There has been a time that I wanted nothing else but pack my suitcases and hop on a plane back to the Netherlands. That was when we were still living in Bangkok. I hated everything there, from the oppressive weather to the narrow dirty alleys, the traffic noise and the food. But then I got across a passage in an article written by Adjith Fernando, a well known Sri Lankese evangelist. Fernando notes that  Westerners are disqualifying themselves to be missionaries. They are too soft, too focused on a high living standard. They have lost the art to commitment on the mission field when the going gets tough.
His merciless analysis of the Western psyche is confirmed by research a friend of us is doing right now. This friend has lived in a Third World country  with his wife and children. He is now researching the behaviour of Western aid organizations in times of crises. The tentative outcome of this research so far is that these aid organisations receive extra finances when crises come, but that the aid personnel goes into hiding because it is too dangerous to go out there and help. Or they fly back to their country of origin, because it would be irresponsible to stay on under such precarious circumstances.
Fernando’s observation is also confirmed by what I see around me and what I see in myself or have seen in myself. Westerners consider safety, comfort, decent education and medical care as non-negotiable human rights. As soon as one of those things seems to be threatened it is considered ‘irresponsible’ to live there. Workers are pressured to go home, to choose a different (easier)field or a different type of work or ministry. Whereas it could be much more effective if workers would be challenged: “Come on, you won’t give up because of this situation, will you?” Workers need to be challenged to stick to and commit themselves to the job they have come to do. Fernando puts it succinctly: Westerners have lost the art of commitment. It is something the older generations were much better at. When I look at the generations of missionaries that have been on the field for two or three decades, I see courage of faith, perseverance and humility. God has chiselled their character through all the experciences they have gone through – and in many cases allows a gem to emerge.
New generations of missionaries will much sooner choose for a location or type of work that is compatible with their personal circumstances. Not the needs of a people group or region are considered top priorities, but rather how well a particular region or type of ministry can be combined with the needs of the family. Eventually this will work demotivating instead of motivating. An attitude like this will backfire and result in a higher attrition rate. Of course everyone wants the best for his family and children. But two more things can be said about it:
1.    Bringing the Good News has eternal value. Yes, that will cost a lot and not just money.
2.    We Westerners tend to forget that the great majority of the global population has to cope with danger, insufficient food, bad housing, lack of proper medical care and  education that is below standard. We accept all those things as perfectly normal. Deep down we are not very upset that so many fellow global citizens live under such bad conditions and live with so much less than we are accustomed to.
When I read those few sentences in Fernando’s article, I felt upset and indignant. Especially because I knew he was right. I decided in a fraction of a second I did not want to be such a soft Westerner. It was one of the turning points which helped me to persevere in Bangkok and see our presence there from a different perspective. I still did not enjoy Bangkok but I could finally submit to God’s guidance a little better. And He eventually led us out of Bangkok to the countryside of the Northeast, where I enjoy life every single day. But I continue asking myself the question: am I still willing to go through tough times and experiences if God requires that from me? Do I really put Him on the first place in my life?