Embracing the Call To Poverty by Carson
Have you ever tried living without air conditioning? Or have you had to shower with a bucket? Many times, in foreign countries, people have to live with these discomforts. On a recent mission trip, I was able to see (and experience myself) some of the ways a missionary family in Puerto Rico makes do with what they have. Some examples are in the way they eat, how they share living space, and striving to live among the poor.
First, missionaries have simple eating habits. For example, the family's few kitchen appliances were supported by mission partners. Before they got a stove, they were using a slow cooker (provided by a mission partner) to cook all of their food. Their storage space is also limited, so they can only buy food for two days at a time. Besides that, they don’t eat fancy meals. They eat simply so they can use the money for poor people.
Next, the family we visited has simple living arrangements. Their boys share a room, and their girls share a room. The rooms are small, with a bed and two desks and a curtain (no doors) to separate the rooms. Under the boys’ clothes shelf, there was a small bin of Legos and Nerf guns, meaning they didn’t have a lot of belongings.
Lastly, and most importantly, the family grows closer to poverty by constantly being around it. Almost everyone they minister to lives in poverty, so they are able to talk to them and support them. They do this by ministering to people on street corners, cleaning up a very messy poor person's home, and in many other ways as well.
Well, maybe now you can understand, through these examples, how many missionaries embrace the call to poverty. With our missionary friends in Puerto Rico, it can be seen all the time in their eating habits, living spaces, and actions. Now, as my family and I try to move towards the call of poverty, I encourage you to do the same today.
