A Pair of Ducks

Ned McGrady, Member Health
April-June 2016

Webster’s dictionary defines paradox as “a statement or proposition seemingly self-contradictory or absurd, and yet expressing a truth.” Much of life is filled with paradox and this is certainly true in missionary life.

Member Health at World Gospel Mission assists missionaries in expressing the seemingly contradictory realities of what they have faced as missionaries serving in a foreign country. When they return to the United States for homeland ministry assignment, we offer a Renewal Retreat during which we encourage missionaries to speak to us “in paradox.” Transitioning to serve in their host country often comes with a reality that what they may have expected is different from the reality that they have actually experienced. 

Marlene and I went to Ecuador with the idea of serving as pastors to missionaries in that part of the world. First, we went to language school for eight months in Costa Rica prior to moving to Ecuador. As we wrestled with learning Spanish, I remember saying, “At least we are going as pastors to missionaries and not planting a church.”

God moved during our term in Ecuador and, yes, we did do pastoral ministry in 12 countries. But God also showed up in unexpected ways, and He planted a church in our own home. Preaching all those sermons in Spanish was one of the hardest challenges I’d ever faced. But we rejoice today, knowing that God had a plan for a church in the heart of the Andes Mountains. 

The reality of paradox is sometimes much greater and much more positive than what may be expected, and sometimes it is far different or much harder than what was expected. Renewal Retreat at WGM is an opportunity to allow our missionaries to explain their experience in a way that enables them to stay on both sides at the same time. We work with our missionaries to allow them to voice seemingly contradictory statements about their transition experiences without weakening one or the other. Our MKs receive this same opportunity as they use a “Yay Duck” and a “Yuck Duck” (Get it? A pair of ducks!) to tell what their experience was like as they transition back to their home country.  

You have probably experienced some transitions with paradox for sure. Share with a pastor, a friend, or a coworker your “Yay” experiences and your “Yuck” experiences. It will equip you to move forward in the work God has called you to do.

It’s time to set up your “Yay Duck” and “Yuck Duck” meeting with a friend or spiritual mentor. Grab the phone and your calendar and set up a coffee date for this month.

Prayer Calendar June 26-30,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

"Webster’s dictionary defines paradox as “a statement or proposition seemingly self-contradictory or absurd, and yet expressing a truth.” Much of life is filled with paradox and this is certainly true in missionary life..."

Pray for Member Health team members who help missionaries through times of transition and renewal. p. 9

From Teacher to Counselor and Missionary

Jodi Brumbaugh, Volunteer, Uganda
April-June 2016

The 2012-2013 school year started out like any other. I was teaching middle school science in a local school in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After a month or two, I thought I could see myself staying there for many years.

A few months later, God began to place on my heart another call. He was calling me to get my master’s degree in mental health counseling. My heart was torn. I had wanted to be a teacher ever since I was in the fifth grade. I loved teaching and working with my students.

But God kept bringing this idea of being a counselor into my heart and mind. I asked God and myself, Why? Deep down, I knew. God had taken me on my own journey of healing my past, and now He was going to use me in others’ journeys. I realized then that God doesn’t waste pain. Finally, in the spring of 2013, I sent my application to Grace College. I was accepted and started on this new journey.

Throughout my time at Grace College, God confirmed that I was right where I was supposed to be. I did not have to give up working with teenagers. My internship was at a residential facility for teenagers, where I was able to work with this population in a different way. My years as a teacher have enhanced what I do as a counselor. But God had even bigger plans than taking me from a teacher to a counselor!

Two weeks before I started at Grace, God used missionaries to lead me to Uganda. For my advanced internship, I spent almost four months counseling in Uganda. Through my time there, God called me into missions. As a teacher, I saw the tip of the iceberg when it comes to heartbreak. As a counselor, I walk through the trenches with others. God is the One doing the redeeming as He did in my life. I’ve seen people go from hopeless to hopeful, their joy fully restored! 

Serve God overseas and earn college credit through Volunteers In Action. Discover if serving as a VIA participant is for you! 

Prayer Calendar June 19-25,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call blog:

"The 2012-2013 school year started out like any other. I was teaching middle school science in a local school in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After a month or two, I thought I could see myself staying there for many years.

 

A few months later, God began to place on my heart another call."

Prayer Calendar:

Pray for missionaries like Jodi Brumbaugh whom God has led to make career or ministry change. p. 5

Maytag Mania!

Bonnie Gouge, Regional Director for South America and Iberia
April-June 2016


“May I help you with something?” the clerk at the store asked with a smile on his face. 

