In a recent print prayer letter we wrote about an agonizing conflict we’ve been working through in a Japanese situation.
But did you know that one of the most frequent reasons missionaries leave the field prematurely, never to return, is conflict with other missionaries?
Too often, as ministry starts to blossom, minor disagreements or misunderstandings somehow explode into major disputes, and in time another missionary family decides the pressure is too much.
As I serve on the leadership teams of both Asian Access Japan and the Japan Evangelical Missionary Association, recently God has placed me in the position of mediating or intervening in several challenging situations in the missionary community.
Serving as a go-between has been emotionally draining, at times worse for me than for those within the situation—who are either unable or unwilling to see what they have done to contribute to the difficulty.
When we experience stress, we are reminded again how important you are as our prayer partners. Situations like this require our attention, but the Enemy is delighted to see our energy deflected from our primary purpose.
Please pray that we will:
• Have wisdom to deal effectively with challenging situations and difficult decisions.
• Have insight when trying to mediate in the healing of damaged relationships.
• Act decisively when there is a need for intervention.
Leave a Reply