Third World Countries and Raising Families

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Emily2009

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Btw, I am not currently in this situation nor will I be for quite some time. *…

For my vocation, I’m looking into being a missionary… Actually, I know I am to be a missionary, I just do not know who I am to help [and/or where I shall be called to go]. My best friend/boyfriend is also thinking of being a missionary and if things work out according to our plan [hopefully it is also God’s plan] we hope to be married and do this together.

He is very adament about wanting to go to a third world country and helping out the poorest of the poor, as it is not their fault they’re in that position… …I, on the other hand, am weary of this. I do not want to live in filth and such, and I definitely don’t want to starve to death.

We both would like to have a rather large family one day, be it biological or adopted, and I would like to start an orphanage.

Has anyone ever been a missionary in a third world country or been raised as a missionary kid in one?

What are some things we should know going into this?

Does anyone have any advice for me/us?

I’m afraid I’m a spoiled American… But, I want to make a difference, to bring Jesus to the people and the people to Jesus…*
 
Also, does anyone have any experience with the MaryKnoll Lay Missionaries organization?
 
No one has anything to say pertaining to this?

Would there be a better forum for me to post this?
 
Emily2009 said:
Btw, I am not currently in this situation nor will I be for quite some time. …

For my vocation, I’m looking into being a missionary… Actually, I know I am to be a missionary, I just do not know who I am to help [and/or where I shall be called to go]. My best friend/boyfriend is also thinking of being a missionary and if things work out according to our plan [hopefully it is also God’s plan] we hope to be married and do this together.

He is very adament about wanting to go to a third world country and helping out the poorest of the poor, as it is not their fault they’re in that position… …I, on the other hand, am weary of this. I do not want to live in filth and such, and I definitely don’t want to starve to death.

We both would like to have a rather large family one day, be it biological or adopted, and I would like to start an orphanage.

Has anyone ever been a missionary in a third world country or been raised as a missionary kid in one?

What are some things we should know going into this?

Does anyone have any advice for me/us?

I’m afraid I’m a spoiled American… But, I want to make a difference, to bring Jesus to the people and the people to Jesus…

Emily, a lot would depend on what country you are planning on going to. Some developing countries have a reasonably good medical system, if you can pay for it. The locals can’t but the expat community can. Again you have to consider the political stability of the country - is there a civil war, fighting with neighbouring countries, rioting etc. These can put everyone in danger.
I have never heard of a missionary family starving to death in modern times!
I have friends who lived in Kenya for several years. Two of their children were born there. They worked for VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) a bit like the Peace Corp. The father as a teacher, mother as a nurse. They had 2 young children before they moved and as I said, 2 more born there.

I have other friends who worked in India for a while, again with VSO. They did not have children and waited till they had returned to start a family. In total they spend about 5 years overseas.

I have also done voluntary work with VSO in Uganda and a short while in Kenya. Since I came to Japan I again have spent some time in Vietnam and Cambodia working with an agency that builds houses. It was fun, diffciult, amazing, exciting and heart-breaking all at the same time.

My advice would be to try it either before marriage for a year or 2 or after marriage but before you have children. It would give you a better idea if this is the lifestyle you want for your children.
Now my missionary work is restricted to internet work. I am part of a group that have set up a secondary school, orphanage and helped a primary school in the slums of Nairobi. Sometimes it is not necessary to actually travel to the country to do good.

Gearoidin
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What do you do in Japan?

I have taken some Japanese classes [and love the language]…but, I know that the Japanese aren’t religious [and the only island that may need missions help would be Okinawa]…

Thank you.
 
Emily2009 said:
What do you do in Japan?

I have taken some Japanese classes [and love the language]…but, I know that the Japanese aren’t religious [and the only island that may need missions help would be Okinawa]…

Thank you.
Click to expand...
Actually there are quite a lot of missionaries here and there are some Catholic missionaries but they are nearly all associated with a religious orders. We have priests and sisters from all over in our parish - Spain, Ecuador, Philippines, Vietnam, Canada and our bishop is Japanese but was born in Korea. Nagasaki is the most Catholic part of Japan.

What do I do? I am a university lecturer.

Gearoidin
 
Hi, I live in Malaysia. Which, is a Muslim country, but allows freedom of religion. There are Hindu’s, Buddists, Christians, and all other sorts of religions here. This country used to be considered 3rd world, until just last year.

I can tell you that Asia is a great place to live. My kids attend a Christian school that is also a boarding school for children of missionaries. There are some missionaries that work in the jungles, and send their kids to boarding school But, there are many Christian missionaries that live right here, in the city with us. They are primarily Baptist, and run a type of training program for other missionairies that will eventually be sent off to other more remote places.

There are 4 Catholic Churches on my Island, and they have Catholic services. I imagine that some of the people that work there may be Missionaries, but couldn’t say for certain. Anyway, PM me if you have more questions…not sure really what you want me to say.
 
Thanks for your responses–I really appreciate them.

Anything you tell me that relates to this is greatly appreciated…

And, I’m remembering [most times] to let God lead… …I’m typically a leader by nature…

And, if I have specific questions, I’ll ask you guys, too…
 
we know a family with 8 kids who are missionaries in Haiti. every kid who turned 18 got out of there as fast as possible. the kids were sick, bit by spiders, poisoned by poision trees. even the elders of their church voted against funding their mission work.

conversely, my daughter’s OT was a missionary’s kid in Nigeria when she was born, throughout her toddlerhood and then again in her teens. she went to a school for missionary kids. she said it was very hard making the transition to N. and back to U.S., but she liked being a missionary’s kid.

here is a link to my friend, Naomi and her foundation Children Waiting Everywhere. she spends 4 months every year in Uganda. i just saw her tonight, in fact, and she had miracles to report from her work in Uganda this summer. you can email her, Emily. (potential permanent) missionaries travel with her each year. childrenwaitingeverywhere.org/
 
Thank you.

I will definitely look into her organization and perhaps email her… probably will email her (if and when I get my homework completed… 🙂 )
 
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