Is a career in missions a life-long commitment?
If you do well on the mission field, we hope the Lord will keep you there for a long time. Most missionaries do their best work after 7-8 years in the host country. It takes time to develop ministry skills, language and culture fluency and the full confidence of national leaders. EFM requires two 3-year terms (six years total plus one more for language school if needed) for a career missionary. Normally a four-month furlough comes between these terms. (Modern travel and world culture now means that there are some fields, settings, and ministries where specialized services can be offered for shorter periods of time, but even these ministries are often greatly enhanced by a long term commitment.
