I started writing this post and edited it more than once. One of my daughters (the one who can be as sarcastic as her mom) asked why I changed it, "It was funny before". Well, when you use sarcasm in conversation people can tell by your tone and expression that you are being sarcastic, when you write, it is easy to be misunderstood. So, here is the post (minus the funny stuff a.k.a sarcasm).
We have been on the field for over 12 years, and in that time we have had a grand total of 2 visitors from the US. One was a pastor from a supporting church (2003), and the other was a family that we had never met (2007). Both of these times were exciting and memorable. We still talk about them. We have invited a lot of people to visit us here...a LOT. We usually get a typical reaction.
1. A chuckle of disbelief..
2. A laugh of amusement.
3. A shake of the head.
4. A rude response
5. A positive response...for someday.
I admit, when we ask someone to visit and get one of these responses, or they just look at us as if we are crazy, it hurts. How would you feel if you invited someone to visit you, and you got such a response? This is where we live, where we work, where we serve.
Why do we want visitors?
We get lonely. This is probably the main reason. Any field can be a lonely place.
We would like to share our home and the city we call home, and those that we work and live along side, with those that we love.
We would like people to see what we see and experience what we experience on a daily basis. You will definitely be able to more intelligently pray.
We would like someone to understand, more than can be understood through our stories.
A fellow missionary wife wrote a blog post that got me to thinking along these lines again. I have thought this way many times through these years, and she expressed it so well.
I will link her post here, and hope that it gets someone to thinking about why we continue to ask you to visit us.
I really wish they understood
I really hope you understand.
Oh, Angela, I understand! We've been blessed with lots of company (many of them people we've never met) but I do understand. It also hurts when people expect us to return to the States on a regular basis but won't consider visiting us. And IF they do it's always a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip. Which I understand, I really do! It's expensive, etc... yet please understand when my family and I can't afford to visit you every two or three or even four years!
ReplyDeleteHowever, all that being said, this week we're expecting my Dad and nephew to visit! The first time since we've been on the field and I couldn't be more excited!!! My in-laws are also coming this summer so this is definitely the year for us! We also have a mission's team coming... so like I said we DO get a lot of company.
I hope others read this post and will consider a trip! I believe every Christian should experience life on the mission field! Not to mention the fellowship and joy it is for the missionaries to have some company from "home" :-) Praying for you all!
P.S. I'd like to read the unedited portion too ;-)
So exciting that your Dad is coming to visit! I realize that people do not mean to be hurtful, but I think they see a missionaries field as "that country where you live", when to us it's our "home". If we could get people to come for a visit, a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings would be cleared away..within seconds! HA HA! Have a great time with your Dad, just remember that you have to let him go back eventually!
DeleteHI! I have been following your blog for a little while and have not written you, but want to drop a note to tell you that I enjoy your blog. My husband and I are also serving in India. we have been serving since 2008. we are on furlough right now, but are eager (yet sad to leave family and comforts of the US) to return in October we are moving to a new city which I am a little nervous about, but I know God will protect and provide. We were in the south, but will now be in the northeast. I know it will be a culture change as well, since as you know India is very diverse. Anyway...I just wanted you to know that though we may never meet face to face you have a fellow friend in this vast country of India who is praying for you. Hannah
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah,
DeleteSo happy to hear of other missionaries in our vast country. We also lived in the South when we first came to India. We moved north in 2005. You are right the northeast will be vastly different from the South. We visited the northeast as a family in 2011, and we have a fellowship here in our city with students from Manipur.
I would love to come visit you and I don't even know you. =) I love visiting missionaries. (And I understand somewhat - I lived in Russia for only 1.5 years but always wanted people to come visit so I could show off what an amazing place it is, and the only person who came was my dad, for just 3 days, while on his way back to the US from a missions trip.) I've been to the south of India before and while it was challenging, I wanted to stay! It impacted me so much (it's actually one of the reasons I quit my job and moved to Russia). I didn't realize white people could be missionaries in India, actually. Just found your blog but I can't wait to read more.
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