Here Am I, Send Me - A Drama to Read or Perform

By Iris Gray Dowling

CHARACTERS:

ERIKA, a young teen MK (missionary kid)
PAUL, Erika's younger brother
MEGAN, a friend
TOM, another friend and neighbor

SETTING: In the family room

AT RISE: ERIKA, MEGAN and TOM are playing a board game

MEGAN: Erika, we heard you're going on a trip this weekend.

ERIKA: (shakes her head) Yes, our family is going to speak at a church on our Pre-Field Ministry.

TOM: Pre-Field Ministry? What - - What's that?

ERIKA: That's what we do when we go to different churches, telling people about our mission field. (pause) Have you seen my brother, Paul? I haven't been able to find him.

MEGAN: He's around. Don't worry about him. Take your turn.

ERIKA: (takes turn) He hates going on these trips. (pause) I wonder where he is.

MEGAN: Come on. We'll help you find him. (gets up)

TOM: First, tell me more about these meeting and that mission field you're going to.

ERIKA: Okay. We're going as soon as God supplies enough money to get us there. On Pre-Field Ministry we visit churches which might pray for us and give us the support we will need to live on the mission field.

TOM: Where is this mission field?

ERIKA: It's across the Atlantic Ocean in a country called Ghana (name any place)

TOM: Why do you have to go to a foreign country?

ERIKA: Because God wants us there. (walks toward right side )

MEGAN: Do you have to go far away to be missionaries? (follows ERIKA)

ERIKA: No. We go where God wants us to go. (goes to left side exit)

TOM: How do you know He wants you there?

ERIKA: I have to go with my parents. They've told us that's where God wants them.

MEGAN: I pity you. You'll have to leave your friends and go some place far away. You won't know anybody.

ERIKA: Don't feel sorry for me. I want to go. It's my brother who's upset. (pause) Come on, we've got to find him. (goes near left exit)

(They all start looking for Paul)

MEGAN: (says negatively) You want to go? I don't get it!

ERIKA: You see, it's like this--I want to be a missionary along with my parents.

TOM: I thought that was a grown-up's job.

ERIKA: It's not just for grown-ups. Kids can tell other kids about Jesus' love, too.

MEGAN: How? (walks to closet; takes hold of knob; stops)

ERIKA: Don't you remember the verse in Mark 6:15? The verse tells us that everyone who knows Jesus as Saviour is commanded to go and tell other people about Him.

TOM: You mean if I'm saved I'm supposed to be telling other people?

ERIKA: Right! We're all missionaries at home before we go to a foreign country.

TOM: (to ERIKA) Erika, you mean, I'm a missionary?

ERIKA: Sure! You can invite kids to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, can't you?

TOM: (sadly) I do, but nobody ever comes.

ERIKA: Some times you have to get your parents to drive the car and take them.

TOM: I never thought of that.

ERIKA: We can give someone a gospel tract. (Picks up tract to show him; looks in next room for PAUL)

TOM: What else can I do?

ERIKA: You could pray for your unsaved friends and neighbors. (starts to exit to look for PAUL)

TOM: I'm not sure how to pray for them.

ERIKA: We need to pray that God will make their ears ready to hear and their minds open to understand what they heard.

TOM: I can do that! Is there anything else?

MEGAN: Erika, I always thought the only people who are missionaries are the ones who go to foreign countries. But you're saying every believer should be a missionary.

ERIKA: You got it!

TOM: What if people don't want to listen?

ERIKA: Don't give up. God wants us to be faithful and tell them.

TOM: Then I'd better start. I have some family and neighbors I need to tell.

ERIKA: Another thing you can do is to pray for us and send what you can to help keep the missionaries in place they've gone to work. (picks up a piggy bank)

TOM: Is that part of being a missionary, too?

ERIKA: That's called being a partner on the mission team. God rewards each person who helps equally.

TOM: You mean God will reward me if I help your family go to Ghana?

ERIKA: That's right. He rewards all who have a share in the work.

TOM: Count on me, then. (points to self)

MEGAN: Me, too. (points to self)

ERIKA: When we tell you what God is doing over there, you'll see what an awesome God we have.

TOM: Erika, I'll try to earn some money to help you.

ERIKA: Wow! I think you both are great. missionary partners.

PAUL: (PAUL appears from side right) Don't forget me. I'm a partner, too.

ERIKA: (scolding) Where were you?

PAUL: In the closet. (pause) I was listening to you.

ERIKA: (stop back in shock; says in scolding tone) Why did you do that? Didn't I tell you not to eavesdrop on my friends and me? (walks toward left exit)

PAUL: I'm sorry, Erika, but what you said helped me. I'm not upset about our trip anymore.

ERIKA: (still angry) What do you mean?

PAUL: I want to go to the mission field so I can tell other kids about Jesus love.

ERIKA: (unhappy, questioning tone) What about this weekend?

PAUL: Now I realize we have to go on these meetings. God is getting us ready and raising up a team to help us. I'm sorry I was so nasty about it all.

ERIKA: (says reluctantly) Oh, all right. I'm glad you got something out of your eavesdropping.

PAUL: Yeah, I have a lot of work to do before we leave. (pulls TOM'S arm) Come on, Tom. We need to invite the kids in this neighborhood to come to Sunday school.

(ERIKA looks surprised as PAUL and TOM exit left)

MEGAN: Wow, Erika! We'd better get to work, too. (THEY exit left)

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