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Margaret鈥檚 Mission

From the Preface

Margaret Doorenbos begins her story in 1965 when her family arrived on the little desert island of Bahrain. I remember well the moment the Doorenbos family joined the Arabian Mission, in what we called 鈥渢he field.鈥�

The lives of the Doorenboses and Heusinkvelds became closely intertwined as we shared the kinship that missionaries develop. My father and Harvey were professional colleagues and assigned to the same mission stations (Bahrain and Oman). In addition, my father oversaw the Arabic-language school that Margaret and Harvey attended, and our families both vacationed in Kodaikanal, India, where we mishkids went to school.

Margaret accurately portrays life in the Arabian Mission: the struggles facing missionary kids; the pain of sending children off to boarding school; the challenge of learning Arabic; the exhilaration of a life of purpose; the pleasure of being part of the great missionary movement and philanthropic service to our fellow humans; the camaraderie of the missionary community; the sadness of long separations from family and relatives; the anxiety of having our lives severely impacted by political turmoil and revolutions; the apprehension associated with being forced to leave a country we had called home; the joy of seeing God鈥檚 grace at work; the awakening realization of the inherent value of every life; the wonder of witnessing nations advancing from the Middle Ages into the twentieth century; the trial of having limited contact with individuals from one鈥檚 own cultural heritage; the daily challenge of being immersed in another culture; the witness, firsthand, of having an impact on people in dire need; the struggle of sometimes having no clear answers for dealing with strange situations in different cultures and languages and religions; the reward of saving thousands of lives; the growing understanding that one is desperately needed, while at the same time regarded with ambivalence; the wonder of venturing into the unknown; the gratitude of seeing lives transformed by healthcare and education and spiritual connection; the grim reality of suffering devastating personal tragedies; and the experience of utter joy and celebration in committing and recommitting oneself, throughout one鈥檚 life, to the wellbeing of others.

In this book, Margaret describes her adventures in refreshingly candid detail, providing authentic views into the missionary lifestyle, giving a flavor of both the mundane day-to-day events, as well as the unusual ones. In her diaries and letters home, she provides a vivid depiction of life in the mission field, and these sources form the backbone of the story that follows. She is a keen observer of a large swath of the recent past in the Middle East and Africa. In her writing, there is history, drama, success, failure, good times and not-so-good times, incredible challenges, and amazement at both the goodness and the darkness that humankind is capable of. This is what life is about.

Margaret writes during the closing days of the great missionary era, which I, as a child, assumed was permanent and would never end. In the new world order, the missionary calling has not ended, but its character has changed dramatically; its new form is virtually unrecognizable from what I experienced in my youth. Thus, Margaret鈥檚 sojourn describes a world of mission that is no more. Her insightful journey into a bygone era informs, entertains, and touches our hearts, minds, and souls.

Margaret takes us into a world parallel to our own; a world where the people of Arabia, Africa, India, and indeed most of humankind reside; a world mostly unknown from our western vantage point. By entering this parallel world, we gain understanding, compassion, and respect not only for that world but also for our own. It is a priceless journey.