Missionaries are just people.

Years after my family arrived in the Philippines when I was a child, my mom would joke about how that reality startled her: “We stepped off the plane and I kept waiting for my halo to descend. It never did.”

I had the same feeling 30 years later when my husband and I landed in Papua New Guinea with our kids. We had joy following God’s call, but we also had an overwhelmed preschooler who melted down on a regular basis. We had exhaustion and culture shock. Sweat pooled in unmentionable places and unexpected negative attitudes cropped up in our hearts.

We were the same people we had been on the other side of the ocean… only more people-y. Few things in life bring out human frailty like missionary life.

Missionaries don’t come equipped with superpowers or capes (although I have to admit that a cape sounds fun). We’re no different than anyone else who’s on a journey of daily obedience and reliance on God.

Right now, some people are relying on God to equip them to navigate life in remote South Pacific jungles, bustling Asian cities or arid African plains. Some are relying on him to equip them to navigate life as they train missionaries and help enable Bible translation from the U.S.

You may be relying on him as you navigate life as a teacher, an architect, a pastor, a parent or a retired accountant. No matter the context, we’re all just people learning together what it means to follow Jesus.

Jesus calls all of his people to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20) — whether through going, training and equipping, praying and/or giving. You’re called a “partner” for a reason: you’re truly a teammate, a critical part of this ministry alongside your missionary friends!

As a partner — a person who’s obeying God and investing in his work — the best gift you can give your missionary friends this holiday season is… yourself! I’m not just talking about your prayers and financial gifts, although these are needed and deeply appreciated. I’m talking about a growing two-way relationship with you. Just like you want to get to know the missionaries you partner with, they want to get to know you.

Here are a few practical ways you can offer your missionary friends, both overseas and in the United States, the gift of relationship this holiday season:

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  Send a Christmas card with a handwritten note or a family picture.

  
  If your missionary friends serve overseas, remember to allow at least a couple of months for delivery. But even if it arrives in February, your Christmas card will be an encouragement.


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  Reply to their newsletters and email updates, and let them know specifically how you’re praying.

  
  In the daily hum of life and ministry, missionaries can sometimes feel isolated or forgotten. Replying to your missionary’s newsletters and letting them know exactly how you’re praying is a great way to remind them that what they’re doing matters.


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  Communicate with them between their updates as well.

  
  Ask your missionary how you can pray for them. Also, share your own prayer needs and tell about mundane details of your days. Some of the most encouraging notes my family has received have included topics like dinner plans, yard work or church activities. What’s important to you is important to your missionary friends, and your regular notes can help them feel less disconnected from ongoing life at home.


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  Send a package filled with your favorite things.

  
  Do you have a favorite kind of cereal? The perfect brand of ink pen? A movie or game you love? Pack a box with things you appreciate and mail it to your missionary friends. They’ll learn about you while also enjoying some special treats! (But before you send a package, check to make sure you’re not including anything that’s prohibited by their host country.)







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  Invite them to share about new friends and holiday traditions.

  
  Being away from home for the holidays can be extremely difficult, but it can also be an opportunity to discover new traditions and make priceless memories. My family was in Papua New Guinea for only one holiday season, but our kids still talk fondly about crowding around our table with friends for a Thanksgiving chicken dinner. They recall receiving their own expensive boxes of ultra-pasteurized milk on Christmas morning and learning how to make an Australian campfire dessert on New Year’s Eve. When you ask about the people and traditions that have become important to your missionary friends, you’ll not only learn more about them, but you’ll also encourage them with your genuine interest in their lives.


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  Simply tell your missionary, “We’re with you in this.”

  
  When life gets hard — and sometimes it does — knowing they’re not alone can make a world of difference.

Missionaries are people, and you’re a person, too. None of us have halos or superpowers, but we don’t need them because we have a faithful God who is knitting us together as he works through all of us to accomplish his mission.