Below the surface...

What do you see when a missionary family comes through? Do you see a family with lots of kids who all look awkward and out of their element? Do you see them smiling and doing their best to be friendly? Do you see them just trying to go with the flow? Well, do you ever wonder what you don't see? What exactly lies beneath the surface of these missionary families that come through your church every once in a while?

             
PRAYER CARD PICTURE FROM FURLOUGH 2016-2017

Furlough is lots of fun considering the fact we get to fellowship with our relatives and friends and get to enjoy certain American luxuries, yet furlough can also come with many struggles. 

Furlough is a never ending cycle of traveling, greeting pastors and their families, going out to eat with strangers, being put up in people's houses or hotels, being in a new church every week, being in a different Sunday School class or youth group all the time, inconsistent schedules, more traveling, standing by the display table at the end of the service, singing for a new audience every Sunday, playing offertories, endless handshakes, answering the same questions over and over, passing out countless prayer cards, smiling at everyone, meeting new people that you'll never see again for the rest of your life, and so much more. Please don't take this the wrong way, we really appreciate everything churches do for us. 

Furlough is not all fun and games. The constant aching in your heart for home, the worry for church members back home, the tears you shed in private when you did too many embarrassing "MK" things that day, the shame you feel when you can't fully understand what's going on because this place is not really your homeland, the confusing feelings you try to mask because you're silently going through culture shock, never ending questions but you can't voice those questions for fear of being judged...all this can grow very heavy on an MK's mind. Yes, all this is real and it's confusing. Yes, you are identified as an American, but your heart has always been and will forever be in your country. You feel foreign in your mission field at times, but you also feel just as foreign in your "home". 

Some MKs may not experience all these feelings, but I for one sure did. Furlough was a growing time for me. I learned to lean on God heavily. He didn't mind that I didn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner or a self check-out counter. He didn't mind that I didn't know all the traffic signs or how to properly use the vending machine. God used that time to grow me and strengthen my walk with Him and I'm so thankful.

So now that you've heard this straight from an MK-since-birth, please rethink the opening question of this article. What do you see when a missionary family comes through? More than likely you'll see MKs who are struggling through this time, yet doing their best to be cheerful, polite, and friendly. I hope you'll finish reading this article with a greater understanding of MKs and next time a missionary family comes through maybe take some extra time to get to know the kids. Instead of asking the typical "What's the weather like over there?",  "What do they eat there?" and "Do you like it better here or in your field?" you may want to try asking them some more personal questions such as "What ministries are you involved in?", "What's your favorite food over there and do you know how to prepare any traditional meals?", or "What's the main tourist attraction over there and have you been there?" Any of those questions would show to us that you are making an effort to get to know us personally and would greatly brighten our day!

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed this article. Comment below if you'd like and have a great day! :)