“You are going to do what? In what country? Where is that? And did you say leprosy?”
My parents had these concerns in 1985 when I (Bill Greenley) made the announcement that I would go to Masanga Leprosy Hospital in Sierra Leone as a student missionary (SM). The process was simple: raise money, get my shots and visa, buy the plane ticket and go. I did some research on Sierra Leone, but not much information was available then.
It was a great experience, but I was winging it the whole time. At one point, I even ran the hospital. When my poor parents heard about trouble in my area, they had no one to talk with. No one at the church or the U.S. Department of State knew what was happening in the country. Two months after the turmoil, they received my airmail letter assuring them that all was fine.
Our daughter had a very different experience as a student missionary with Adventist Frontier Missions. AFM shared a thorough support-raising plan and provided an extensive in-person training program. Plenty of information was available about where she was going. When her mother and I worried whether our daughter would travel halfway around the world alone, we learned that AFM coordinates flights so student missionaries travel together.
After arriving in the Philippines, our daughter received further training before going to her final location in the Kemantian valley. When concerns arose over rebel activities in the area, AFM kept us updated about what was happening and what steps were being taken to keep the student missionaries safe. Thankfully, cell phones allowed us to connect with her almost anytime, even though she was in the middle of the jungle.
While our daughter was in the field, we visited her and were impressed with the dedication displayed by the SMs, as well as how difficult the trip was — flying from the U.S. to Manila, then to Puerto Princessa, a few-hour-long van ride to the south end of Palawan Island, an overnight stay in Brooks Point, and then a strenuous five-hour hike up the mountain to the mission station. They were a world away in terms of distance, living conditions and culture.
Some friends wondered how we could let our daughter go so far away into such an underdeveloped and, at times, dangerous area. We answered that the safest place for anyone is where God’s will is, and it was clear that this was God’s calling for her life.
We are very proud of our daughter for embracing the challenges. She quickly learned and could teach in the local language. Her adaptability and dedication showed her growth in faith and dependency on God.
After two years in the Philippines with AFM, our daughter served as a missionary in two other secretive “creative access” countries. She is now in the States, married to a delightful young man who also served as an AFM student missionary. They plan to return to the mission field as a family when God calls them to move forward. We rejoice that our daughter answered Jesus’ call to serve as a missionary, especially with an organization such as AFM that takes tremendous care of its people.
