(Written by Ruth Barz, Mental Health Therapist and Missionary Mom. Photo: Mission Partner Sarah in Taiwan with her parents.)
You probably still remember where you were when your loved one told you they were thinking seriously about going overseas to serve as a missionary with Mission of Christ Network.
Maybe this had been a conversation you had with them numerous times and you were excited that they made this decision to join Jesus on His mission. Perhaps it was the first time you heard about this person’s decision to move far away from you. Or it even may have been a conversation you had before, but your heart sank as your loved one told you of their decision.
As a parent of three children, two of whom went overseas to serve with MCN, I can relate to all the above scenarios. There are so many questions and a lot of different emotions all at once. Your mind may be swirling with thoughts such as “this is not what I was expecting in this person’s future”; or “will he or she be safe there?”; “I need them to stay here and help me take care of things” ; “I feel like I am losing them”; “we have not been close for awhile and now they will be SO far away and I worry about being emotionally close again.” If it means your grandchildren will be moving to another country, your heart may be breaking with the realization that you will not be able to be physically around them very much as they grow. If it is your parents, or an aunt or uncle moving overseas, you may be sad they will be missing out on large parts of your life or those of your children.
As real and confusing as the above thoughts and feelings are, here are four reasons why this experience will help you grow and will expand your world.
- First and most important is that any big change, and maybe especially those changes we are not sure about, are the ones that drive us to our knees in prayer and cause us to become more dependent on our Heavenly Father. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This is true for us, and it is true for our loved one going to another country. Then in Psalm 62:5-8 we read, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
- Here God is inviting us to “pour out our hearts to Him.” So, you can tell God about all your fears, concerns, joys, and hopes, and He will hear. In addition, He promises that we can trust Him even when we don’t understand the ending. Depending on God will grow your faith, be an encouragement to your loved one going overseas, and expand your prayer life. As I prayed for my children overseas and for the specific prayer requests they gave me, I got to rejoice with my children when we saw God’s answer to prayer.
- Your vision of the world and the church will be expanded. You will learn about how God is moving around the world and what the church looks like in other countries, and you will realize the bigger plans of God’s salvation. This may also give you an opportunity to travel to other parts of the world and hear how God is a work. What joy to know you will meet people in heaven who are there because your loved one was part of God’s plan to work faith in the hearts of others! When my husband and I worshiped with Christians in Asia over Christmas, it gave us a glimpse of what it will be like to worship in eternity with brothers and sisters from around the world.
- You may work harder at staying connected with your loved one(s). As you work at communicating with your overseas family member, you may find yourself being more intentional in asking them about their life, in telling them about yours, and in expressing your love and concern. You may find that sharing prayer requests with one another becomes more intentional. Sometimes, when family members are far away, we realize that we cannot take those relationships for granted, and you may find yourself working harder to stay connected than you would if they were in the same town.
- You will become more aware of God’s mission which calls you to mission work right where you are. You may find yourself realizing that God’s desire that “all be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4) means each of us is to live our lives being willing to “give an answer for the reason of the hope we have in Christ” (1 Peter 3:15).
This is not an exhaustive list of how you may grow or have your world expanded when a loved one answers God’s call to mission work, but it is a good start.
I invite you to lean on the Lord while you welcome the changes He is bringing because your child, parent, aunt, uncle, friend, sibling has decided to serve as a missionary.
