Many missionaries may be well intentioned, dedicated and wanting to serve, but also naive and in some denial about what it means to serve in another culture. Servanthood must be intentional because it is not natural. We are inclined to serve others from our own frame of reference, but then it is perceived as superiority. Servanthood is a conscious effort to choose one direction and one set of values over another. The first principle of servanthood is openness.  Openness is the ability to welcome people into your presence and make them feel safe.