A family-like gathering

Today we spent time with our "family" in Japan. These are other missionaries in our mission here. Like an extended family there are many we don't know well and others we know quite well. But most of all we share the experience of living in a foreign land as well as the same reason and passion for being here. All these similarities bring us together. We're even like a family in the sense of not all getting together all that often. In fact some of the the school-age kids only see each other once or twice a year.

Today, instead of our regular adult-focused prayer meeting, we had a family friendly gathering. One of our mums did an activity with the kids that was beaut. Turning a fun activity (competitive ball throwing into a basket) into a lesson to learn (to be careful about not letting bad thoughts into our heads). At the end, our field director prayed with and for the kids. I love this photo.

After a guided time of prayer, sharing of points of testimony or thankfulness, and then a fun game together; we enjoyed lunch and a casual time of just "hanging" together. It was low stress and enjoyable. Our boys played ping pong/table tennis and board games with the other kids, I chatted with people I haven't spent much time with before. I got a refill of my "conversation-with-women" tank (it's been a "quiet" holiday, but that means that I've had little conversation with any other women, and I was feeling a little desperate). Although it took us an hour to drive there and and hour and a half to drive home, it was a well spent day. Refreshing in fact.

Sometimes people wonder how we cope without family around us. Well actually in some ways we find ourselves with more in common with these folk from all over the world than with our own families. Missionaries can have challenging relationships with family because it can be hard for family members to understand why we're living overseas, why we're doing this strange thing "for God". This is especially if they are unbelievers, but let's face it, many Christians feel uncomfortable with missionaries too, imagine being related to one! When missionaries go home the experiences we have had overseas are hard for anyone who's never been out of the country to understand. It is even hard for those who've taken an overseas trip, but never lived overseas to understand. It is also hard for family to understand that the missionaries have changed as a result of their time away from their home country. How the missionaries have changed can be a source of mystery and even frustration or annoyance. 

So to gather with a group of other missionaries, who understand what it is like to live overseas, to struggle with the language and culture, and who have a similar passion to reach the Japanese, is an encouraging time. 

Different to a real family gathering because we haven't got blood or nationality or childhood memories in common. However there is a bond between missionaries that is difficult to describe. It is enough to describe it as family-like.