Excitement
About a month ago Philip stated that he and Jaime were not missionaries. It's true of course because we all know missionaries have to have continual funding from outside sources. I think its something about some missionaries never building self-sufficient churches that doesn't fit in with the Murphycheap ideology. Or missionaries expecting others to support their venture. I think sometimes we forget that Paul was a tent-maker; maybe the ideal style for a missionary. At least its the Murphycheap ideal.
I can absolutely understand why Philip doesn't like the label. Missionaries are expected to write reports, take pictures of baptisms, and stay where they are. One thing I've found is that missionary reports can lend themselves to a little bit of "magic resume" type wording. Stated: Worked for Fortune 500 company More correctly: cleaned bathrooms at McD's. The same thing is true with newsletters. You want a report? I should makeup a song to the tune of 12 days of x-mas. ...three school fights, two incarcerations, and a family with a teen pregnancy. That's our Thursday night group.
Second great reason. Vacation. Missionaries don't get good vacations. Jaime and the kids will be home this xmas, and maybe this summer. I'm getting real excited about my trip to New Zealand this break. 21 days total. Last night I booked my ice climbing on the Franz Joseph glacier and my Nevis Highwire Bungy jump. Nevis (134meters) is the third highest commercial bungy in the world. They take you out over a canyon in a gondola and push you out!! Fun stuff right there. The rest of the time I'll be eating PBJ's, Lunchables (pizza), Gourmet Hotdogettes (Vienna Sausages), and whatever I can find to cook on a fire next to my tent. Some nights I'll stay in a hostel dorm, but I prefer the Murphycheap campsite when available. I've got my backpack, tent, headlamp, alarm clock (bus leaves at 8am!?), sleeping bag, and my books should be in this week. Sweetness.
Paul "somebody at the post office ganked my MP3 player so tunes are questionable" Murphy
About a month ago Philip stated that he and Jaime were not missionaries. It's true of course because we all know missionaries have to have continual funding from outside sources. I think its something about some missionaries never building self-sufficient churches that doesn't fit in with the Murphycheap ideology. Or missionaries expecting others to support their venture. I think sometimes we forget that Paul was a tent-maker; maybe the ideal style for a missionary. At least its the Murphycheap ideal.
I can absolutely understand why Philip doesn't like the label. Missionaries are expected to write reports, take pictures of baptisms, and stay where they are. One thing I've found is that missionary reports can lend themselves to a little bit of "magic resume" type wording. Stated: Worked for Fortune 500 company More correctly: cleaned bathrooms at McD's. The same thing is true with newsletters. You want a report? I should makeup a song to the tune of 12 days of x-mas. ...three school fights, two incarcerations, and a family with a teen pregnancy. That's our Thursday night group.
Second great reason. Vacation. Missionaries don't get good vacations. Jaime and the kids will be home this xmas, and maybe this summer. I'm getting real excited about my trip to New Zealand this break. 21 days total. Last night I booked my ice climbing on the Franz Joseph glacier and my Nevis Highwire Bungy jump. Nevis (134meters) is the third highest commercial bungy in the world. They take you out over a canyon in a gondola and push you out!! Fun stuff right there. The rest of the time I'll be eating PBJ's, Lunchables (pizza), Gourmet Hotdogettes (Vienna Sausages), and whatever I can find to cook on a fire next to my tent. Some nights I'll stay in a hostel dorm, but I prefer the Murphycheap campsite when available. I've got my backpack, tent, headlamp, alarm clock (bus leaves at 8am!?), sleeping bag, and my books should be in this week. Sweetness.
Paul "somebody at the post office ganked my MP3 player so tunes are questionable" Murphy
posted by Paul Murphy at
3:20 PM
7 Comments:
you had better be taking a camera
By
Josh M, at 12/08/2007 6:25 PM
Alrighty? I am sure you would not like the reports from Sin City if such existed. Then again, we have too many congregations here for there to be mission territory, per se.
By
Anonymous, at 12/08/2007 11:01 PM
Dude thanks for the xmas card.
By
Paul Murphy, at 12/10/2007 12:39 AM
Looks like a blast. Enjoy your trip.
By
Luke Dockery, at 12/10/2007 6:36 AM
You're smoking crack.
Missionaries get the best vacations in the world. First, they get to travel throughout the world, hopping from location to location based upon funding and scouting trips.
Then, there are the best trips of all... the so called sabatticals... annual (or bi-annual) paid trips to the States. Where can I sign up for those?
Vacations are a missionary perk. I haven't met a foreign missionary kid yet who didn't have a passport stamped more times than Brittney Spears' hand on Mothers Night Out.
By
Philip, at 12/10/2007 4:39 PM
I think you are being unfair towards missionaries. You make them sound like a bunch of freeloaders who just want an easy ride. You make it sound like it's some kind of business scheme, but I don't think it's right to cheapen missions to that. Certainly it would be great to be completely self-supporting as a missionary, but that isn't always possible. Fundraising is not fun. I hate doing it. And I know that other missionaries that i've talked to hate it also, but it is necessary. If we all waited around until we'd saved enough money to go on our own then their would be even less missionaries on the field. Churches have no problem paying a preacher or a youth minister, so why is it so hard to support missionaries?
And good missionaries are building self-sufficient churches. I've worked with several missions teams and every one of them is working to do just that. Yes, many missionaries have failed in the past to leave behind stable churches, but almost every missionary I know wants to work themselves out of a job.
As for vacations I think I have to agree with Philip. All the missionaries I know went on safaris or to resorts on the Indian Ocean that were nice, but cheap by American standards. And don't forget those extended layovers in Europe on the way back to the States.
By
MSS, at 12/11/2007 7:55 AM
brittney spears hand on mothers night out... I make myself laugh sometimes... how pathetic is that night.
dude, you forgot the camera. I figured you left it on purpose so that your fictional story of the hot chick you met couldn't be disproven.
By
Philip, at 12/15/2007 5:15 PM
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