lets be careful out there lets be careful out there

I always hate to date myself but I used to watch this show called “Hill Street Blues” and this gentlemen opened the show by telling the police officers all the horrible things that were going on and then sending them on their way by saying, “let’s be careful out there”.

We have been trying to say that to Mission Societies and there are many of them.  Please understand that we want to do missions and we want to do mercy, but we also would like to figure out a way to “be careful out there”.  Some of you are getting on airplanes and flying hither and yon and feeding folks and doing good works without any regard for the bigger pictures of security for yourself and your team, who actually is receiving the benefit of what you do and the effect it has on partner churches or their efforts.  There may be consequences to the way you write about or advertise what you do.  There have been missionaries and others that have been killed because they were identified in a blog or other publication that the wrong people read,  Here is a preface to a missionary newsletter that we all might want to think about and emulate.

(1) AS A PRECAUTION TO PRESERVE THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES,

AND LOCAL CONGREGATIONS, THIS AND SUBSEQUENT REPORTS OFTEN WILL OMIT

NAMES, LOCATIONS AND FUTURE PLANS.

(2) DEAR FELLOW MISSIONARIES INCLUDING OUR ADs/RDs, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE

DANGER SOME FACE, HENCE, WHEN SENDING OUT YOUR TEAM AND / OR MONTHY

REPORTS/NEWSLETTERS BE A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS WITH DETAILS AND FACTS. I

SUGGEST WE ALL AVOID MENTIONING IN SOME CASES, GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND /

OR COUNTRY, UPCOMING EVENT(S), ON-GOING EVENT(S), AND EVEN PAST EVENT(S),

ESPECIALLY IF SUCH EVENT/PLACE COULD BE LINKED TO THE NAME OF AN

INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY, TRIBE OR FAMILY. GUYS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR MISSION

PARTNERS AND THOSE TO WHOM WE DIRECTLY MINISTER IN THE FIELD – FELLOW

‘MISSION FAMILY’ HEAR ME OUT. “DO NOT THROW THE BABY AND THE BATH WATER

AWAY”!