Encouragement

Here's a couple of written exchanges about my blog that I've received recently:

Encouragement
Recently a teenager, who is the child of missionaries in Japan, sent me an email that completely made my day:

Random flower photo that I took this time last year.
I put it here because it's always nice to have a
flower to look at.

I meant to tell you . . . [when I saw you last] that I followed your blog but kept forgetting to, I'm sorry!

I wanted to say that I love your blog because I get a peek inside of a different missionary family's life, which I don't often get to.

I also love that your blog gives me reminders about God's word, and what he is going to do in my life.

In a blog post the other day, I read your poem "Dates" and I loved it! I like writing poetry and fiction. Your poem gave me an insight into what being an adult is like, and I enjoyed that.

Thank you for your wonderful blog. I'll be looking forward to the next update!

It's easy to be worn down by the routines and challenges of daily life (and writing and editing), so I love it when I get such encouragements. Having it written down makes it even more special, because it's easy to keep and treasure later (and easier to share with you too).

About why I blog

I recently had a colleague who discovered this blog and he asked me about the main purpose (he was thinking that the main reason a missionary might use a blog would be to update our supporters). 

This was my reply:

My initial purpose was to write about the “ordinary” life of a missionary, helping to readers (presuming them to be people who haven’t lived the missionary lifestyle) to see what our lives are like. As I’ve realised that a lot of missionaries also read it, it’s expanded a bit to be a place that also reaches out to other missionaries, hopefully in an encouraging, honest way, by telling about my journey.

It isn’t for supporters specifically, or for staying in touch with friends or anyone in particular, though some do read if for that reason. It is not something where I ask people to pray for us either.

He also wrote: "I only have the newsletter... Sometimes I wondered if I should make a Facebook group for me Facebook friends who are interested in what we are doing... But the more "mediums" one uses... - the more has to 'feed' them... "

My reply:

Yes, the more mediums you use the more work you create for yourself! I write because I’m a writer. Often writing on my blog is quite therapeutic for me, not a burden as it would be for many. It has helped me hone my writing and editing skills as to fit writing this blog into my life I often have to process and write very quickly.