 

“I certainly hope so. I am looking for a washing machine. Do you have any models that are top loading and agitating?” was my quick, well-thought-out response. 

 

“No, I’m sorry, we don’t carry that style of machine. Most of our machines are European-style front-loading washers.”

 

I should have just hit the replay button instead of looking all over Córdoba, Argentina, for a top-loading agitating washing machine, because the reply was always the same. “No, we don’t carry that style of machine. But you should try one of our front-loading washers!”

 

I really did not want to try one of their nice front-loading European-style washing machines. I wanted my Maytag, or something similar—something that would wash clothes the right way! I was looking for something that was familiar, that would do the job right. 

 

After all, everyone knows that Maytag is the best! I would have even settled for a Brazilian model—at least it was top loading and would wash clothes the way they were meant to be washed. I was facing enough changes as I moved after 24 years in Bolivia to Argentina; surely I could at least stay within my comfort zone when I washed clothes! But, my sojourn through Córdoba soon revealed that top-loading washers, be they Maytag or Whirlpool or Brazilian, just were not to be found! Finally, after befriending all the appliance sales clerks around, I realized that I would just have to step out of my comfort zone and plunge right into a front-loading washing machine.

 

Finally, after days of searching and researching, my front-loading washer arrived! Hurray! Now, to put it to the test. 

 

Front-loading washers are not made to facilitate meddling. No adding clothes after the cycle has started. No pulling out those blue jeans to see if the grass stain is coming out or if it needs an extra scrub. Just set it up and let it go, trusting the machine to do the work. And…much to my surprise, it did the work without my meddling. And the clothes were actually cleaner—old stains my Maytag couldn’t touch seemed to disappear in the longer tumble wash cycle.  

 

Imagine that—I found that the new and different actually worked! My personal comfort zone and my way of doing things are not always the best. I learned that I can trust the new and the different and allow God to bring something better into my life.

Washing machines, doctor visits, grocery shopping—change stretches your comfort zone. Pray for missionaries who are going through transition and making major life changes, whether new missionaries adjusting to the field, or missionaries returning to the USA. Ask God to bring them peace and blessings as they trust in Him.

Embrace His Next Adventure

Emily Barlow, Missionary, Bolivia
April-June 2016

I like the familiar. Knowing what will happen next is comforting to me. So when God hinted that a change in ministry was coming, my first reaction was frustration, not excitement. I had been at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center (SCCLC), teaching, mentoring, and loving high school students since 2005. I couldn't imagine doing anything else; I didn't want to imagine doing anything else. But in 2011, for the first time, I began to feel disconnected from my ministry, and it scared me. What followed was a three-year process of prayer, trust, discovery, and frustration as God revealed that while I was staying at SCCLC, my ministry was becoming more than I had ever imagined. As I sought God's purpose, He changed me in three major ways so I could embrace His next adventure.

1. God deepened my heart. Being a teacher extended far beyond filling students with information. I mentored some of them on a weekly basis, went on retreats and camps with them as a counselor, hosted movie nights, and helped with fundraisers. I rejoiced in their victories, mourned with them in sorrow, listened, encouraged, and advised. That started to change in 2011. While I still had many students stopping by my room needing to talk, I also found that teachers, both new and experienced, came by to pray together, talk through ideas, or share frustrations. I discovered a new, growing love for the teachers. I rejoiced with them in victory, hurt with them over their pain and frustration, and counseled them to the best of my ability. I wanted them to experience victory, both in their professions and in their relationships.
2. God widened my vision. God soon took the desire to see teachers succeed and created a vision of how I should help make it happen. He had blessed me in the classroom. Now He wanted to use me to help other teachers see Him do the same for them. I wrestled with the idea of being principal because of my own inadequacies and because of how daunting of a task it is. I wanted to help SCCLC be the very best school it could be, both academically and spiritually, but I was scared I wouldn't be up to the task.
3. God strengthened my faith. So God reminded me once again that I'm a jar of clay filled up with a priceless treasure. He would do the work through me if I would only follow Him. As I took my perspective off my fears, the responsibilities, and the journey ahead and put my eyes back on my Creator, Sustainer, and Provider, I obeyed in faith. 

For the last 18 months I've been on homeland ministry assignment, planting seeds of missions and asking God to bring more teachers and partners in ministry. I completed my master’s degree in educational leadership to better prepare me for my new role as principal. As I write, I'm still uncertain what my next step will be, but I'm praying for God's perfect leading in His timing, just as He's led me from the beginning. I'm certain as my new ministry gets tough, I will have to revisit the lessons I've learned. But I'm also certain that with each relearning, my love will go deeper, my vision wider, and my faith stronger. When God is our true teacher and we are His true students, that's the inevitable, consistent result.

