Ways to be a Blessing to a Missionary on Deputation

The following was written by a lady, Susanna Ciaramitaro, who is on deputation to Indonesia.  She recently stayed in our home and presented her work to our church family.   I asked her to share how to be a blessing to a missionary on deputation and the following is what she wrote.  She gives some fabulous ideas and thoughts and I believe it would be a help to any pastor, pastor wife or laymen who support and host missionaries in their home or church. 

I have gained insight into things I am going to consider and change in this area. Thank you, Susanna, for sharing!  It enables those of us to prayerfully better be a blessing to missionaries.  

Susanna with our four daughters and our music pastor's daughter.  Boy, do they love her!

Ways to be a Blessing to a Missionary on Deputation

There are a lot of ways to be a blessing to a missionary on deputation. Sometimes I know it is easy to think that missionaries have sort of a "rough life" or something, but honestly, it is such a fantastic experience! I have come to realize a lot depends on your own personal attitude. A missionary that only has bad stories to tell has a focus on the negative and not on the blessings. It's important to have the right mindset. 

1. The biggest way you can be a blessing to missionaries honestly is to just love them. 

Be warm and friendly and show them that you care. After meeting so many hundreds of people on the road, I do come across those who I can tell are not necessarily happy I'm there. It makes me feel badly because I never want to obligate anyone! Since I have never met anyone before, it can be a nerve wracking experience to walk into a home or a church. It is such a blessing when people step out to make me feel welcome and wanted!

2. Another way to be a blessing is to ask for specific prayer requests and then personally keep in touch by way of texting, email, Facebook etc. 

I love keeping in contact with the people I meet on the road! It is such an encouragement to me to get a text in the morning from a pastor's wife or church member saying they prayed for me. It means so much to me! I love to hear from people and see how they are doing. Since I am a "stranger" wherever I go, it's very helpful for me to have friends to keep in touch with even if it is just texting or Facebooking. I, in turn, love to pray for my friends and supporting churches. 

3. I loved the gift bag you gave me...and the main reason it was so special was that it was personal! Every girl enjoys a bag with lotion, thank you cards and a new journal; however, the fact that you made my bag specific to what I enjoy made it a lot more special! I saw extra care and effort in that bag - in going back to the first point, it showed that you cared for me personally. 

Here are a few more ideas if you are not sure what to give a missionary: 

a. Gift cards (Subway, Starbucks, Walmart, etc) - these help a lot with budgeting for food and necessities. Its so fun to have lunch already covered on the road! Also, when it comes to coffee sometimes it can be a guilty pleasure because it is so expensive nowadays. It is so nice to have a Starbucks card to use! 

b. Audio of any sort - music CDs, sermon CDs, audio books, etc. The many hours on the road can get pretty boring! It is really fun to have a new CD to spice things up. Particular sermons and audio books have been the best to keep me awake because I have to follow a mental train of thought. 

c. Healthy snacks and drinks - yes, we all love Reese's Pieces and Snickers bars (or in my case, Jelly Belly's :D) but when a missionary travels so much, it is not very helpful to have a car full of candy! When giving food, stick with fruit, nuts, granola/power bars, dried fruit and trail mix. For drinks, water, SoBe, Vitamin Water, coffee and carbonated waters. Even diet drinks like ICE drinks are great. 

d. Thank you cards - These will always be put to good use! Just use caution when picking the design. Remember that these notes will go to pastors, churches and host families. Also getting a set of postage stamps is always a great help. 

e. Fun things specific to the missionary - since I am a girl these things could include hand sanitizers, lotions, chapstick and nail polish. Keep in mind though to keep things small! Don't worry about getting a full sized bottle of lotion - stick with a travel size! Also, don't buy a 6 pack of chapstick - one is sufficient :) Too much can be a bit of a burden to store in the car. 

5. The place you put the missionary for lodging can differ for the missionary. 

For me personally, I am a people person so I enjoy staying with a family. Also since I am single I know it can be easier to have me in a home. Some other missionaries prefer to be by themselves in a missionary apartment or hotel. For the most part though I feel like as long as the sheets are clean and there is a bathroom to use everything is great! Staying in someone's home allows me to get to know the family better, and that is what I want! Sometimes when I am put in a hotel, I feel like I never really quite connect with the church family.