Have you ever had friends share with you their desire to go into the mission field? You know those friends that make life so much fun! Then you know exactly how we feel right now, you have a roller-coaster of mixed emotions! You are excited for them, but you are sad, then happy for them, then super sad because they are leaving.... It's not because you don't love them, it's because you Love them that much! If You haven't experience this let me share with you as I am typing I am crying ðŸ˜!
Can we just talk about what makes this hard...
Let's state the obvious reasons, we won't have bi-weekly date nights. I mean what do you do when your true friends don't live here anymore, you can't just replace them with someone else, it's not the same!
You can't just pick up the phone & call them. They are now in a different time zone across the world. And they have limited electricity!
So how do we process/grief through this transition?
I can tell you what we did last time they left..... cry & cry some more.. And guess what I am CRYING as I write this!
Grief is okay, yes it's grieving ya'll! We feel a loss of a friendship, no we aren't losing them as friends, but we are losing that in person friendship. And if we don't acknowledge that we are grieving, it can consume you with sadness & could lead to depression. So lets talk about it!
Talk about it with your friends
You may not be able to talk with your friends who are transitioning back to the mission field & it may be hard for them to understand, so grab a friend here stateside & share with them. Your friend stateside may not understand completely what you are feeling, but if they are a good friend they will understand the loss of an important relationship.
Write Cards!
This time since our kids are older, we took a day off homeschooling & just wrote letters for each month. We themed the cards by decorating for the holidays or their birthdays. Was this emotionally draining for me & the girls, yes. Was it worth it, YES!!!
The joy on our friends face as we gave them the cards, was priceless. And we even included 12 cards for them to write us back! So now the girls will be looking forward to getting random cards in the mail.
**(fyi) If your friends are in a 3rd world country, they will not have mail, so you will have to take time before they leave & predate them or send it with their big missionary containers
Pray
It's certainly not the last or least, but maybe the most important part, PRAY! You pray for their safety while traveling, you pray for peace as they venture back into the mission field, you pray for grace over their kids, and you pray for God's will to be done through them. So can you just take a second with me & Pray over our friends,
Lord,
We thank you for the this beautiful day you have given us. Thank you for the desire you have put on Moses families' heart to go & serve your in Sierra Leone. We ask for you to give them peace during this transition time, please give them traveling grace and mercy. Lord be with them as they welcome a new team member & their new baby into their home in SL. Let your spirit move through their words & actions as they serve the people around them.
All these things we ask in your name,
Amen
♥ If this tugs at your heart & you feel lead to give to the Moses family here is their link: Support
Again thank you friends for following along! I would love to hear your tips on how you support missionary families or you are a missionary family & the ways that people have helped support you!
See you in the next few days as we talk about decluttering before the holidays!
Mahalo
Malia 🌺
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