This Fall has been such a blessed season of getting to visit with missionary friends from all over the world. It has been a sweet reminder that the seeds planted in my heart for missions in my younger years are still growing and blooming even though I am not personally an overseas missionary. And it has been a call to pursue through prayer all those friends who are.
When I was student at Covenant College, I lived in Honduras for a semester. During that semester I was invited to join the missionaries in a weekly prayer fast where we focused specifically on missionary friends serving all over the world. It was a way to remember that the body of Christ is so much larger than our small everyday interactions (whether at home or overseas), and a way to be cognizant of the fact that God is at work in the world! It was a habit that ensured we would not forget the world-wide church, and a discipline that produced humility by reminding us that we are smaller than we imagine ourselves to be.
Since becoming a mother almost 16 years ago, I have tried various ways of continuing these habits with my children. I have made bookmarks, missionary boards, popsicle prayer sticks, read missionary letters out loud to the family, and set aside specific days for prayer for specific missionaries. But somehow the habits always get taken over by new routines that come from entering into new stages of life with the children. While I do hope to regain some of these meaningful habits with the family, I recognize that the most impactful way I can encourage a community of missionary mindfulness in my home is to actually have missionaries in my home - to listen to their stories and to pray together in person. Obviously, this won't happen all the time, but I believe that whenever there is an opportunity to visit in person with our missionary friends, we should lay aside everything and lean into those relationships!
So...when I read Larry and Allison's newsletter announcing their trip to the States, I jumped on the opportunity to have in-person fellowship with their family. As I was searching through old pictures, I realized that it had been 5 years since our first family trip to Honduras when we were able to visit - the Okies and the Smokies. They were traveling through Atlanta a couple of different times, so it worked beautifully for them to spend the weekend with us. Throughout our visit various children in both of our families suffered sickness, and the weather was extremely cold. But I so enjoyed a sweet afternoon coffee with just Alison (while littles and sickies napped and Tom and Larry and the older kids hiked up Kennesaw Mountain). We were able to talk about the joys and trials of motherhood and the balance of ministry and family.
Shortly after, we had the pleasure of visiting with Christ and Sharon Struna, another missionary couple from the Congrejal River Valley who we had lived life alongside so many years ago in Honduras. What a joy to hear their honest stories of trials and joys, and to know that even in this God is at work.
Last, but not least, we were able to reconnect with Andrew and Jina and family at the Stavens' house in Flinstone. Even though they are now missionaries in Africa, all of our lives overlapped in one way or another through living in Honduras. We truly never know how the seeds will grow, but I am blessed to see that they have been growing all along!