GIVE: Partner with Emily as she walks in obedience in this new adventure by supporting her with a monthly gift to her ministry. 

Prayer Calendar June 12-18,2016

Tomorrow on The Call blog:

"I like the familiar. Knowing what will happen next is comforting to me. So when God hinted that a change in ministry was coming, my first reaction was frustration, not excitement. I had been at Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center (SCCLC), teaching, mentoring, and loving high school students since 2005. I couldn't imagine doing anything else; I didn't want to imagine doing anything else. But in 2011, for the first time, I began to feel disconnected from my ministry, and it scared me. What followed was a three-year process of prayer, trust, discovery, and frustration as God revealed that while I was staying at SCCLC, my ministry was becoming more than I had ever imagined. As I sought God's purpose, He changed me in three major ways so I could embrace His next adventure."

Pray for Emily Barlow as she follows God's leading into a ministry of leadership. p. 21

Change + an Unchanging God

Barbara Pinkley, Missionary, Kenya
April-June 2016

Transition: “The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another; move, passage, transformation, handover.” 

Since July 1987 when Tenwek School of Nursing opened at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya, only two things have been constant: 1) Change and 2) an Unchanging God.

Transitions are rarely comfortable. They usually take a lot of work and sometimes seem impossible. But God has walked with us in our journey through transitions. Our program follows the Kenyan government curriculum, which trains nurses to be triple qualified as nurses, midwives, and community nurses, though our motto has an added focus to train them to “Care in Christ’s Name.” We have changed from a two-and-one-half–year enrolled level certificate program to a three-and-one-half–year registered level diploma program. Our location changed from a hospital ward basement to a beautiful setting next to Tenwek Hospital. At first, all of our teachers were missionaries, and now we are blessed to have Kenyan graduates of our school holding all the leadership roles.

Our yearly intake has changed from 16 per class to over 30 per class. Testing methods have varied but are still mainly short answer and essay plus practical and oral exams. Our library now has computers as well as books. Tenwek Hospital now has electronic charting. Our students have to be intentionally disciplined in their use of Facebook, the Internet, and mobile phones. We are now a testing center for twice-yearly national nursing board exams. Exam results are now released via the Internet to schools and via texting to students. Even our uniforms have changed. 

In the midst of transitions, God has been faithful: understanding our struggles, calming our hearts, directing, strengthening, and encouraging us. He has rejoiced with us and cheered us on. He has led many people like you to join us in prayer and support as together we join God in what He is doing. 

More students require more space to teach and accommodate students, more exams and assignments to mark, and more practical assessments. We need prayer for time management (for both students and teachers) in our busy schedules. We expect more future changes and know God will be there for us.

PRAY: Ask God to give the staff at Tenwek School of Nursing creative ideas and strength during transitions to effectively train even more nurses to “Care in Christ’s Name.” 

GIVE: Your financial gift can assist in building and remodeling classrooms and accommodations for our larger student body at Tenwek School of Nursing.

Prayer Calendar June 5-11,2016

Tomorrow on The Call blog:

Transition: “The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another; move, passage, transformation, handover.” 

Since July 1987 when Tenwek School of Nursing opened at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya, only two things have been constant: 1) Change and 2) an Unchanging God. 

Prayer Calendar:

Ask God to bless Tenwek School of Nursing as they train nurses to "Care in Christ's Name." p. 22

Unavoidable But Manageable

Twana Johnson, Retiree, Mexico
April-June 2016

Transition is a word we hear often as missionaries as we move back and forth between our fields of service and our home country. It’s unavoidable. However, I have learned that it is manageable.

When our oldest son was a senior in high school, we were privileged to go to an MK conference where we heard David Pollock speak on this subject. We are forever grateful for the insights he gave as he outlined the steps of transition.

One part that helped me the most as I have made the many transitions is what he called Building Your RAFT. It was an acronym for Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Thinking ahead. Each time we have moved since then, I have tried to do these four things.

