Time Management
Ideas from JJ, 2003
Definition: “Work smarter, not harder for an effective ministry.” This saying is true in all areas of life. It is absolutely vital that missionaries spend their time very wisely because it is very easy to get burnt out doing mission work. One still needs to spend adequate time with his or her family. It is also a health and wellness issue. If we are spending so much time doing work, we need to find time to take care of our bodies by giving it food and an adequate amount of rest every day.
Ideas from SK, Korean Experience interview, 2004:
You are together as a missionary family because you’re not going a million different ways. We were always eating and devotion together-company would always be around – Children remember great hospitality-soldiers from America and Europe -visitors from everywhere.
We wanted to meet the expectations that were given – Men hung with men, women hung with women. Children activities were never missed. Board would insist you take a month vacation so you would relax.
Papua New Guinea Experience
There was a strong mission community family, that would gather together for periods of strength. Family time was strong. If there was anything going on for the kids at boarding school, they were there. Mission Aviation Fellowship would fly them back and forth to see their parents.
God does not ask to sacrifice our family. God, Wife, Kids, and then work were their priorities. Friday was completely family night and they kept to it — it was not easy
JF experience on Taiwan
He used his time as an English teacher very wisely in that he used stories from the Bible to teach his English classes.
He said, “I did not spend enough time with my wife because of the drive to be the missionary I thought I was supposed to be — don’t take me as your model
He took his language teachers as his guides one Saturday a month to different places, so he could practice language while checking out places on the island to use for retreats. In later years he then was able to take foreign visitors to those places.
Interview with D: D said that time management was very important mainly because her and her husband were only going to be in China for a few months so they had to make the most of their time. There wasn’t very much sight-seeing going on — it wasn’t a vacation by any means. They had to learn some of the culture and they spent almost 10 hours a day teaching Chinese people English.
Interview with ‘anonymous’: This person wished not to be named, but he went on a trip with a music group. He did a lot of singing and evangelizing through music and various puppet shows and the like. He had to be especially careful to use his time wisely because they were constantly moving from town to town doing concerts. Setting up and taking down for them took a long time. He didn’t really do very much one on one evangelizing but still had to make sure that everything was taken care of for the concerts.
Book Summaries
Culture Shock: Ch.1: It is very important to manage your time wisely and not get stressed out. This can cause some very big bumps in your ministry from ulcers to high blood pressure to a heart attack. It is important to keep your stress at a comfortable level. Stress also can be good or bad.
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