Why Sending Agencies Should Use Base 1520: Revolutionizing Frontier Missions
For decades, mission-sending agencies have prepared missionaries spiritually, theologically, and culturally—but one area has been critically overlooked: physical and mental resilience.
Many missionaries arrive on the field spiritually strong but physically unprepared for the extreme demands of frontier missions. The result? Burnout, preventable health failures, and missionaries leaving the field too soon.
Base 1520 is changing that.
We don’t just train missionaries for spiritual endurance—we prepare them physically, mentally, and emotionally to endure the hardships of frontier missions.
The Critical Gap in Missionary Preparation
Most missionary training programs focus on:
✔ Theological education – Knowing the Gospel and how to share it.
✔ Cultural adaptation – Learning languages, customs, and effective evangelism strategies.
✔ Spiritual preparation – Deepening faith, spiritual disciplines, and reliance on God.
These are essential, but there’s one major issue:
🚨 Most missionaries are physically and mentally unprepared for the demands of the mission field.
- Many missionaries arrive deconditioned and struggle with fatigue, illness, and burnout.
- Harsh conditions—high altitudes, extreme heat, or long treks—can cripple ministry efforts within weeks.
- Mental resilience is often assumed, not trained, leading to high dropout rates when culture shock, persecution, or isolation sets in.
A 2019 study by the Journal of Psychology and Theology found that 72% of missionaries experience significant stress-related health problems on the field. Among the most common were chronic fatigue, anxiety, and gastrointestinal issues—many of which could be mitigated with proper physical preparation.
Dr. Lois Dodds, a leading expert on missionary health, wrote in her book Missionary Care: Counting the Cost for World Evangelization,
“The heartbreak of missions is not that people refuse to go; it’s that many who do go are unable to stay. They leave due to exhaustion, stress-related illness, or preventable health problems.”
Sending agencies invest years of training and financial support into missionaries, only to see them return home prematurely due to preventable physical and mental breakdowns.
Base 1520 is revolutionizing the way we prepare missionaries, ensuring they are ready for the real-world demands of frontier missions.
The Base 1520 Solution: Preparing Missionaries for the Physical and Mental Demands of the Field
Our mission is clear:
“We exist for the advancement of the Gospel to the unreached and unengaged through the physical and mental preparation of the believer.”
We bridge the gap between spiritual readiness and physical/mental resilience by equipping missionaries with:
1. Physical Training for the Mission Field
✔ Strength & Endurance Training – Missionaries may have to walk miles daily, carry supplies, and endure harsh climates. Our training builds functional strength and endurance for real-world mission work.
✔ Injury Prevention & Mobility – Common injuries (back pain, knee issues, fatigue) can end a mission. Our mobility and injury prevention training keeps missionaries strong for the long haul.
✔ Resilience in Extreme Conditions – Whether it’s high-altitude trekking in Nepal, scorching heat in the Middle East, or humid jungles in Southeast Asia, we train missionaries to thrive, not just survive.
Dr. David Pothier, a missionary physician with SIM, states:
“Many missionaries are physically unprepared for the realities of their new environment. Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and injuries are some of the top reasons missionaries end up in field hospitals within their first year.”
2. Mental Toughness & Psychological Resilience
✔ Training for Persecution & Isolation – Many missionaries face loneliness, rejection, and danger.We train mental toughness and emotional endurance for long-term faithfulness.
✔ Stress Inoculation & Crisis Training – Preparing for hardships before they happen makes missionaries more resilient in the field.
✔ Survival & Situational Awareness – In high-risk areas, knowing how to avoid danger, navigate tough environments, and handle emergencies is critical.
A study published in the International Bulletin of Missionary Research found that 80% of missionaries who left the field early cited mental strain and stress as a major factor.
Dr. Marjory Foyle, a psychiatrist and former missionary, warns in Honoring the Missionary Call,
“Spiritual passion is not enough. If missionaries are not mentally prepared for stress, culture shock, and personal hardship, their long-term effectiveness is at risk.”
3. Nutrition & Health Strategies for Missionaries
✔ Sustaining Nutrition in Remote Locations – Learning how to maintain energy levels and healtheven when food options are scarce.
✔ Hydration & Recovery Strategies – Missionaries often underestimate how much dehydration and poor recovery impact their effectiveness.
✔ Disease Prevention & Immune Support – Strengthening the body to withstand sickness and infection in foreign environments.
“Poor nutrition and dehydration are silent killers in missions. You won’t see them immediately, but they weaken the body, slow the mind, and ultimately hinder Gospel work.” — Dr. Greg Seager, author of When Healthcare Hurts
Why Sending Agencies Should Partner with Base 1520
Most mission-sending agencies acknowledge the physical and mental challenges of missions but don’t have the resources or expertise to address them. That’s where Base 1520 comes in.
Our partnership provides:
✔ Mission-Ready Training – Pre-field missionaries complete our Base 1520 training program, ensuring they arrive physically and mentally prepared.
✔ Custom Training for Specific Mission Fields – We tailor fitness, survival, and mental resilience training for specific locations and challenges.
✔ Ongoing Fitness & Health Support – Missionaries can continue training remotely through the Base 1520 app, maintaining fitness and resilience while in the field.
The result? Missionaries who last longer, stay healthier, and serve more effectively.
Dr. David Garrison, a missiologist and author of Church Planting Movements, put it simply:
“Missionaries who are physically strong and mentally prepared last longer in the field. And the longer they stay, the greater their impact.”
The Call to Action: A New Era of Missionary Preparation
🚨 It’s time for mission agencies to recognize that physical and mental resilience is not optional—it’s essential.
We are calling on sending agencies, churches, and mission organizations to partner with Base 1520 and equip their missionaries for the full reality of frontier missions.
✔ Train your missionaries to endure.
✔ Prepare them for the physical and mental challenges ahead.
✔ Ensure they last for the long haul.
Let’s revolutionize the way we send missionaries—so that more workers can stay in the harvest, reach the unreached, and finish the race well.
💪 Be Fit. Be Faithful. Be Fearless. Be Base 1520.