1. Reconciliation means being intentional about reviewing relationships during the last period of time in a certain place and seeing if anything needed to be made right. Was there a thoughtless word or action that needed to be patched up? Had I neglected to do something that should have been done? Had I done all things possible to restore a broken relationship? Had I asked forgiveness or extended forgiveness? Was I leaving with a clear conscience? 
2. Affirmation means being intentional about letting people know how much you appreciate them and certain actions or qualities of those people. This is easier than reconciliation, yet often in the business of getting ready to leave, it is easily forgotten. For those left behind, it makes a difference to know they were appreciated. I learned that it was not just your friends that needed to hear this but also those who provide services in the places you frequent.
3. Farewells or saying goodbye. Farewells are painful, especially when family, dear friends, and coworkers are left behind. It’s much easier to just disappear and not go through the gut-wrenching goodbyes. Besides, I hate crying in front of people—red eyes, snotty nose, inability to speak—you get the picture. However, goodbyes are so important. I learned it is not just people, but we also need to say goodbye to places, pets, and even ministries or positions. If we don’t learn to say goodbye well, it is more difficult to say hello and develop good relationships in the new place. 
4. Thinking ahead means planning and looking to the future and to what may be in store for us. When we were leaving Bolivia after more than 20 years, I was so sad to be leaving a place so dear to me. God sent another missionary to help me realize the effect this was having on our children and on me. I could see only the negative and not the positive of the future assignment. I thank the Lord for that missionary’s insight. Once I started thinking ahead and trusting the Lord for the future, the leaving wasn’t as difficult. 

It’s been many years and many moves since that conference. Sometimes the RAFT has been a little leaky and the transitions haven’t been as smooth as I would have liked. But with the Lord’s help, He has helped me stay afloat. 

ACT: Are you anticipating a move in the near future? Who do you need to reconcile with? Who can you affirm? Don’t try to escape the farewell party. Savor every minute together and say what needs to be said. Remember to think ahead toward all that the Lord has in store for you as you walk in His steps.

Prayer Calendar May 29- June 4,2016

"Transition is a word we hear often as missionaries as we move back and forth between our fields of service and our home country. It’s unavoidable. However, I have learned that it is manageable.

When our oldest son was a senior in high school, we were privileged to go to an MK conference where we heard David Pollock speak on this subject. We are forever grateful for the insights he gave as he outlined the steps of transition."

Pray for recently retired missionaries who are resettling in the United States after a lifetime of service on the mission field. p.20

Transition: Grief

David Strong, Missionary, Peru
April-June 2016

Experiencing the loss of a loved one is one of the hardest transitions we face here on earth. The days and weeks that follow seem overwhelming at times. As believers, we do have the assurance, through our Lord, of everlasting life with Him in heaven after we transition out of this life. As friends and family members who have been left behind to begin a new normal, the encouraging word from a friend may be just what we need to carry us through our grief. Let me share with you a story of encouragement that was told to me by Mom, Leta Strong.

Connie (Strong) Nave, second child of Dean and Leta Strong(retired WGM missionaries from Kenya), went to her eternal home in heaven after battling cancer on December 22, 2014. The afternoon of Connie’s funeral, Dean and Leta decided to share some of the beautiful funeral flowers with Harold and Evelyn Harriman, retired WGM missionaries from Paraguay. The Harrimans now reside in a local nursing home. Dean and Leta Strong, Harold and Evelyn Harriman, and Connie all attended the same church in Gas City, Indiana. Even though the Harriman family and the Strong family served many years in the same organization, their paths didn't cross much until retirement.

As they interacted in the nursing home after Connie’s funeral, which the Harrimans weren't able to attend, Evelyn asked Leta how she was doing with the loss of her oldest daughter. Leta responded that it had been a long, hard day. Evelyn said, “Leta, we have both served ‘terms of service’ with WGM and we have also seen our kids off to ‘terms at boarding school.’ Can you look at this separation from Connie as just another ‘term,’ even though we don't know how long it will be? We have the assurance that you will see her again.” 

Leta felt that this was a concept she could embrace, based on life experiences with WGM. Time here on earth will pass quickly, but eternity in heaven is truly our goal. This, too, shall pass. That day, Evelyn offered an encouraging thought that Leta could cling to during her early hours of grief. 

Thank you, Evelyn, for sharing such a lovely concept with our family during those hard days. You were used by God to encourage our hearts.

ACT: Do you know someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one? Take time this week to ask them for coffee. You don’t need to have all the right answers. Truly, one of the best ways to help is to just be a good listener. 

Speed Bumps and Bruises

Cydil Waggoner, Missionary, Albania
April-June 2016

A fellow missionary friend described the crossing of cultures like walking into a different dimension. Judging motives and understanding rationales in our host culture require a different filter to comprehend. Everything feels warped; even the same temperature “feels” different.

