Four ways you can support missions without leaving home

Have you felt the call to missions and not the means to get to the location where the mission work is being done? Have no fear, there are very important ways to support missions even if you are not able to go.

Start with prayer. Ask the Lord for inspiration on the type of mission he would like you to support. If you are a member of a congregation, check with others in your congregation as well. Ask them about the types of missions they support. If you access the internet, you can search for missions you are interested in and learn about them.

Of course you can also start with the LWML CNH Mission Grants and the LWML Mission Grants for the current biennium.

Once you have narrowed your search, do additional research about who is involved in the mission field and what their current needs are. Subscribe to their newsletter, if they have one, to learn about their current joys and struggles.

Yes, you can praise God for all the joys and successes, and you can intercede for the needs and roadblocks.

Many missionaries in the field provide ways you can email them or send them notes of encouragement by snail mail. Some have social media pages you can follow to keep up to date on their status.

If you are sending a note by USPS and the missionaries have children, colored pencils and drawing sheets might be a welcome addition to the envelope. The LWML has coloring sheets available for printing.

Make sure and follow all instructions on how to address and send these notes, as well as any restrictions on what other items may be sent.
Be cautious when sharing online about missionaries who are in areas where there is persecution of Christians. Always check with the missionary before posting photos or newsletters on the internet.

To discover ways to serve missionaries near and far, look at the list of LWML Service Activities – Archive. This list might just get you thinking of great ideas for you to do at home or with others in your congregation.

If you would like to provide some items like blankets, toiletries, school supplies, etc., for missionaries in the field, check for lists provided by the missionaries or by their stateside representatives for specific items they might need. They should also provide how and where to send items.

NOTE: One caution when sending items: sometimes helping can hurt. In 2006 when my husband and I planned to travel with MOST Ministries, as part of our preparation, we read a book by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert called “When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself”. The basic message of this book is that we can give too much of the wrong thing at the wrong time. The missionaries who are in the field are the best source of what is needed. More is not always better.

In summary, you can still support missions from where you are. Start with prayer. Listen to God’s guidance. Work with others. Praise God for all he does!