Ask the Experts: World Humanitarian Day

On World Humanitarian Day, we recognize the faithful men and women who risk their lives to serve those in need. We also pause to consider how many are suffering and in need. 

At Unto our humanitarians are also missionaries, brave partners who bring help and the message of hope to those in need. Recently, our Vice President of Field Operations, Clint McClure, sat down to share about how God is working around the world and how each of us can pray for missionaries and those they serve.

Unto: How does humanitarian work help people flourish, even in challenging circumstances?

Clint: When most people think of humanitarian work, I imagine that they picture crisis relief — handouts of food, clothing or clean water. When a family loses everything to a disaster or conflict, meeting these immediate needs is an appropriate and tangible expression of God’s love.

But at Unto, we look beyond the emergency. We want to help communities succeed in the long run, whether that means drilling a well for long-term clean water or training families to grow food on their own land to supplement their diets and their incomes.

We want to remove the burden of hunger or thirst, not only to relieve physical suffering, but also to create a path for people to experience the hope of Christ. It is hard to absorb a message about God’s love when you are wondering where your next meal will come from. Meeting practical needs allows people to see and feel God’s love before they ever hear the message spoken.

Unto: How does humanitarian work create spaces where the message of Jesus can also flourish and spread?

Clint: Humanitarian work creates space for the message of Jesus in two ways. It creates space for the message and the messenger. 

First, it creates space in the hearts of the people receiving help. When someone is in the middle of a famine, it can be difficult to hear about the love of God. That is not because the message of Jesus is not enough, but because suffering has a way of consuming a person’s attention.  Aid is one demonstration of God’s kindness. As Paul said in Romans, “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance” (2:4). 

Second, humanitarian work often creates space for the messenger. I have seen local pastors and church planters spend years trying to build trust in communities where they were viewed with suspicion because they were outsiders or followers of Jesus. But meeting a tangible need changes the conversation. People begin asking, “Why are you doing this?” An act of service opens doors that may have been closed for years. Humanitarian work does not just create opportunities for the message of Jesus to be heard; it creates opportunities for the messenger to be welcomed. And once those relationships are established, hope in Christ can be shared long after the project is complete.

Unto: You spent about 25 years as a missionary in the field. Can you talk about how God is working in the world, especially in tough places and challenging areas?

Clint: One of the greatest privileges of my time in the field and at Unto has been seeing God at work in places most of us will never visit. I have had the opportunity to watch His kingdom grow in areas where, humanly speaking, it seems like it should not. We often see headlines about conflict, political instability or natural disasters. What we do not see are the stories of men and women faithfully following Jesus in those very same places, often at tremendous personal risk. They are showing up, meeting needs and sharing hope.

God is not caught off guard by human suffering. He is not limited by difficult governments, wars or disasters. In fact, some of the most vibrant and faithful Christians I have ever encountered have been in places where following Jesus costs the most. The light of Jesus stands in sharp contrast to the darkness around it, and God continues to raise up believers who are proclaiming Jesus faithfully. The Great Commission has always been His mission, and He is accomplishing it.

Unto: What are some of the biggest challenges missionaries on the field face right now?

Clint: Leaving your home country to serve cross-culturally is never easy. Missionaries today face many of the same challenges they have always faced — learning a new language and culture, building trust and faithfully serving over the long haul, often while raising a family. But in many ways, those challenges have intensified. 

The places where missionaries are most needed are not easy places. They are the places where the government or the majority religion is strongly opposed to the growth of the church and where following Jesus comes with real personal risk for both missionaries and local believers. On top of that, these tough places often see political instability, armed conflict or natural disasters, which can change ministry almost overnight. In many of these areas, missionaries are charged with continually finding wise, creative ways to live out and share their faith despite the challenging context. 

Then there are the personal challenges that do not make headlines. Living far from family, carrying the weight of difficult situations, raising children in another culture and faithfully serving year after year when ministry fruitfulness is slow can be emotionally and spiritually exhausting. 

That is why missionaries need the prayers and encouragement of the church. They are not super-Christians. They are people who have said “yes” to a calling and depend on God’s strength to walk in it daily.

Unto: How can we be praying for missionaries serving in tough places? How can we also pray for those they are serving?

Clint: Many of the ways we can pray for missionaries flow naturally from the challenges they face. Pray that they would remain rooted in Christ, have wisdom as they navigate difficult situations and have the courage and endurance to faithfully serve over the long haul. Pray for protection, not only physical safety, but protection for their families, their marriages and their walks with Jesus. 

In the areas where missionaries serve, pray that God would draw people to Himself. Pray for believers who are living under persecution, that they would remain faithful and rooted in hope. 

One thing I have witnessed over the years is that God seems to do some of His most stunning work in the most difficult places. So while I certainly pray for His protection and provision, I do not always pray for the hardship itself to disappear. Instead, I pray that God would sustain His people in the midst of it, that the church would stand in stark contrast to the world around it and that many would come to know Christ because of their faithful witness.