Those differences are like virtual speed bumps that shake the whole mind and body to remind us to slow down and shift to a different way of thinking. If you know a speed bump is ahead, you can adjust your speed and minimize the impact. But if you hit it at full speed, watch out—passengers are going to get bruised.

I was supposed to be familiar with this road. I wasn't supposed to have “forgotten” so quickly that speed bumps were just around the corner. The United States was supposed to be our “home,” but I had already stood motionless in my kitchen trying to remember where to find a cereal spoon. But it wasn’t just a matter of misplaced silverware. I couldn’t figure out why it felt like everyone was disappointing me and acting contrary to my expectations.

We were asked by friends on both sides of the Atlantic about our time in America. How does one answer?

• Our nieces and nephews still remembered us.
• Air conditioning is amazing.
• Sweet corn was even better than I remembered.

By the time we hit the one-month mark of our homeland ministry assignment though, I was ready to return to Albania. I missed my friends, my routine, our ministry, and my own bedroom. But as time passed, I got subtly lulled back into our old American life. I could drive a car again. I could share my thoughts exactly the way I wanted without having to pick and choose from a limited pool of vocabulary in a second language. I could do all of my shopping with a minimum of stops, no stressing for parking, and 99 percent of the time I could find the product I wanted on the shelves (or available online).

Oh, did I mention air conditioning? And soft, fluffy towels?

So after the heartache of some goodbyes that are probably the last this side of eternity, not to mention the stress of an international trip and poor sleep for several consecutive nights, I might have hit some speed bumps upon landing here in good “ole” Shqiperia (Albania).

I had been so concerned with watching out for my children's transition that I didn't have my headlights pointed in front of me. 

Thankfully we're hitting our stride now. I'm feeling a bit more like myself again and the bruises aren't so tender.

PRAY: As a family, gather together this week and pray for the missionary you partner with. Ask God to help them if they feel the bruises of transition and for continued blessing and peace if the speed bumps of transition seem small right now.

Prayer Calendar May 22-28,2016

A fellow missionary friend described the crossing of cultures like walking into a different dimension. Judging motives and understanding rationales in our host culture require a different filter to comprehend. Everything feels warped; even the same temperature “feels” different.

Pray for missionaries on homeland ministry assignment. p. 19

He Directs My Path

---

Karen Rickel, Retiree, Honduras
April-June 2016

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” I learned this verse as a child, and it has encouraged me many times when unexpected changes have occurred in my life. Whether I have faced a change in my ministry, such as a new assignment, or a personal crisis, such as an illness or family concerns, I’ve found my faith growing stronger when I remember that God is in control. That has never been truer than it is now when I am in the United States on a medical leave rather than in Honduras.

I was diagnosed with uterine cancer in November 2011. I came to the U.S. for treatment, which included surgery, chemo, and radiation. By the fall of 2012, I was able to return to Honduras believing that, other than having frequent checkups to be sure everything was fine, my cancer battle was over. So when a biopsy in October 2013 confirmed a diagnosis of stage four metastatic uterine cancer, I was shocked. I needed to stay in the U.S. indefinitely for treatment. The doctor explained that she could give me treatments to prolong my life, but that there was no cure. 

Suddenly everything seemed out of control. I had no idea if I would live for a few months or a few years, or if God would choose to heal me. I knew He could heal, but was that His will for me? Those verses from Proverbs took on new meaning as I realized God was giving me a new assignment. This is not one that I would have chosen, but it is one I am convinced He is trusting me with.

Transitioning back to the U.S. after living overseas for more than 30 years was a difficult task. Evidently I’d adapted to the Honduran culture much more than I had realized. The culture there is based on relationships, and I was used to having neighbors I would see and talk to every day. Here, I rarely see my neighbors, and I’ve had to work at it to get acquainted with some of them. I felt a real sense of loss. I missed my work, my church, and my missionary family. Also, not having my foster son, Toroni, with me was very hard. He had lived with me for more than 11 years, and I knew he missed his mama. Maybe almost as much as I missed him!

But during this time, God has shown me His love through the many people who, over the years, have not only become ministry partners, but friends. I’ve received many cards, phone calls, and emails assuring me of their prayers for me and my healing. I am encouraged knowing I am not in this battle by myself. Three of my siblings and their families live in the area, so I am blessed by their presence and support. Gifts of money to meet financial needs have arrived just when I’ve needed them. I am involved in the same church my siblings attend and enjoy fellowshipping with them—something I wasn’t able to do while on the mission field. I also volunteer one afternoon each week at our local Pregnancy Help Center, a ministry I really enjoy.

