Field workers are normal people. They have to eat and sleep and work and take rest.
“Of course they do!” you might say.
But I didn’t realize this truth until I became a worker myself and felt pressure to work all the time. If I wasn’t out with Muslims 24/7, I felt guilty. There was constant pressure to be ministering. After all, our supporters were giving sacrificially so we could invite Muslims to follow Christ.
Who has time for rest when there are people who need Jesus?
It’s unclear where this idea came from, but workers and supporters alike seem to operate under the notion that missionaries should work all the time.
But the truth is that workers are humans who need rest—perhaps more rest than those of us who remain in our home cultures. Being immersed in different cultures and standing for Jesus within a religious system that doesn’t honor Him—these stresses compound the normal exhaustion of daily life.
One of the greatest gifts you can give a foreign worker is to encourage them to take the time to rest. They need to hear it from the very people who are supporting them. Send a gift and tell them that you would like them to use it for time away. Assure them that it is okay to take a break. God commanding it should be enough, but it is still hard.