What is a Christian Missionary?

"Many people picture a missionary as a middle-aged man who leaves his job in America to evangelize and plant churches in Africa. But that is a simplistic view. Today, African Christians reach out to Muslims in the Middle East. College students spend their summer teaching English in Asia. A family in America befriends and witnesses to international students. A truck driver responds to an international disaster, meeting both physical and spiritual needs. All these are missionaries.

Although missionaries cannot be stereotyped, they each have a call. God calls them to set aside personal ambitions in order to be witnesses of the Gospel. Like Isaiah, a missionary gladly responds, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8b). Often God sends a missionary to a particular people group as Paul was sent to the unreached Gentiles and Peter to the Jews (Galatians 2:8). Although technically a Christian missionary is one specifically called by God and sent out by the local church, every Christian has a mission to make disciples. " (from GotQuestions.org)

I whole heartily believe that our Lord Jesus Christ ask all Christian believers to make Him known, in action, in words and by example.  We have all been gifted in different ways so its going to look different so don't compare the work the Lord has put before you to others work. 

A simple way I answer this question is "we work amongst Ecuadorians and students of different nationalities our desire is to let them know that there is another way to live life and to give them the opportunity and help them see by example that Jesus Christ Listens, Jesus Christ Saves, Jesus Christ is God, Jesus forgives and His Word is real and relevant to our life."  I carefully chose the word opportunity because we don't shove His Word down people throats, we don't stand out in the street yelling "that your going to hell."
Our Missions Pastor shared his broad definition of missions "Engagement with God's mission to help all nations enjoy His glory and forgiveness through Jesus. This would make all Christ-followers missionaries... of course, some do this full-time vocationally."


I hope this gives you a basic idea of what is a Christian Missionary.
My response in a picture form below: The world, His Salvation, His people.

Ben- 6th Grade

Ben ended the 2010-2011 school year with co-directing the Life School Musical for the 6th grade class, planning the 6th grade graduation, planning and taking his students on their last fun field trip and in the midst of this we were moving to another house and packing to leave to the U.S for our first furlough.  Wow! I am amazed at how well Ben handled all that pressure, tasks and people.

He will be starting the 2011-2012 school year with 18 wide eyed bushy tailed 6th graders.  He will also have a new co-teacher who has not taught at AAI before.  This will be his first year being the department chair and training teachers.  We are excited for the new opportunties for him to excel in what I (Mari) feels he is gifted in -teaching!  Pray for him as he leads his team that God would give him boldness, confidence and time management.  

Child Protection Committee at Alliance Academy

One of the things that the counseling department at Alliance Academy has been working since I have been there and I am sure before I was there was educating and empowering parents, students and teachers on Child Protection. 
The statistics on Missionary kids, Missionary schools and Missionaries encountering these abuse situations is alarming. I (Mari) for the past 2.5 years have been heading up the training in this area.  Our goal was to go into every classroom and share with each student and then to have follow up parent training in which we shared the same things with the parents.  Our goal was to have student, teacher and parents all on the same page on how to encounter situations. 
This past year a committee was formed to review and address gaps that were in our student-teacher policies.  What came about from this committee was a year of meetings, meetings and more meetings in which a plan of action on how to prevent situations, how to protect the students and teachers was proposed and approved!  This was a gargantous task and we are praising the Lord for how much support and help we received from the school leadership. 

I will start the school year off with an orientation for all staff training them on Child Saftey Procedures on campus.