“What's that in your hand?” Lyndon Wall's “Ministry Staff”

By Anna Beth Wildman

“The armed robbery happened five months ago when I traveled to Jos from the airport in Abuja. I’d barely been in Nigeria 24 hours. They pointed their guns at us and made us lay face-down in the dirt. I thought, “This is it; we’re going to heaven,” but suddenly they ran away. I still have trouble sleeping at night, and I still jump at sudden sounds. You don’t just get over something like that.” This missionary attended Lyndon Wall’s seminar, “Facing Your Fear Factor.” Lyndon’s discussion of “fear of attack” helped her give each night to God, trusting Him to protect her from, or be with her through, trouble.

The missionary stories are woven together from true incidents. Although the events have occurred to missionaries, no story applies to any specific person.

Lessons from the Wilderness

The burdens were overwhelming, and Canadian pastor Lyndon Wall (M.A. in Theological Studies) burned out. Lyndon and his wife, Marlene, learned many valuable lessons as they recovered. Later, they heard a stirring message about how God used the object Moses picked up in the wilderness: his staff. The speaker asked his listeners what they had learned in the wilderness. Lyndon and his wife immediately thought of lessons from their time in burnout. They began serving people who ministered in Canada, but when SIM contacted Lyndon, he and his family were ready to go to Nigeria.

She wiped her eyes as she sat in his office. “Our son has always been excellent in school, was excited about this college, loves the Lord. But he’s struggling in the U.S.—he’s not connecting with culture, not making friends, and seems distant from God. He’s struggling to manage his time—he thinks he’s failing two classes. He can’t seem to manage his finances well. We’ve been out here for 20 years, but maybe we should leave so we can help our son.”

Lyndon thought for a moment. “I’m close friends with a pastor about 20 minutes from where your son is. He loves college students and cares about missions. Could we get them in touch with each other?”

Sources of Missionary Stress

Lyndon is gathering his doctoral research on “a spiritual response to stress in ministry.” He wants to learn, and help others learn, to enjoy good spiritual health amidst stress. This “spiritual health” involves a vital relationship with God and a heart that experiences joy amidst any circumstances. Lyndon has observed that North Americans experience stress from self-inflicted, high performance expectations.

In Nigeria, by contrast, stress is linked to physical safety, jeopardized by threats like armed robberies and traffic accidents. Additional stress stems from interpersonal relationships among missionaries from different cultures. Different personalities, ways of communicating, and passion to accomplish goals can lead to clashes.

Missionaries with families also feel burdened about caring for their children, helping them transition on or off the field, and caring for their daily needs. These stresses require missionaries to work harder to find sufficient emotional energy for healthy marriages.

Surviving or Thriving?

How do missionaries cope with stress? “I think there are a lot of very courageous people here…persevering in the face of a lot of stress.” Sometimes, extenuating circumstances like health concerns or tragedy force missionaries off the field, but most missionaries endure over the long haul. However, Lyndon is concerned that missionaries are simply surviving when they could be thriving. He notices that many long-term missionaries are worn out when it is time for home assignment. This indicates possibilities for growth in stress management. “People handle life on the mission field with great courage. My desire is to help them be able to say, ‘it is well with my soul.’”

“It’s hard to adjust to life in a different country. I love Nigeria and Nigerian culture; the Nigerians I know are so gracious. But I can’t understand their dialect of English yet, and I’m still confused on other words people use; I was shocked the first time a missionary exclaimed, ‘NEPA!’ [the acronym for the Nigerian Electric Company]. I thought he was swearing. I’m struggling to learn Hausa greetings, and I feel like I’m letting Nigerians down every time I can’t understand them. I’m sure I’m going to be in an accident every time I drive outside my compound. I’m confused when I ask someone to visit me at four and they don’t come until 5:30. When I’m in the office people call or drop in unannounced all the time. We could get fifteen calls in one hour. I’ve always taken pride in managing my time well, but it takes me twice as long to get things done. My coworkers think I’m bossy for being goal-oriented. We’re still trying to straighten out our NEPA bill, and someone cut our phone lines. I couldn’t shower this morning because there was no water.” This person attended Lyndon’s seminar, “How to Live Through a Bad Day.” “I learned to forgive and let things go. I learned to help others through the same troubles. I learned to aim my hard questions at God, not man. I learned to be human enough to acknowledge my need… to name a few things.”

Health Checkups and More

Lyndon wants to serve during his eighteen months in Nigeria. He prepares and gives relevant seminars about issues missionaries face. Lyndon’s first two seminars were, “How to Live Through a Bad Day,” and “Facing Your Fear Factor.” He plans to give another seminar dealing with the frequent goodbyes missionaries face. Lyndon’s seminars are spiritual clinics—health checkups on various aspects of missionary life. These seminars are scheduled every few months.

Besides giving seminars, Lyndon receives many speaking opportunities from mission groups and Nigerian churches. He also has one-on-one counseling sessions in which he presents a pastoral perspective. Counseling appointments will grow as Lyndon develops relationships with people. “It’s happening, but there’s not an avalanche of it,” he explains. On a typical day, Lyndon spends time in study, prayer, and preparation for speaking engagements, after which he counsels with missionary and Nigerian staff at Miango and Jos.

“What’s that in your hand?” Lyndon’s ministry “staff” provides a vital service toward spiritual health in Nigeria.