to live like the poor in order to transmit the Christian message." Nine prospects from various parts of  Korea were present to hear her message and in the process to learn something about themselves.

The desire for missionary life came to the young people in different ways. One of the participants who had to travel quite a distance to be at the meetings, was attracted to service by  reading and by seeing the great happiness others have in serving. Another, who came regularly to the meetings for a year, felt the life of a missioner will deepen her experience God's love, and she wanted to share that with  others. 

Christina emphasized that missionary life is difficult. Fearing that some would have the wrong motivation for the life, she pointed out that it is not simply a life of charitable work, or service to others, but understanding and embracing others in the way Jesus did.

When they are sent to a mission area they spend the first 3 years learning the language and the culture, and returning to the simplicity of a child. One is continually being challenged, she said, and feels that having an open mind is a necessary quality in being a missioner.

Once they have decided for missionary life they sign an application and wait about two or three month before being assigned to lodge with a missioner for about 10 months.  It is during this time that they learn about the spirituality of mission, and dialogue with other religions and cultures. They also begin studying conversational English, visiting the sick and providing similar services to others, and, finally, begin a retreat to discern in more depth their call to the mission vocation.

The Columban priest responsible for the group stressed that it is in knowing God's presence in our daily lives, the God who has come to us in the love of Jesus, which is the fundamental message the missioner wants to convey to the people.