9. Missionaries feel forgotten by those back in the U.S.
Holman says that when he and his family were planning to be missionaries, they asked 10 different missionary families what the hardest part of missions was. All 10 said, “Loneliness.” They told him it only takes about a year for even a person’s closest friends to lose touch. And this was something the Holmans also found to be true. People soon stopped communicating with them, despite their best efforts.
10. Missionaries deal with extended separation from family members and often miss major life events.
Something else the Facebook user mentioned is that missionaries often miss major life events, such as weddings, funerals, and family reunions. Missing out on these is easier to swallow when the reasons pertain to the demands of the mission field. But when the reason is a lack of money, that is harder to deal with. Similarly, Holman describes the pain of living so far apart from loved ones that you know it will probably be years before you see them again. He says, “I would say that out of all the negatives to living on the mission field, this is the worst one. Saying good-bye.”
Let’s Take These Heartaches to Heart
We know many of you are loving missionaries well. But let’s do our best to take these heartaches truly to heart so we can have greater wisdom with how we love those who are daily laying down their lives for the gospel. And so that we can do the same.
