Chatting with Mark Grayson

I had the chance recently to sit down with Mark Grayson. Mark grew up at BelPres, and spent several years working in the youth department before following a short-term call to Rwanda. Mark came back to Bellevue in October '10 after spending five months helping out at the Center for Champions, learning a lot about himself and what it means to live in a very different culture.

Mark and I covered a lot of mission and BelPres ground in our visit. Some of the standouts include:

We both had an overwhelming feeling that while we knew we were going to a culture unlike our own, the ways the differences played out surprised us. Like the level of contentment and joy felt by people who are living at economic levels that are unimaginable even in their own countries.

Dealing with our own Western expectations of time. TIA (This Is Africa) is an acronym Mark used a couple of times in our conversation. In Indonesia we referred often to Jam Karet (Rubber time) when we were frustrated by the non-linear time concepts of our equator-dwelling friends. Thinking through the importance of relationship versus our reliance on time is a real challenge for many westerners. It is essential both to try to get that it's actually a different way of understanding time, and to give our western-thought-driven impatience to God's timing.

Corruption is. It is in the government, it is in the church, it is in the hearts of people everywhere. In the developing world it's just a lot more openly done than it is in the "west". We try fighting against corruption in our churches, where over there it's just how things get done. What role do missionaries have in dealing with corruption among our adopted people? I wish Mark and I had come up with the perfect answer, but, nope.

People who commit to long-term missions are amazing. Specifically we were talking about BelPres' own Jean McAllister and Mark's friend Melissa, who is gearing up to head back to Rwanda long-term. We need to remember to pray for these folks who are attempting great things for God in a challenging cross-cultural context.

Perhaps most importantly, Mark talked about the need for more frequent, in-depth contact between BelPres and our Rwandan partnership ministries. Discipleship and more careful monitoring are both needed. I left my time with Mark feeling hopeful about the continuing relationship between AE (African Enterprise), the Center for Champions, and BelPres. It does seem that God is calling us into a more in-depth relationship with these vital Rwandan ministries, but I don't know what that will look like. Could we send smaller teams for longer visits? Get rid of the "field trip" aspect and really dig into discipleship with one another? Lots to think and talk about there.

What really struck me about Mark is the way he's living his life in real surrender to Jesus. He felt the pull to go to Rwanda, so he went. While he was youth leader, he took teams into Mexico and Los Angeles, working in some very difficult circumstances with teenagers who did not always want to be there. Now Mark is still dealing with having experienced a more in-depth time in Rwanda, while trying to discern God's current leading. He's also preparing to be married this spring. Thanks, Mark, for taking the time to talk missions with me! I look forward to seeing where Jesus takes you next!