Whether black, white, Asian, or Hispanic – people are people, so why not make a difference in their lives?  Many speak the same language, but some say they speak different languages. Be it English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Hindi, or Japanese, but does it really matter which language they speak?  There’s definitely one God regardless how they communicate.  To identify with a particular group, politicians will often say a few words in their language, but do they really understand them?  This happens especially during an election year as candidates make pitches for a specific block of voters.  This would be at synagogue by speaking Hebrew, rubbing shoulders with rabbis, and trying to convince Jews they know about their culture.

But regardless who these people are, it’s good for them to know who they really are.  Steve Jobs (1955–2011), a pioneer of the personal computer revolution said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone’s life.  Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.  Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  A measure of what people become is what they keep coming back to, just reminding them to take that next step in pursuing their dreams.

Making a Connection

Some people – young and old alike, make decisions to join the Peace Corps.  While others participate in a Fulbright programs to Asian, African, or South American countries.  They live with the natives, teaching them to plant crops, build wells, and construct homes.  They teach English as a foreign language in their schools.  Missionaries are involved in outreach programs to villages, and working alongside different ethnic groups in remote areas.  By so doing they are fulfilling God’s mission in bringing the teaching of the Bible to the ends of the earth.

Interestingly Maya Angelou (1928–2014), an author, and poet wrote, “The thing to do, it seems to me, is to prepare yourself so you can be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud.  Somebody who may not look like you.  May not call God the same name you call God – if they call God at all.  I may not dance your dances or speak your language.  But be a blessing to somebody.  That’s what I think.”  Angelou explained in her own way the missionary service believers are taught in serving their Creator.

Non-Verbal Communication

To start understanding people call for more than being able to master the spoken word.  It comes through the Holy Spirit who works in diverse ways.  People also use body language to communicate.  Missionaries can see these in the natives seeking their help.  With good interpersonal skills barriers are broken down.  But people all have one spirit in common.  It doesn’t matter if a person is a Westerner dressed in fashionable clothes, or a beggar in rags.  It’s the Holy Spirit who penetrates our communication barriers.

Barbara Bush (1925–2018), a former first lady of the United States said, “Cherish your human connections – your relationships with friends and family.”  With God each human is a friend and a family member.  It doesn’t matter if they live in a small Guyanese town like Ituni, or a faraway place like Timbuktu.  In building up God’s Kingdom volunteers would know like Albert Einstein (1879–1955), a German-born theoretical physicist “the only source of knowledge is experience.”  Missionaries bring their experiences to the building blocks of life, and knowledge, to make the world a better place to live, paving the way for mankind’s eternal future.