Car Church

Brunch at IHOP

We are now on the second leg of this trip. The first leg was to Virginia and Maryland to visit our family and friends (home assignment, furlough, or deputation – depending on the organization).  Part of the experience that our family will have is the one that most missionaries go through regularly.  Because many workers have supporters scattered around the country, they have to travel thousands of miles whenever they come home for a “break.”

 

The word “break” is in quotes because that is what it was meant to be – like soldiers getting a break from deployment to see their families. However, because missionaries raise financial support, often these times are busier than when they are on the field. Therefore, some organizations have begun to call this time “Home Ministry Assignment.”

 

As we began talking about our trip, many people wished us to have a “great vacation.”  To many, it does seem like a vacation since we are going across the U.S. and back through Canada for five weeks. In some ways it is a “trip of a life time,” as we will see Mount Rushmore, camp a few nights at Yellowstone National Park, and go through Banff National Park.. However, as I drive through miles of highways with three little girls who are antsy for being cooped up in a mini-van, and think about how they will be occupied while I meet with people all day, prepare for sermons, and preach, my thoughts go to missionaries who go through this routine on a regular basis.

 

On this trip we will meet up with a few of these folks who are on “Home Ministry Assignments.”  One family we will meet would have traveled over 2,000 miles themselves when we see them at one of their supporting churches.  They will take about two weeks to be where we will meet because they will have had to stopped at a few locations along the way.  We have found that this is more of the norm for most missionaries.

 

Most of our family and friends live in three states in the U.S. – Florida, Maryland, and Virginia. Since our place of ministry is Ontario Canada, we are able to have frequent Home Ministry Assignments – we generally make it to Maryland/Virginia area twice a year for a week or so at a time. With a large network of family and friends, we always leave the area feeling guilty that we didn’t get to see everyone that we should. We are thankful when a family or a friend hosts a gathering where we can see a bunch of them together. But even with frequent visits and efforts of friends who host gatherings, we are saddened by the increasing gap that exists as time and distance desperate us. So I think, “how much more for those who are serving in places where travel back home isn’t a matter of getting in a car and driving 10 to 35 hours?”

 

Paradoxically, One of the precious gifts of a missionary life for us has been these times when our family can travel together. Just this morning we were able to have our family devotions in the car. Our girls call it “car church..”  We began our walk through Proverbs. It is a timely study for our family. God has blessed us with smart girls who have been tested “gifted,” and who are voracious readers. So, to be able to talk about wisdom verses intelligence is wonderful. We also hope to pray through ramadan, which begins on Monday, 8 July, and end on Wednesday, 7 August – which would be the time that we will arrive back home in Ontario.

 

In closing, we would love to get your feed back on how we may better minister to missionaries on Home Ministry Assignments. Please leave your comments here.

Friday, 5 July, 2013 – Ohio Turnpike

Distance Traveled: approx. 620 miles (approx. 1,000 kilometers)

States passed through: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana