Before You Go: What You Need to Know Before Stepping in the Mission Field

So you sense the call of God on your life - but what do you do next?

Before You Go: A Guide to Missions is a practical and Spirit-led handbook for anyone stepping into missionary work for the first time. Written by Rev Dr Marcia E Neveu - a missionary with nearly three decades of experience serving in Ghana and beyond - this book bridges the gap between hearing God's call and actually answering it with confidence and preparation.

Drawing from her own journey of answered questions and hard-won lessons, Dr Neveu walks the reader through every critical dimension of missionary life: the spiritual qualifications that matter most, the types of missionary work available, the challenges of cross-cultural communication, and the practical steps to take before, during, and after a mission.

Whether you are heading to Africa, Asia, your own neighbourhood, or anywhere in between, this guide will help you count the cost, pack your bags, and go - equipped in both spirit and practice.

Inside you will find:

• A clear biblical foundation for missions and the missionary call
• An honest exploration of the personal qualities required - certainty, initiative, perseverance, flexibility, and passion for the Kingdom
• An overview of missionary types: homeland, overseas, evangelistic, and need-based
• A detailed look at the challenges of intercultural communication, liberation theology in mission, and the historical models that have shaped modern missionary practice
• Practical advice on research, paperwork, packing, safety, health, and insurance
• Guidance on what to do when you return home - including how to handle reverse culture shock
• The spiritual qualifications every missionary must develop: being born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, grounded in prayer, gifted for service, and marked by a servant heart
• Advice on training, joining a mission organisation, and building work that creates a lasting Kingdom impact

This is not theory. It is the voice of experience - warm, practical, and rooted in the Word - reaching back to take you by the hand and say: help is right here.

Whether you are a new believer sensing a stirring in your spirit, a church leader equipping the next generation of missionaries, or someone returning to the field after a season away, Before You Go will meet you where you are and move you forward.