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Staying By Choice

By David Schmidt 2/3/03

The Middle East country in which we serve is open to evangelism and church planting. However, in addition to the usual obstacles any church planter might experience, we also deal with the additional challenge of terrorism. Our country is scarred by years of daily violence. The cycle of aggression and retaliation is deeply engrained.

We have been close to many bombings and shootings. Once, a bomb exploded two blocks from us, and at another location, a bomb detonated only twenty minutes after we had left. Our son's school was situated in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country. Rioters have swarmed our street on numerous occasions, smashing windows and starting fires. Friends and neighbors have been injured and killed.

Some people ask why we remain in dangerous places. I would like to reverse the question and ask why we would leave when danger increases? We claim to be a community of faith. Are we willing to act on our beliefs and remain with the national believers who look to us as an example?

In our situation, we decided to stay in our country of service during a war. We could have left. Most foreigners did. But we stayed and organized a new church immediately after the fighting ended. In the years following, every ministry person we knew regretted leaving. Some felt it set back their influence several years.

The violence was particularly severe during our language training. At graduation, our teacher recognized each student, saving me for last. Weeping, almost choking on her words, she told the class I was the only foreigner who had stayed during the violence. She publicly thanked me for staying "by choice".

The greatest blessings in ministry can occur when we choose to remain during times of trouble. The bond of Christian brotherhood is strengthened when we share danger and hardship with our national partners. They may not congratulate us for staying, but we will gradually gain credibility for participating in their trials.

David and Susan Schmidt have been part of ABWE's Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East Team since 1989.