Missionary Momma

Being a missionary mom is tough. :(

Before we left, I reminded the Lord that I had kiddos, and He promises in Isaiah 40:11 to lead gently those who have young. And, as always, He's been faithful, but not necessarily in the way that I expected.

Our oldest daughter is a sophomore. Let's just say her adjustment to life in Guatemala, and especially her new school, has not been an especially easy one. I'll spare you the details, but it was bad enough that before the end of her first semester last year, her dad and I were ready to pull her out of school and home school her.

But, then we asked her about it.

Instead of giving a knee-jerk reaction based on her emotions (which most definitely would have led her to come home for her education), she prayed. She sought the Lord. She put His desires above her own, and told us that she felt like He wanted her to stay there to help her classmates and the few friends she had made, and that there were benefits to staying at school that she felt outweighed the challenges.

My kid.
My precious little girl.
The one who used to be my tiny baby.

She prayed to God and got a Word from Him about her life, and her plans, and her ministry here. That's the kind of thing that makes a mama super proud, but that doesn't mean it's made it any easier to watch her walk it all out. Often (almost daily) things are still pretty tough for her at school. It takes everything within me not to walk into the office and tell them that she's done, and then take her home where I know she'd blossom once again in home schooling just like she did before.

She'd be happier. Her life would be easier and more convenient. She wouldn't be as stressed out. She'd reopen old doors of opportunity that had been closed to her when we moved. She'd have more time for herself, more familiarity, more comfort, more peace, more fun, more, more, more...

You know -

More of all of the things we very willingly walked away from in order to serve the Lord in Guatemala.

More of all of the things that we decided were worth living without because the benefits of life here far outweigh the challenges.

More of all of the things that make it hard for our loved ones when they look at the life we've chosen.

And, why did we choose it?

Because we prayed to God and got a Word from him about our lives, and our plans, and our ministry here.

<crickets> 

(Ok, God - I see what you did there.)

Like I said - being a missionary mom is tough, but I really wouldn't have it any other way. :)