I read an interesting article on someone else's blog the other day. It was entitled "Why missionaries can never go home again?" A lot of what the writer said rang true for me as I read it. What do you say when someone says to you where is home? This is a question that has come up on many an occasion recently in our MAF Programme due to the influx of new International staff. It has been almost 20 years since I left my passport country of Scotland and in those, soon to be, 20 years I have lived in 4 countries. Almost half of my life has been lived out of my birth country so where is home?
I remember just this pass summer when I was "home" in Scotland. I went into purchase a couple of items in a well know shop. I needed some advice from the lady behind the counter. The lady was more than happy to help me and shared her thoughts on what to buy. However, the advice is only as good as you understand it. I only got about 70% of what she said and the rest I filled in. My ear had lost the knack of understanding someone from "home"
On occasion I have joked with someone and said that home is on the plane. It is that period in between the two places you have lived. Neither one is fully home but parts of them both make up home for us.
For those who know missionaries, support and pray for missionaries, who plan to visit a missionary, who want to encourage a missionary and understand them better then I encourge you to read this article.
It will give you insight into what goes on in the head of a missionary. Well, if you are brave enough to do that. :)
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