Redefining the Expectations of a Missionary

El 17 de octubre

Dear Family, Friends, and Ministry Partners:


Today marks one complete month in Mexico City!  I am happy to report to you that I am yet to get sick, robbed, or lost in this crazy city.  However, these past four weeks have been very much a growing and stretching season of life.  I wish I could say that experience so far has been all smooth and well but in reality, I am learning what it means to serve at the capacity of a missionary.

Along with this journey, I am discovering that the expectations I had of a missionary moving to a foreign place to serve in God’s Kingdom were a bit off.  In reflecting on my time here so far, I have realized that there is so much more than just entering a new country and doing ministry.  This realization is also what is allowing me to walk in faith with God during this transition period of life.

With that, I want to share with you all everything that I am learning about moving to different country with a specific call to serve our Father in Heaven.  Culture is key.  There are many times where I am frustrated and feels as if I am not doing enough as a missionary to reach the people around me.  This feeling of anxiety has me I asking the Lord something along these lines,

“Why does everything feel so stagnant, God?  Why aren’t you having me effectively ministering here?  Why is it that there is so much time being spent with my host family? Do I really need to spend every other morning in Spanish class?”

The answer is, “Yes, Erik.  All the above is necessary.  Stop being so darn impatient.”  I’ve been learning that I need to trust in faith that this is answer is true and that all the above is indeed necessary.  One thing that many of us miss and don’t think of when discussing the exciting opportunity of being a missionary is that we need to learn and live the culture to effectively serve in it.  

Every effective missionary needs to go through this season of life to properly prepare them self to reach the local people with the word of God.  So these days that are spent in the home are needed to love the people of this culture.  Every time I feel as if time is wasted is actually time used to develop relationships.  Whether these relationships are found in the church youth group, with my Spanish teacher, or just hanging out with other Mexican friends, they all are needed to build my understanding of how these people think, pray, dream, and live their every day lives.

This deep immersion is a rare opportunity to have and now after this revelation, I give Praise to the Lord that I can be living amongst the people of Mexico in an authentic way.  This is the foundation of effective ministry and its something that I didn’t realize until living it and I hope that those of you who are reading this update can pray for this experience.  Time is needed to become part of this culture, although I will forever be the only 6’3” gringo in the neighborhood. 

Coming to this point of understanding was not easy to get to.  I have been definitely been experiencing some mild culture shock as many things of life are no longer the same.  At times I struggle to find the joy of living in on of the most dangerous neighborhoods (Iztapalapa) in Mexico City.  Other times, I become impatient with the street vendors, late at night and early in the morning, as they yell down my ally to sell their bread, water, etc.  Many times I become upset and find it hard to understand why I have been called here, however in that moment I remind myself that this has been in the Lord’s works for the past 22 years and to doubt it is just silly.

All in all, I praise God for where he has led me.  My ministry placements are starting to pick up and I am starting to fall into a regular schedule –which feels great.  I am becoming more and more interested in my Masters program (International & Transformative Development), and writing papers can be a bit of a drag but feels very normal to me.  Good news, I am starting to make friends with Mexican people –I’ve missed having friends so this is something very exciting to share. hahaha  My team is meshing well together and my coach/director, Kevin, is an awesome dude to relate to. 

As a group, we are learning the inductive Bible study method and last week we were in the fourth chapter of 2 Corinthians and it really spoke truth to what I am experiencing right now in Mexico.  I need to trust that the Lord is the God of time, comfort, power, and goodness:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed… 

…Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9, 16-17

Thank you for your support, prayers, and encouragement along this journey that I am taking with the Lord.  Please rest assure that God is moving through this huge city and that He is making us the missionaries needed to effectively reach the hearts of the broken. 

In Him,

Erik



*Also, I have received news this month that with the merger between Latin America Mission and United World Mission, we will no longer making a trip to Honduras this year.  With this change, I will be coming home for Christmas time to renew my Mexican Visa*

With that, I need to raise support to cover my travel expenses between Mexico and the States.  $600 in additional support is needed to cover my expenses and I will be praying for the monetary needs to come in. 

If you are interested in supporting this ministry or helping with the costs of my travel expenses, please email me at: erikhamiltoncole@gmail.com  

or visit my support page at:   http://www.lam.org/missionaries/erik-cole