Last week I began a three part series examining the costs to missions as well as one of the major benefits. Last week I focused on the cost of missions if we do not join God. If you have not read the blog from last week I recommend taking a minute to read it...(Cost if we do NOT join God).
This week I will focus on the cost of missions if we join God. When individuals decide to join God on mission there will be a cost! The cost for being involved in missions is missionaries will have to leave behind family members, friends, comforts of America, & other blessings.
The cost of missions is becoming a reality for Julia and I. We are planning to leave for Ghana, Africa in two months and are going through the process of saying good-bye. This is a bitter-sweet time for us. We will be gone for two years with limited access to internet and other means of communication. We will miss a lot in two years.
We will miss family, friends, holidays, Air Conditioning, Starbucks coffee, Facebook, as well as other comforts of America. We will greatly miss our families. I will miss my dad who is becoming my best friend. My dad is someone I go to for advice instead of someone to fear. I will miss my sister. I will miss watching her and her new husband grow closer together in their marriage. I will miss my brother who is the manliest man I know. I will miss seeing how God is going to use him in the military. I will miss my mom who has taught me how to love people and trust God. My family means more to me than anything and I have begun to realize that I will not see them again for two years. I will miss my in-laws. They have a huge heart filled with kindness and generosity. I will even miss Julia's Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grand-parents who have loved me and made me feel part of their family.
Julia will also greatly miss her parents; she is used to talking with them on the phone at least once a week and it will be hard to go weeks not talking with them. Julia will miss teasing and loving on her sister. We will miss seeing how God is going to use her in the Chick-fil-a world. We will miss Christmas gatherings, Thanksgivings, Birthdays, beach trips, and other memory filled moments with our families. This realization is breaking our hearts.
We will miss our friends both in Wake Forest, Lynchburg, and beyond. God has blessed us with amazing friends and we will miss each and everyone of them. We will miss worshiping with our home church (Open Door Baptist Church) and spending time with our small group. We will miss all of the individuals whom we have shared life with. Individuals who have seen us at our best and our worse; yet, through it all have stood beside us. We will miss all of them!
No one tells you in class or during Missions Emphasis Week all you will leave behind to fulfill the Great Comission. No one tells you of the terrible dread you will feel about leaving behind everyone you love. The speakers tend to romantize the experience; however, for us the veneer of missions is slowly fading away. Julia and I are sad to say good-bye and we will miss everyone greatly;
however,
there is a benefit to missions which greatly outweighs the cost of leaving behind friends, family members, comforts of America, etc. The benefit to missions greatly trumps the cost. The benefit is... (come back next week and I will tell you).
This week I will focus on the cost of missions if we join God. When individuals decide to join God on mission there will be a cost! The cost for being involved in missions is missionaries will have to leave behind family members, friends, comforts of America, & other blessings.
The cost of missions is becoming a reality for Julia and I. We are planning to leave for Ghana, Africa in two months and are going through the process of saying good-bye. This is a bitter-sweet time for us. We will be gone for two years with limited access to internet and other means of communication. We will miss a lot in two years.
We will miss family, friends, holidays, Air Conditioning, Starbucks coffee, Facebook, as well as other comforts of America. We will greatly miss our families. I will miss my dad who is becoming my best friend. My dad is someone I go to for advice instead of someone to fear. I will miss my sister. I will miss watching her and her new husband grow closer together in their marriage. I will miss my brother who is the manliest man I know. I will miss seeing how God is going to use him in the military. I will miss my mom who has taught me how to love people and trust God. My family means more to me than anything and I have begun to realize that I will not see them again for two years. I will miss my in-laws. They have a huge heart filled with kindness and generosity. I will even miss Julia's Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grand-parents who have loved me and made me feel part of their family.
Julia will also greatly miss her parents; she is used to talking with them on the phone at least once a week and it will be hard to go weeks not talking with them. Julia will miss teasing and loving on her sister. We will miss seeing how God is going to use her in the Chick-fil-a world. We will miss Christmas gatherings, Thanksgivings, Birthdays, beach trips, and other memory filled moments with our families. This realization is breaking our hearts.
We will miss our friends both in Wake Forest, Lynchburg, and beyond. God has blessed us with amazing friends and we will miss each and everyone of them. We will miss worshiping with our home church (Open Door Baptist Church) and spending time with our small group. We will miss all of the individuals whom we have shared life with. Individuals who have seen us at our best and our worse; yet, through it all have stood beside us. We will miss all of them!
No one tells you in class or during Missions Emphasis Week all you will leave behind to fulfill the Great Comission. No one tells you of the terrible dread you will feel about leaving behind everyone you love. The speakers tend to romantize the experience; however, for us the veneer of missions is slowly fading away. Julia and I are sad to say good-bye and we will miss everyone greatly;
however,
there is a benefit to missions which greatly outweighs the cost of leaving behind friends, family members, comforts of America, etc. The benefit to missions greatly trumps the cost. The benefit is... (come back next week and I will tell you).
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