Among your own people

Say the word 'missionary' to many people and it conjures up images of someone travelling to a far-off land to share the gospel. But while there is a place for far culture workers, those who serve in their own country find the work equally rewarding — and are just as valuable.

In 2023, Adeline (France) joined the OM team in France to volunteer part-time in their finance department while also being around for her teenage children.  

“When I made the decision to come here, it was like I put my feet outside the boat. It was a little bit challenging because it changed a lot of things at home because I wasn't there, I wasn't home two days a week, so my kids had to be more independent,” she said.

“But I really thought that God called me here. It was a little bit uncomfortable, like a new season in my life or something that changed a lot. God taught me to depend on Him.”

Adeline attended business school and worked for a decade in banking and accounting. When her third daughter was born, she stopped working for 10 years and concentrated on her family.

She heard about OM’s work through her sister, who goes to church with some OM team members, and it was her sister who sent Adeline the job description for her current role.  

"She just said she thought it's good and I should look at it. So I thought about it. She was like, ‘you should do this’,” Adeline said.  

Adeline's decision to offer her professional talents without expecting any payment caused confusion among some of her non-Christian friends.

She said, “Some of my friends told me, 'Oh, you're not going to work there for free. It's kind of just crazy.' But yes, that was something that made sense for me.  

“I think it’s important to have a relation with God and glorify Him in all that I do, even if it's a salary job or in my family or in people I meet, anywhere, just glorify God.  

“I have to hear what He wants for me and then do it, even if it seems crazy, not very comfortable or also when things are going difficult. Just continue to have an attitude like Jesus would have.”

Serving among friends

Adeline said the role is a perfect fit, and allows her to contribute in her own way and among her own sphere of friends.

“I think God gave me this accounting, administrative role. It might be my place to help in that way, not going very far, not travelling abroad, but to be able to take care of my kids, be engaged in the church and help here,” she said.

“It’s really nice to work in a new team with new people and to have a wider view of what missions is here in France too. It gives us also opportunities to know some shorter missions that are going on, and I can talk of that with other people in my church.

“People that I meet, they have a lot of anxiety or problems. But spirituality is not something that they are looking for. It's really hard to have more profound discussions or talks with people, but I find it's easier to invite them to church events than before. It's like a new period. Maybe they didn't go to church when they were young, and maybe sometimes they are just curious.  

“And sometimes you just find the thing that interests the person. For example, I had a friend whose daughter plays the harp, and I told her that at church next Sunday, someone is going to play the harp. And they came.

“So, sometimes it's easy, but I think you need to have a relation with people, to be their friend before.”

Being fulfilled behind the scenes

Adeline shared that sometimes mission workers who are ‘behind the scenes’ can feel disconnected from the work of spreading the gospel or discouraged because they don’t feel they are making much of a difference. But Adeline has never felt that way, and would encourage other office-based workers to see their roles as an essential part of God’s work.

"Sometimes I hear from people who work in an office that maybe they don't feel as connected to the work, or maybe they feel like, ‘oh, I'm not as much of a missions worker as a pastor.' But then I hear from others, they're like, 'no, like this is just as much of a ministry as a pastor or someone serving abroad,'” she said.

“I'm very happy to serve and support all the people who are doing God’s work because it's my gifts. I use them as best as I can in the area where I can serve. I'm very happy with that. It's not a problem for me to think that I'm not serving the mission, proclaiming the gospel, etc. I think we need a strong base or support, you know, to help other people to announce the gospel easily.”