I’ve come to realize that I am right where God wants me at this time in my life. He has once again changed my place of residence and ministry, but He isn’t finished with me yet. I’m so thankful for the lessons He is teaching me each day. My faith is becoming stronger as I see Him meeting all my needs and those of my son in Honduras. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know my life is in God’s very capable hands. I am trusting Him as He continues to direct my paths. 

ACT: Did God bring someone else to your mind as you read Karen’s testimony? Send them a note of encouragement, pray with them over the phone, or bless them with a financial gift to help with ongoing medical costs.

GIVE: Rising medical costs are a challenge to WGM’s self-funded medical plan. You can help provide medical coverage for  missionaries and staff with a financial gift. Make checks payable to World Gospel Mission with account #41090 on the memo line. Send check donations to World Gospel Mission, P.O. Box 948, Marion, Indiana  46952-0948.

Prayer Calendar May 15-21,2016

Whether I have faced a change in my ministry, such as a new assignment, or a personal crisis, such as an illness or family concerns, I’ve found my faith growing stronger when I remember that God is in control. That has never been truer than it is now when I am in the United States on a medical leave rather than in Honduras.

ASK God to bless someone you know who is facing major medical hurdles. p. 10

Transition Is the Definition of a Missionary

Larry Overholt, Missionary, Honduras
April-June 2016

Transition is a part of the very definition of being sent as a missionary to another culture. Knowing and accepting that God is in control of our lives makes it possible for us to continue through all the transitions of missionary life. It is vitally important for us to actually find joy in God’s will for us. Psalm 37:4 has encouraged me most throughout a career of transition: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart” (NKJV). Angie and I have continually experienced the reality of delight in the Lord, and of God giving us the desires of our hearts. 

In our experience, the most difficult has been the repeated transition between homeland ministry assignment and Honduras. The first time we traveled to Honduras, we were full of excitement and anticipation of all the new things we would experience. As new first-term missionaries, we had permitted ourselves to become focused on the glamour of working full time in the ministry that we felt God had called us to do. Once we arrived in Honduras, we were face to face with the reality of living in another culture: speaking another language, eating different foods, and not being able to communicate daily with our family and friends back home. During our first years in Honduras, we did not have telephones, it was before the Internet existed, and postal “Aerograms” took two weeks to arrive. Our grocery shopping was done in a tiny store that carried few of the conveniences we were used to from home. Our first missionary assignment of five years was a long time to be away from family and friends. Now that our children have grown up and we have grandchildren, we realize how difficult it must have been for our parents to see us make that first move to Honduras.

Part of the missionary life is the continual change from one job to another. One of the popular missionary mottoes is to “Continually work yourself out of a job.” The challenge for the missionary is to mentor people to prepare them to take over for us. Oftentimes we come into a situation to fill a gap and it is our responsibility to prepare others to take over. One of the greatest joys that a missionary can hear is how people we have helped prepare for ministry are now serving the Lord. 

In 35 years of missionary service with World Gospel Mission to Honduras, Angie and I have transitioned through dozens of jobs and eight different transitions back to the States. We are grateful that through all the transitions in our lives we can still say that “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” We may even have a couple of transitions left in us yet. 

GO: Has God called your family members to serve as missionaries? Make plans to visit them during their term on the field. Your relationship will be stronger after you have experienced together this new phase of life in which God has placed them. 

Prayer Calendar May 8-14,2016

Pray for Larry and Angie Overholt, missionaries in Honduras. p. 18

Transition is a part of the very definition of being sent as a missionary to another culture. Knowing and accepting that God is in control of our lives makes it possible for us to continue through all the transitions of missionary life. It is vitally important for us to actually find joy in God’s will for us. Psalm 37:4 has encouraged me most throughout a career of transition: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart” (NKJV). Angie and I have continually experienced the reality of delight in the Lord, and of God giving us the desires of our hearts. 

Prayer Calendar May 1-7,2016

Coming tomorrow on The Call Blog:

"So it is with transitions: Moving, moving to a new culture, children going to college, children graduating from college, children changing colleges and majors, children getting engaged, learning a new language, children going to boarding school, parents missing us, grandparents missing grandchildren, us missing everyone, a completely different church or no church, retirement, empty nesting, first-time missionary, support raising, new systems, new job, and on and on." 

Ask God to help you through a transition you are facing in your life. p. 16

Transition Through the Eyes of a Child

Rees Many, Missionary Kid, Kenya
April-June 2016

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.