Sometimes people ask us why we are in Mexico and not someplace perceived more strategic in the missions field. Actually the real question they're asking is: Why aren't we serving in the "10/40 Window"? The 10/40 Window is a missions concept created by missiologist Luis Bush in 1990 of the eastern hemisphere located between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator, a general area that in 1990 was purported to have the highest level of socioeconomic challenges and least access to the Christian message and Christian resources on the planet.
The simpliest reason we can give for why we ourselves aren't in the 10/40 Window is that God has not called us to be there. In fact, I would argue that most American missionaries, due to socio-political factors, would have pretty limited success there anyway based on the fact that they are from the United States. That being said, the part of the world where the 10/40 Window lies may be more open to other races and cultures - other postcolonial cultures rather than receive further "colonizer" influence (The US & Europe). Our job, simply put, is to train up Mexican and other international missionaries. These non-white, non-American missionaries can get into places where we can't. God has given them favor with other cultures that we don't have. This is a tough thing to accept for many Americans who still believe the rest of the world loves us!
And Latin America is beginning to produce and disciple quality missionaries to other cultures. In the foto below are a Mexican couple and their infant daughter who are serving in a Muslim country in the Middle East. They are the reason we're in Mexico!
This is a growing trend and an amazing reality. I don't think most people realize that other countries send missionaries beside the US. They do and many are being called to the 10/40 window.
Posted by: Grady Bauer | 2009.08.27 at 06:38 PM