It can be easy to think that those who God calls to missions experience a distinct and clear leading from the Holy Spirit that the rest of us do not. While there are certainly cases where this is true—that at an early age God placed the desire to be a missionary on someone’s heart and they have never looked back—the typical road to the mission field is paved with questions and doubt.  

Sometimes this uncertainty keeps people from considering missions as a possibility altogether. Others may be interested or in the process of exploring a call but are hesitant to take the next step. If you find yourself in this position, you are not alone. Most current missionaries had to work through their uncertainty in their journey to missionary service.

Here are five common doubts you may wrestle with when considering global missions and ways to work through them.

1. What if I go and it doesn’t work out?

This may be the fear behind all the other fears. No one wants to raise support, say goodbye to their friends and family, and move to a new culture only to have something go wrong—your team falls apart, your kids hate it, or your ministry initiative fails.

Though it may seem like it, the decision to become a missionary is not a blind leap of faith into the great unknown. If you feel a tug toward missions, take the time needed to carefully and attentively discern this call. Pray rigorously alone and with other people. Study God’s Word and ask Him for a deeper understanding of His heart for the nations. Seek counsel from your church leaders and trusted friends and get a feel for cross-cultural ministry by visiting the field and/or working with internationals in your community.

Missions agencies are also a helpful resource and they can provide materials and people to answer any questions—both general and specific—about what serving would actually look like. If you choose to take the next step, MTW has an in-depth application and orientation process designed to evaluate your readiness to serve, help you find the best ministry fit, and prepare you as much as possible for life as a missionary. (Read more about MTW’s steps to the field.) The process is intentionally front-loaded to give you the best possible foundation for long-term effectiveness.

That being said, no amount of preparation can completely eliminate the possibility of something going wrong. This is true of any decision, because the future rests in the Lord’s hands. He calls us to take the next step He places before us and trust Him with what lies ahead, knowing that even if things don’t go according to plan, He is with us and will care for us.

You can also be confident that even if your path shifts—whether that means changing ministry projects, moving to a different field, or returning to the U.S.—your time was not wasted. God works through broken people and unexpected situations to accomplish His purposes. He can use you in ways you may never fully understand or see. And your work as a missionary, no matter how long you serve, when done in obedience and wisdom, is an investment in His eternal kingdom.

2. What if I’m not equipped?

Sometimes there is confusion surrounding what skills and qualifications are needed for missionary service. Do you have to have a seminary degree? Vocational ministry experience? The gift of evangelism? A proficiency to learn other languages?

The best starting place is The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) where Jesus levels the playing field by commanding His universal Church—which includes every church member and local church entity throughout time and space—to make disciples among all nations. If you are a Christian, Jesus commissions and equips you to be part of His mission.

After that, the other necessary qualifications are probably ones you already have or ones that can be easily developed. A former MTW missionary addressed this very question in her recent article,  explaining that if you have a growing relationship with God, a teachable and humble spirit, compassion for others, and a willingness to help with local church needs you have what it takes to serve overseas. Possessing these things doesn’t necessarily mean that God is calling you to missions, but it does mean if you go, He can use you to advance the gospel in your field.

You may also be surprised by the number of ways you can serve. Whether you are a nurse, musician, accountant, artist, administrative assistant, business executive, teacher, soccer coach, college student, or retired, the field can use your gifts and expertise. MTW offers a variety of both long- and short-term opportunities for people from every background and life-stage including:

• Summer and 1-11 month internships
• Missionary Resident Program
• Workplace Ministries
• Medical Missions Opportunities
• Arts, Music, and Media Missions Opportunities
• Multicultural Mobilization

If you love Jesus, have a passion to see God’s Church grow and the lost come to faith, and a willingness to learn, we invite you to explore all of MTW’s current opportunities.

3. What if the pressure is too much for my family?

No one denies that cross-cultural ministry can stretch a family’s capacity in ways many other professions do not. But those pressures don’t have to define your family dynamic. They are real but you still have agency in how they shape your home life.

