Accepting the call to the mission field requires sacrifice. I knew that going in. What I didn’t understand, however, was that some of those sacrifices would be completely unexpected.

We have come to realize we may not be able to take Barnabas with us in this missionary journey. The first blow came when we discovered pitbulls are on the banned breed list in the UK. Still, we clung to hope, deciding we would have him DNA tested to see—if by some miracle—he was not actually a pitbull. We have seen others who looked like our sweet mutt but were a blend of other breeds. So, we thought maybe God would work that out.

But, as we’ve begun our deputation journey, we’re coming to the conclusion that this is not going to work well with Barnabas. As you know, he doesn’t deal well with our absence, which is going to be a problem when we have to be away from home for longer stretches of time. That being the case, Jason and I discussed the possibility of taking him with us on our trips, but that idea was soon squashed when we found out many of the campgrounds and RV parks also have rules concerning pitbulls. Along with a few other breeds, they’re not allowed.

This leaves us with a heartbreaking decision. What do we do? We seem to be the only ones who actually want Barnabas, yet it’s looking more and more like we’re not going to be able to keep him. We hate the fact of turning him in to the animal shelter because they will probably have to put him down at his first sign of aggression, which, in his case is how he deals with his anxiety. And no one else has shown any interest in having him because few have had the opportunity to see his good side. They only know the reputation of pitbulls in general and the panic-stricken pup who acts out when he doesn’t know what else to do. They can’t see the precious, loving canine who is only looking to be loved and understood.

I write this today for two reasons. First off, I ask you to pray that God will give us direction in knowing how to handle this situation. We need to do what’s best for us but also what’s best for Barnabas. He is one of God’s creatures too, and he needs someone to stand up for him, to love him and try to understand him. We want to do that. Giving him up would be like giving up a part of our hearts, but above all, we have to follow God’s will. So, please help us pray for guidance and answers.

Secondly, I wanted this to serve as a reminder to all of us to be careful to not slap labels on people. We should never make others feel unwanted because of their gender, nationality, skin color, occupation, or anything else. We shouldn’t judge people according to stereotypes and assume that, because one is bad, they must all be bad. And, we must understand that sometimes what we see as aggression or defensiveness is really just a cry for help from someone who is scared and misunderstood. In other words, we need to care more and spend more time practicing the love of Jesus. That doesn’t mean we excuse or accept immoral behavior, but it means we look beyond the sin to try and reach the sinner. There are many out there who won’t know how to live any differently unless someone takes the time and effort to show them the way. Will you be that one?