Before our family travelled to Yellowstone National Park this past summer, we knew very little about the place. We had heard of Old Faithful. We knew other geysers existed in the park. But we had no idea that half of the world’s 700 geysers are located in Yellowstone, which makes it the most popular place in the world to observe geysers.
With so many geysers in such a small area, there has emerged a group of people called “geyser gazers” at Yellowstone. Many visitors to Yellowstone make a quick visit to Old Faithful, watch it erupt and then go on to other activities. “Geyser gazers” are different. They spend the entire day watching geysers – often the same geyser for hours on end. They do this for days, weeks, and even years. With careful observation they learn the nuances of each geyser, what it does in the minutes before an eruption, what it does in the hours after an eruption, how long is a normal interval between eruptions, etc. There is much to observe and learn.
I was impressed with the “geyser gazers” Their enthusiasm and dedication was contagious. It was clear that if one wants to become an expert on geysers, a good place to start would be to spend some time with a genuine “geyser gazer.” Their passion, I have thought, could be a good pattern for cross-cultural mission work.
Just like geyser gazing, cross-cultural mission work requires careful study and observation. A missionary must become intimately familiar with the culture and language of the people whom they intend to serve. It may take years of careful observation and study for a missionary to really understand a culture. The missionary must also observe how God is working, spending time in prayer and devotion, just as a geyser gazer spends hours at the side of a geyser. The really impressive thing about geyser gazers is that, as a result of their preparation and awareness, they tend to be in the right place at the right time when an eruption occurs. As missionaries it is important that we spend time in preparation, learning, observing and being ready – so that we might be in God’s place at God’s time, ready to minister God’s word.