Cultivate healthy relationships with your spouse and kids before you leave. Allow everyone, including your kids, to express and process their feelings about the upcoming changes without dismissing or redirecting them.

Then establish healthy family rhythms and communication while on the field. These may take time to figure out and will likely shift due to the large number of transitions missionaries experience. Yet even if the specifics change, the general principles should not: Create an appropriate work/life balance, tend to your marriage, remain emotionally available to your kids, take a Sabbath rest every week, go on family vacations.

The good news for parents is that research shows most third-culture kids (which includes missionary kids) have a positive experience growing up between cultures and websites such as TCK training focus on producing resources for caregivers to continue raising healthy TCKs.

It is also important to choose a missions agency that provides support and care for their overseas workers. MTW’s Member Care Department exists to help MTW missionaries and their families thrive on the field by providing services such as affordable counseling, TCK resources, self-care training, crisis management, and interpersonal conflict resolution strategies. In addition, our Next team provides specific training, resources, and support for TCKs and their parents.

4. What if going to the field single means I’ll never get married?

This certainly isn’t the only fear single people face when considering global missions, but, according to single MTW missionaries, it is often the primary one. They adamantly encourage singles in this position to not let this fear be the deciding factor. Many singles who delay going until they find a spouse don’t end up going at all. Oftentimes a future spouse doesn’t feel called. Sometimes life gets more complicated after starting a family and there may never be a perfect time to go.  

Remember, God can lead you to a husband or wife anywhere. Don’t put off obeying God’s call out of fear. Bring your worries before Him, rest in His care, and watch for His direction.

And know that the world needs single missionaries. You can build relationships and serve people in a way that families cannot. You provide a different testimony and witness to God’s provision and care than your married counterparts do—and the world needs to see that! You are in the best position to reach the growing number of singles throughout the world.

You also should serve with a missions agency that understands the unique challenges single missionaries face and knows how to support them. MTW’s Member Care team is prepared to come alongside our single missionaries by offering training for leaders about single worker’s issues, times for singles to connect at missionary events, and safe pathways for singles to address problems.

5. What if support raising is too difficult?

Have you ever told yourself that you could never take a job that requires raising support? So have many current missionaries.

Support raising can feel overwhelming. Those of us in America get uncomfortable discussing money and we do not like giving up the level of control fundraising requires. But this is exactly why support raising is beneficial. It erases all of our self-reliant delusions and forces us to trust in God’s provision. And God always provides for those He calls. Along the way, you get to experience the generosity of God’s people. You learn how to pray boldly for God’s kingdom. You get the blessing of inviting others to participate in God’s mission.

If you serve with MTW, you won’t walk this path alone. Just as you’re supported during the application process, you’re also guided step-by-step through support raising. MTW offers a comprehensive and biblical training called Ministry Partner Development for longer-term missionaries before you begin reaching out to donors. This training addresses common fears and misconceptions, equips you with practical tools, and helps you take on a posture of humility which you need both for support raising and cross-cultural ministry.

You’ll also be part of a cohort with other itinerating missionaries going through the same process. These groups meet twice a month and are led by experienced missionaries who provide prayer, guidance, and encouragement. In other words, you’ll raise support in a community of people who understand this season’s joys and difficulties.

God Triumphs Over Doubt

Ultimately, the answer to all our doubts is found in the Lord. Our fears and anxieties dim when we fix our eyes on Him and place our confidence in His Word. When it comes to global missions you can be confident that as His disciple, He has called you to this work of making other disciples. You can be confident that as you obey the Great Commission, the Holy Spirit will be with you—equipping, comforting, and using you—like Jesus promised. You can be confident that the kingdom of God will advance because God has promised to build His Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. You can be confident that this mission will not fail because Jesus has already conquered the forces of darkness that compete against us.  

So bring your doubt to Jesus and let Him address them. He likely won’t provide the answer to every question or remove all uncertainty. But He will give you more of Himself. He will provide the confidence you need to step out in faith onto the path He lays in front of you. Don’t let fear of the unknown make decisions for you—trust in Jesus and let Him drive out your fear.