Rees Many serves at Tenwek Hospital with her parents, Heath and Angela. As the Many family prepared to serve in medical ministries in Kenya, they went through a series of transitions that are normal for the missionary lifestyle. Rees shares with us what packing up your home and moving overseas feels like for a missionary kid.
Moving from one country to another can create a sense of both happiness and sadness. I experienced these contrasting emotions when our family moved from America to Kenya. One enjoyable occurrence during our move was discovering what our house looked like with nothing in it. When it came time to go to the airport, I felt incredibly excited! We would land in our new home in 24 hours! Upon arriving at the airport in Nairobi, I became so joyful. When we got to Tenwek, I made new friends I could play with every day!
But even though moving was very enjoyable, it also brought sadness. Because I had to give away some of my special things, it became emotionally tough to pack our belongings. Once we reached Tenwek, we could not have a house of our own until after our first two years here. Living in a house belonging to others made Tenwek feel less like home.
The most difficult aspect of moving was leaving my best friends. Three hard months passed before I made new ones. Moving from one country to another creates paradoxical feelings. Though moving felt happy and sad, I love it here in Kenya, and I am glad that it's my home.
PRAY: Pray for missionary kids like Rees who are both happy and sad about the missionary calling their family has. Pray that God will bless them with feelings of home and great friends to enjoy the journey with.
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