After my third mission trip to Haiti, I planned on being a full-time missionary. I had almost 10 trips planned out to various countries – and then I got chronically sick. To this day, I have a chronic illness that mimics Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I have inflammation in my spinal cord up into my brain so I can no longer fly. I thought my plans of being a full-time missionary were over.
But what is missionary work? Matthew 28: 19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” So, the purpose of missionary work is to make disciples and teach people about Biblical things.
How do you make disciples? By showing people the attributes of God through our actions and forming relationships with them. We share the gospel with them and teach them what the Bible says and why it’s important all while being an ambassador for Christ.
That’s when I realized that I can still be a full-time missionary – from home. Doing missionary work doesn’t HAVE to be done in a different country. We should definitely be trying to get the gospel to people elsewhere who don’t readily have it available like we do in the US. But there are plenty of people in our own hometowns that have never truly heard the gospel and they need to be witnessed to as well.
Since I can’t fly anymore to other countries, I am focusing on what I can do in my own town to share the gospel and make disciples (all within the limits of my chronic illness, of course). What does that look like? Showing people the attributes of God through my actions, forming relationships, sharing the gospel, and teaching people about the Bible all while being an ambassador for Christ.
Dawn DiFiore 