Come Work with Sowers4Pastors in Honduras!

 

Not everyone has the opportunity to create a sort of Help Wanted ad for their own replacement. Trish is doing just that. It’s not that she’s going anywhere, but it is time for her to pass the torch when it comes to some of her duties. This is partly because she already has more duties than she can fit into her workdays.

Wanted: Someone a lot like Trish, but younger!

What sort of person would be the right fit? Well, let’s put it this way. As a child, Trish was very drawn to missions. She was drawn to the excitement and importance of serving with her whole life, in a foreign land. She considered it to be the most amazing thing a Christian could do! But when she read stories about bold people in dangerous situations, the bookish introvert didn’t exactly see a lot of parallels between herself and the people braving jungles on a regular basis. She considered herself to be a most unlikely candidate for the mission field. But there she is!

Trish said, “We are looking for someone with a heart for spreading the Gospel, building God's Kingdom, and serving the poor, who doesn’t necessarily have that physical, extrovert kind of skill set. We are needing someone happy to work behind the scenes. This is not someone who should expect to be in all of the pictures, receiving hugs from the kids in villages. It's not what you think of as the typical missionary job. When people come down for a week and fall so in love with the fun of playing with kids and visiting homes that they want to do an internship, it can be kind of disappointing for them to be asked to do data entry. We are looking for someone who can embrace the behind-the-scenes part of the job and recognize the importance of it. I am inside, away from the action almost 100% of the time - but the ministry work absolutely relies upon my efforts. The ideal candidate needs to be comfortable with that. If someone desires to also go out and do more direct ministry work part of the time that is an option, but office work would be their primary responsibility.”

The view from Trish's office window

Ideal Candidate Resume Bullet Points

• Strong math skills – That doesn’t mean that there’s a need for calculus and trigonometry. However, the candidate should be very comfortable working with numbers in a basic, accounting sort of way.

• Basic computer skills – The job requires doing things back and forth with Google Drive, Excel spreadsheets, and the like. If the person is comfortable with more advanced aspects of internet work - like updating information or making design changes on websites, etc - that would certainly be a plus.

• Flexibility – No, not the sort of flexibility required in yoga. Sowers4Pastors needs someone able to go with the flow when their schedule is interrupted. Which it will be. Regularly.

• Strong writing skills – This job requires being able to write grammatically correct emails and messages back and forth with donors and sponsors.

• Self-motivated – In the beginning, Trish will work with the new person to get them started. After a reasonable training period, the individual needs to make their own schedule and stay on top of their own responsibilities.

• Willingness to relocate – Even though most of the work could theoretically be done remotely, there are many reasons it is preferable to be in Honduras. Being on the scene allows for a sort of involvement you can’t achieve in a different location. It would also be difficult to raise support as a missionary while living in the States. This is not a salaried position and people are more likely to support a missionary in a different country. Plus, it is also significantly cheaper to live in Honduras.

• Habla español – The ideal candidate should know at least a smattering of Spanish. S4P will be looking for someone willing to take Spanish lessons either before or after arrival. Fluency would be fabulous but isn’t a requirement. Knowing no Spanish at this time would not rule a candidate out, however.

• Maintain confidentiality – Since this position does involve working behind the scenes, dealing with private information about donors and donations, it is imperative that the person in this role be trustworthy and discrete.

• Strong attention to detail – No one wants someone with a less than stellar accuracy rate working on data entry, accounting, and office communication. 

• Strong work ethic – There will not be a supervisor standing over the new person’s shoulder. S4P is very clear in their expectations. They put it all out there in regard to what needs to happen and when it needs to happen, and the Sowerses and their staff work until the work is done, when necessary. We also try to make sure there is reasonable rest and down-time. (Having another person on staff would definitely help with that!)

• Strong Christian looking to make a difference – S4P is looking for someone who wants to be a pivotal part in an international ministry. While it isn’t a flashy job, it is a vitally important one. References will be checked and S4P will be looking for someone with an active church involvement. 

• Someone looking for a long-term position – The ideal candidate should arrive with every intention of sticking around for a while, as this isn’t a temporary position. There isn’t an age requirement, but the right person for this job should have a combination of maturity and a willingness to grow. There's a lot to learn about the computer system the ministry uses, and the training time will only make sense if the worker is choosing this as a long-term position.

• Would be interested in a married couple – It would be wonderful to find a married couple who is interested in a life on the mission field. Realizing that different people have different skill sets, there are plenty of ways that a spouse could potentially fit into the ministry work.

What’s in it for the chosen candidate?

Gracias is located in a quiet, peaceful, and reasonably safe part of Honduras. The beautiful mountain region has a climate that is much cooler than what is generally expected in the tropics. It is a friendly, welcoming community, great for families with children. There is also a nice community of gringo teachers who arrive each year to teach in the local bi-lingual schools. And, of course, it is the opportunity to make a difference sharing God's love internationally, even if you don’t possess the kinds of traits found in books about typical missionaries. 

The Sowerses would love to talk to you about the possibilities and challenges (including fund raising) . . . and what they can do to help you move into an overseas position. Please reach out to Trish at trish @ sowers4pastors.com.

 - posted by Christi