So, some years ago, I served a two year stint as a full time missionary for my church. What can I say? It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Quite literally. People often have two responses once they find out that I have done so: first, they are blatantly surprised, because they don't associate me with the "type" that would do so. Next, they inevitably ask a variation of the question "what was it like?" Well, because serving a two year mission is such a massive life-changing experience, it's very hard to conjure up an explanation that can encompass the full two years of extremely unique experiences.
However, to give a basic idea of what day to day life is like, I often compare it to being on deployment while serving in the military. The only major differences between the two (that I can tell) are the extreme physical risk that goes with others trying to take yours as well. Going on a mission kind of goes like so:
Through high motivation you decide to volunteer, never really knowing the extent of what you're getting in to, then you put in an application to volunteer and eventually receive a call, you never go where you want to go, you're put through a crammed training course that only vaguely prepares you for any actual work you will do, some of your class can't hack it and washes out, any romantically inclined relationship you have is guaranteed to end, there is a strict daily regimen and schedule you adhere to, there are a litany of regulations, rules, and protocols for you to memorize and follow, there is regular PT (though thankfully not as a punishment), you have to put up with stupid immature cohorts that on occasion hurt your own cause, along with incompetent superiors that attempt to sap what's left of your morale, the English language is slowly eclipsed by the proprietary jargon and acronyms used by your service to the point that no one understands you, you go on long patrols where nothing happens a majority of the time, march through whatever inclement weather comes, extreme boredom begins to set in and slowly makes you go crazy (momma dawg!), people are often pointing guns at you and trying to hurtle improvised weapons at you, the media at large seems to either mock or hate you, "pulling teeth" often describes trying to deal with the locals you are trying to help, you sacrifice your all to help the community and country in which you serve, with little to no local recognition of your sacrifice, and in the end you are just kind of thrown back into the world to sink or swim, and only others who served seem to understand your experience at all.....and it's worth every dang minute of it!
Despite all I mentioned, it really is an experience I wouldn't trade for all the riches of the world. I am truly thankful for the chance I had to serve, and was sad when it ended.
But back to my initial point, which is the comparison to the military. I was recently reading American Spartans: The U.S Marines: A Combat History from Iwo Jima to Iraq, and despite the first chapter or two being a bit moto while hearkening the spirit of recruitment ads, there was couple of bits that caught me off guard. The first being this paragraph:
"Whenever Marines are being trained, at whatever level, talk of character building and values is never far behind. Words like pride, discipline, and persistence permeate marine discourse. Marines have their own language, with scores of saying and slang words. The Corps has been referred to derisively as a kind of military cult, and more dispassionately as a kind of military "denomination". Indeed, there are some striking similarities between the Marines and a religious order. Both require a transformation for full membership, a kind of rebirth. Both require the willing acceptance of a core set of beliefs Both require an enduring commitment to a cause greater than oneself. For the Marines, stories of Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Hue, and Chesty Puller are sacred. They serve as scriptures do for religious groups."
And then this quote on the same page from Gen. Anthony Zinni, "What we were doing was not a job, not even a profession, but a calling. For me, joining the Marines was the closest thing to becoming a priest."
I don't hold myself anywhere near the same regard as our servicemen, but it is kinda fun when I hear them point out some of the similarities of our service. There are many quotes of comparing christian service to the military, but this is the first one I've heard coming from the other direction. Cool.
Update: Another thing I forgot to mention that makes missionary service similar to deployment, is the goggles. Every missionary is instructed about the goggles.
However, to give a basic idea of what day to day life is like, I often compare it to being on deployment while serving in the military. The only major differences between the two (that I can tell) are the extreme physical risk that goes with others trying to take yours as well. Going on a mission kind of goes like so:
Through high motivation you decide to volunteer, never really knowing the extent of what you're getting in to, then you put in an application to volunteer and eventually receive a call, you never go where you want to go, you're put through a crammed training course that only vaguely prepares you for any actual work you will do, some of your class can't hack it and washes out, any romantically inclined relationship you have is guaranteed to end, there is a strict daily regimen and schedule you adhere to, there are a litany of regulations, rules, and protocols for you to memorize and follow, there is regular PT (though thankfully not as a punishment), you have to put up with stupid immature cohorts that on occasion hurt your own cause, along with incompetent superiors that attempt to sap what's left of your morale, the English language is slowly eclipsed by the proprietary jargon and acronyms used by your service to the point that no one understands you, you go on long patrols where nothing happens a majority of the time, march through whatever inclement weather comes, extreme boredom begins to set in and slowly makes you go crazy (momma dawg!), people are often pointing guns at you and trying to hurtle improvised weapons at you, the media at large seems to either mock or hate you, "pulling teeth" often describes trying to deal with the locals you are trying to help, you sacrifice your all to help the community and country in which you serve, with little to no local recognition of your sacrifice, and in the end you are just kind of thrown back into the world to sink or swim, and only others who served seem to understand your experience at all.....and it's worth every dang minute of it!
Despite all I mentioned, it really is an experience I wouldn't trade for all the riches of the world. I am truly thankful for the chance I had to serve, and was sad when it ended.
But back to my initial point, which is the comparison to the military. I was recently reading American Spartans: The U.S Marines: A Combat History from Iwo Jima to Iraq, and despite the first chapter or two being a bit moto while hearkening the spirit of recruitment ads, there was couple of bits that caught me off guard. The first being this paragraph:
"Whenever Marines are being trained, at whatever level, talk of character building and values is never far behind. Words like pride, discipline, and persistence permeate marine discourse. Marines have their own language, with scores of saying and slang words. The Corps has been referred to derisively as a kind of military cult, and more dispassionately as a kind of military "denomination". Indeed, there are some striking similarities between the Marines and a religious order. Both require a transformation for full membership, a kind of rebirth. Both require the willing acceptance of a core set of beliefs Both require an enduring commitment to a cause greater than oneself. For the Marines, stories of Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Hue, and Chesty Puller are sacred. They serve as scriptures do for religious groups."
And then this quote on the same page from Gen. Anthony Zinni, "What we were doing was not a job, not even a profession, but a calling. For me, joining the Marines was the closest thing to becoming a priest."
I don't hold myself anywhere near the same regard as our servicemen, but it is kinda fun when I hear them point out some of the similarities of our service. There are many quotes of comparing christian service to the military, but this is the first one I've heard coming from the other direction. Cool.
Update: Another thing I forgot to mention that makes missionary service similar to deployment, is the goggles. Every missionary is instructed about the goggles.
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