A Life Overseas is a collective blog centered around the realities, ethics, spiritual struggles, and strategies of living overseas. We are thrilled to see that author of When Serving Gets Tough, Carol Ghattas, published a blog post talking about her personal experience serving overseas. We hope you enjoy this blog post edited by Elizabeth Trotter at A Life Overseas: a cross-cultural conversation.

"Though it seemed difficult at the time, answering the call to serve the nations was the easy part. I was so caught up in the adventure of it all and the unbelievable reality that Jesus had chosen me, that I neglected to consider the full cost.

We all talk about the cost of service in leaving family and friends behind and moving to a place where people speak a different language and have different customs, but sooner or later on the journey of cross-cultural service, we hit a brick wall that brings a crisis of faith.

How easily we forget the words of our Lord about sheep among wolves (Matt 10:16-17) or being hated and persecuted by the world (John 15:18-20). We’ve got good news, after all! Surely, they’ll welcome us with open arms.

But reality often looks different from expectations.

My idealistic twenty-three-year-old vision of life on the mission field met reality when I pulled my first load of wash from a European washing machine. Not only did it take forever to wash a load of clothes, but my beautiful new linen blouse was now a shrunken, tie-dyed mess.

That’s a simple example of how my life on mission would pop any and all idealistic balloons I’d carried off the plane. Lice, illness, homesickness, sexual temptations, and grand personal failures followed. When I reflect on those early days of ministry, it’s a miracle I lived to tell the story.

Maybe you’ve been there too. Maybe you’re there right now. What you thought you signed up for looked (at least in your mind) a lot different from what you’re currently experiencing. Language is hard, your teammates are weird, and you’re not even sure you like the people you felt called to serve.

You know you don’t like the food, and you’re struggling to survive with limited finances. You are lonely as a single or just as lonely as a spouse. This place has affected your relationships, and you’re not proud of that. Bitterness and anger lurk in the corners of your heart.

Hard times call for hard questions. My new book, When Serving Gets Tough: A Thirty-Day Devotional for Missionaries, speaks directly to those in cross-cultural service. Instead of withdrawing into ourselves, we can find a place to lay our pain. The Almighty God who called us to this life is ready and waiting.

Ministry life is challenging, and we all ask hard questions and face struggles along the way. Thankfully, the Lord of the harvest provides answers and words of comfort for times like these. By letting him speak to us through his Word and in prayer, we can find a way forward. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the trials we face in service, but there is one God who longs to help and heal.

Each day of this thirty-day devotional begins with several scenarios related to the topic of the day, followed by what should be our heartfelt cry of “Help me, Lord” and some ways to find God in this difficulty. Here’s an example:

I’ve Lost My Way

Some wandered in the desolate wilderness, finding no way to a city where they could live. They were hungry and thirsty; their spirits failed within them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; he rescued them from their distress. (Psalm 107:4-6)

“This news is a shock. I can’t believe my leadership is demanding that I come home for a mandatory training. I don’t need that! Haven’t they seen what I’ve been doing here? That training has nothing to do with my work. I know I’m called here, but this makes no sense. They were so supportive when I answered the call to lead this work, and now they are doubting it will even continue. If I go, there’s no guarantee I can return.”

“Is this really all you have for me, Lord? I felt like I was reaching so many more people back home. Here I’ve barely been able to share, and I only have a handful to disciple. With their work schedules, our time together is sporadic. Am I making a difference?”

“I’m lost, Lord! I can’t hear your voice anymore. I’ve never been this down or depressed before. When I left to obey your call, I was so full of purpose and certainty about what lay ahead. I knew you were in this and were with me. We would conquer the world together! Now look at me. I can’t understand where you are in all this. Are you still with me?”

HELP ME, LORD!

You’re not alone in the wilderness.

There is no place too far or too deep for God to reach. You may be struggling to hear his voice, but that doesn’t mean he’s not here and near. Today we will walk through Psalm 107. Read the entire psalm and let God speak to you, but first realize this: the reason we have a psalm like this on which to meditate is because someone has walked this path before you. You are not alone.

Give thanks for a God who delivers.

Before we look at the ways we can miss the mark or lose our way, be thankful that God knows how to deliver. You may not be feeling very thankful right now; but when you start with thanksgiving, you will ultimately gain a grateful heart.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that he has redeemed them from the power of the foe and has gathered them from the lands—from the east and the west, from the north and the south. (Ps 107:1–3)

Give thanks to the God who gathers. Thank him for gathering you from the grasp of sin when you were lost in the pride of self. Trust him to gather you again, to draw you into his presence.

Meditate on the ways we all wander.

As you read through the remaining verses of this psalm, think about this recurring phrase: “Then they cried out to the LORD.” What were the ways some had lost their way?

(1) Verses 4–9: Some found themselves wandering in “the desolate wilderness” with a sense of both homelessness and hopelessness. That may be what you’re feeling now. Not quite settled in your new home, while longing for one that’s no longer the same. When we get to such a state, we’re hungry and thirsty for things of the past. This stage of being caught in the in-between can lead to depression.

(2) Verses 10–16: Another way the people described in this psalm lost their way was through rebellion. They stopped heeding God’s guidance. In most cases, rejecting God’s advice means we listen to others. When we seek man’s will over God’s, we become indebted to him as master. Even in Christian organizations, God’s will should trump that of man.

(3) Verses 17–22: Rebellion has consequences. When we turn our backs on God, it’s easy for life to lose meaning; and we begin to withdraw from those around us, even on the mission field. Food loses its taste, and we grow weak in our isolation. Only God can save us from such a state.

(4) Verses 23–32: Finally, this psalm addresses the storms of life. We’ve answered the call to serve him among the nations, and we’ve seen him work in amazing ways. Suddenly a storm stirs things up, making us doubt our abilities and our call. Storms divert our attention from God. Only in acknowledging God and calling out to him can the storm waters grow still.

No matter the reason you’ve lost your way, cry out to the Lord in recognition of your trouble. You are serving the God who rescues (vv. 6, 20). He knows you. He sees you.

Consider these things.

The beautiful thing about realizing you’ve lost your way is that you realize it. If you refused to read this book or to reflect on the words of Psalm 107, then you would not be reaching out to the Lord. The good news is that you are—and he’s been waiting for you to do just that. When we turn our eyes toward him, he floods us with memories of all the ways he’s already proven himself faithful and good in our lives.

Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the LORD’s acts of faithful love. (Ps 107:43)

As you began with thanksgiving, continue with thanksgiving. Be thankful for specific ways God has worked in your life. Count those many blessings, and allow your mind and heart to focus on God’s sovereignty, even when the world seems pretty messed up. As God leads you back to the path in obedience and blessing, he may be using you and the story of your life to shine the light on others who have wandered. Be a gatherer for Jesus.

FOR FURTHER MEDITATION

Spend more hours, or days, meditating on Psalm 107. It’s rich and deep and useful for you and others. Ask God how he might want you to share its message with someone you know. Also, read Lamentations 3:22–26, reflecting again on the Lord’s faithful love.

I pray that you turn to the Lord and His Word with your pain and struggles. He is waiting to provide the healing balm for your soul."

With thirty-plus years in missions, Carol Ghattas knows the struggles cross-cultural workers face. A writer and speaker on missions, Islam, and other topics, Carol maintains an active blog site at lifeinexile.net.