THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 7, 1995 TAG: 9507060187
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
There's a sense of urgency you can feel inside the neatly kept townhouse on a quiet street off Constitution Drive. It's a sense of impending change.
It comes into focus when you talk to the occupants, the Masseys: Malcom, 40, Debbie, 42, and their two children, Brent, 12, and Eric, 6.
They are about to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
In August they will leave their home and virtually all the trappings of American middle-class life behind and set out for Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where Malcom and Debbie will serve as missionary associates of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Once there, Malcom will serve as a literature administrator, responsible for the distribution of Bibles and other Christian literature throughout the landlocked South American country.
``I have a feeling I'll be running the bookstore while he's out in the field,'' says Debbie, with a smile.
Signs of the impending departure are evident inside the Massey household. A three-sided folding poster display filled with pictures of the land that is soon to be their home dominates a dining room table. A mismatched collection of chairs and patio chairs sits in the living room, their regular furniture having already been packed or sold.
Though in this age it is possible to travel from one hemisphere to another in a matter of hours, the Masseys' journey of faith will take much longer. First they must spend seven weeks in Rockville, Va., outside Richmond, at the denomination's Missionary Learning Center. Then, after a detour through El Paso, Texas, where the literature they will distribute is printed, it is on to San Jose, Costa Rica, where they will attend language school for a year to become fluent in Spanish.
The appointment is for four years; that leaves three years in Bolivia. Then it's back to the United States for a year. After that, the appointment is renewable.
``Unless there is something concerning the children, or a matter of health, I don't have any doubt in my mind we'll return (to Bolivia),'' Malcom says assuredly. ``I feel it'll be OK.''
Still, such change isn't easy. Malcom, who formerly worked in the hospitality industry, is leaving a job as a buyer for Taylor's Do-It Centers, a local hardware chain. Debbie, a former teacher who then worked in real estate with such success that she won trips to the Bahamas, has most recently been a senior marketing executive.
Even more difficult is leaving friends and family. Debbie's parents live next door. She has two sisters in Norfolk, where Malcom's mother and brother live, too. They are publishing a newsletter to keep friends and well-wishers apprised of developments and needs. In addition to prayers, the newsletter mentions household items they need before departure because most will be unavailable in Bolivia.
The Masseys, active members of First Baptist Church of Norfolk, say they felt for some time that something like this lay before them.
Debbie had a hunch it involved Costa Rica because, as she explains, ''the name just kept coming up.''
They were both drawn to mission work at the same time, although Malcom was the first to broach the subject as a serious possibility. The Masseys began checking with the Foreign Mission Board in Richmond but were told that what they were looking for was unlikely to open up. For one thing, missionaries aren't being sent to Costa Rica, which is now sending out its own.
When the opportunity arose to serve in Bolivia, they both felt it was what they'd been seeking. To hear them describe it, even matter-of-factly, is to sense their certainty of God's calling. They were approved Feb. 14 and appointed April 28. They will be the 26th and 27th Southern Baptist missionaries serving in Bolivia.
The children mirror their parents' excitement and apprehensions about the mission field.
``I have mixed feelings,'' confides Brent, speaking with a maturity that belies his years. ``I don't really want to leave family and friends.'' But, he adds, sounding like a 12-year-old boy again, ``I do want to see the rain forest and get to scuba dive!''
Brent also says he's anxiously awaiting the physical education part of missionary training in Rockville, as one of the instructors is a former trainer for the Dallas Cowboys. He is clearly anticipating the adventure as is younger brother Eric, who understands the family is about to take a long trip. Eric has already asked if he can have a monkey for a pet.
In Costa Rica and Bolivia the boys will attend Christian schools with an international mix of students, with instruction offered in English.
The family is preparing for dormitory-style living in Rockville, with private sleeping quarters but living areas shared with three other families. In South America, they will make their own living arrangements. They won't have a car, of little use anyway because of the few paved roads, but will have the use of four-wheel drive vehicles belonging to the mission, similar to the Isuzu Trooper they are selling to a neighbor and leaving behind. In Costa Rica, they'll also become accustomed to living without television.
They are small sacrifices, though, compared to what the Masseys expect to receive from the experiences in a foreign land.
``I used to tell people when I was in hotel work that there is something more I'm supposed to be doing,'' Malcom says. ``God was telling me to feed his sheep, but I didn't know what it meant.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
The Masseys - Malcom, holding 6-year-old Eric; Debbie and
12-year-old Brent - will leave their Virginia Beach home in August
and set out for Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where Malcom and Debbie will
serve as Southern Baptist missionaries.
by CNB