Furlough

I think your wife is on to something here.

 

I hope it is true that the longer we are on the field the closer we get to the NT model. I want to think it is true.

The flip side you give is most definitely true. The longer we are on the field, particularly in a culture as different from the homeland as most Asian cultures are, the less we know about how the culture has evolved in the homeland. For example, the CCM controversy means little to me. It is almost completely off the radar, pro or con, in ministering in Japan. We don't even have a Christian bookstore in our town of 365,000, much less a Christian section of a music store where we can buy any kind of Christian music.

Also, if we work in another language, it is hard to think and preach in English, expecially when we land back in the homeland at the beginning of a furlough. So our messages may be somewhat stilted and maybe even boring to a Christian culture used to excitement in their messages.

 

In my experience, this is a rare thing in Asia. The stress of living in an Asian culture "washes out" many missionaries before they spend more than a couple of terms here. The rest of us sometimes have to fight that longing for the homeland. As much as I love Japan, the "leeks and garlics of Egypt" that we enjoy on furlough are a big pull sometimes.

Having said that, I recently talked on the phone to a missionary who, after an extended furlough of about 3 years (long story), is back in Japan in his mid-60's, and says he wants to die here.

This may be true. On the other hand, there is also a big need in the homeland for veteran missioinaries to teach missions in our colleges and seminaries. (Don't worry, Brother Tim, I'm not about to run back and do that until I'm retirement age--a long time off! :smilewinkgrin: )

 

I just got a prayer letter from a friend on furlough. Pastors, this looks like a great idea. Here it is:

"This week we’ll be having some meetings in **** with a supporting church here, and on Wednesday we’re going to try something new for the first time, doing a “What is a Missionary?” workshop for 3 hrs. with the young people in the church here. It’s designed to give them a quick taste of what it’s like to be a missionary and go to a foreign country like Japan, having to try to learn a little spoken and written Japanese, trying some food and crafts, watching a video about a Japanese pastor’s salvation testimony, etc. We pray God will use it to challenge young people to give their lives to the Lord for whatever He has for them."