25 Missionary Values that Trigger Long Term Success...

Missionaries crash and burn all the time.  If I'm being honest, I've been on the verge many times myself.  I've made my share of mistakes.  Through it all, I've received some GREAT wisdom and counsel over the years. As I write, I'm aware of my ability to fail at any of these daily.  Here's my collection that has helped me. I hope this helps you...

If you are a missionary, or planning to be a missionary, I implore you, please read these carefully with a learners ear...

1. Love Jesus Love Others - We must be absolutely sold out and passionate about loving Jesus, and because of that loving others.
2. Check Your Ego at the Door - Win at outdoing others in showing honor. (Rom 12:10) Those “above” you and those “below” you should both feel like they are honored by you. Never seek honor or deny being honored (but always give the praise to God). You don’t have a monopoly on being right or more spiritual. When you think you are right, seriously consider that others may be right and you may be wrong.
3. Paternalism is the Plague - the policy or practice on the part of people in positions of authority of restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those subordinate to them in the subordinates' supposed best interest. Understand it. Learn to recognize the spirit of paternalism in yourself and in your organization. Avoid it. Make choices, even if it takes temporary sacrifice, to do the opposite. If someone is acting like a child, don’t treat them like a child, but rather help build them up and empower them so they can act like an adult. If you keep treating them like a child, they will always act like a child.
4. Invest Heavily in National Staff - Do all you can to train, empower, and release nationals to take responsibility and leadership positions.
5. Assume that Your Assumptions are Usually Wrong - :) You’re seeing things through your cultural, economic, racial, intellectual, spiritual, geographic lenses. Question your understanding.  There is always a good chance you are wrong.
6. Recognize and Crucify Entitlement - If you think you should be treated as special, stop it. Entitlement creeps it’s way into our attitudes and it must be dealt with constantly.
7. Mission vs. Job - Find people to work with who are called to the mission of God, not people who are looking for a paycheck.
8. Set Growth Goals - It may seem obvious to some, but let’s acknowledge that we are not here to maintain. Help others do the same. Keep them S.M.A.R.T..
9. Peel the Onion - Always assume there's more to the story. When you think you understand, ask more questions.
10. Work Hard Rest Well - Work like crazy, but don’t apologize for finding ways to rest well on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis.  Take care of yourself.
11. Be a Constant Language and Cultural Learner - Learn the language.  Read. Ask questions. Listen well.  
12. Hire the Right People - It takes temporary sacrifice and patience, but there will be greater reward, for you and them, if you find people with clear signs of potential, rather than those already able. Invest heavily in them.
13. Seek Outside Counsel - You are not alone. Seek the input of others. Share your disappointments/joys, ask questions, get another’s opinion. Be honest and transparent on a regular basis with a trained outsider who can speak into your life. Give others permission to care for you, to admonish you, to serve you, to love you.
14. Follow - Followership is often the hardest part of leadership. Even if you’re the leader, act and talk like those around you are. The higher your leadership position is, the harder it will be for you to follow others. “Follow the leader” is one of the first things we learn as a child, but it’s one of the first things we jettison as we enter adulthood. It honors the Lord when you even follow when you are under wrong unjust leadership.  Reclaim followership.  
15. Build a “One Another” Family - Build a team with a culture who constantly and genuinely applies the Biblical "One-Anothers”. 
16. Dress Appropriately - Out of respect for the local culture, look around you at local respected leaders of the community and dress like they dress. Here in Haiti, while in the community (even running to the store), men should always wear pants and ladies skirts. Ladies should have covered shoulders. While at home or at play, modest shorts are acceptable. If you disagree, consider that you may be wrong. :)  Dressing appropriately has a bigger impact than you likely realize.
17. Find a Cultural Liaison - Find someone who is culturally intelligent and can help you contextualize. Ask questions and listen well. Ask about motivations. Seek to understand values. Learn why. Act accordingly. Learn local sayings and what they mean (Haitian proverbs). 
18. Allow Yourself to be Pruned - It hurts, but it’s necessary to trigger increased growth/fruit for you and those around you.
19. Avoid Complacency - Always be thinking critically. Always be looking for ways to improve and grow. Acknowledging mistakes and current weaknesses and shortcomings leads to growth.
20. Avoid Handouts - Gift giving is important, but it must be done in a culturally relevant way. The moment you create a culture of handouts, is the moment you’ve turned from being the hands and feet of Jesus to being Santa Claus and his elves.
21. Focus on People - Develop deep relationships, especially with a few. Learn to trust and believe in others. The more you trust and believe, the more they will do the same with you.
22. Consider Boundaries and Margin - Be vigilant to create and obey boundaries. Create margin in your life so when you carefully decide to step over a boundary, you have room to temporarily dip into that margin.
23. Be Honest and Transparent with Financial Resources - If you say you will use funds for something, so do it. Watch your spending carefully to avoid waste. Be honest, thoughtful, restrained but unashamed, and prudent about profit to cover ministry needs.
24. Character Matters - Be like Christ. Tell the truth. Always.
25. Be Gospel Centered - Never lose sight of proclaiming the Gospel in all we do. If the Gospel is not being communicated in what you are doing, you should probably change the way you are doing it.

If you think you are being successful in any of the above, you may have missed the point. If you are reading this and you’re thinking that someone else needs to read this, you’ve probably missed the point.

My missionary friends... what did I miss?  I'd love to hear from you.

Rob