Their response has all been the same. They encouraged myself & our family to honour our home assignment (rest), share with our people & churches as to how we served Mongolians. Then after months of being on home assignment would God then share with us the next step he has for us. They all prayed with me for us & did their best to encourage me & our family to rest & debrief with an experienced missionary or professional counselor which is a requirement for most missionary organizations. They all said that it was clear to them that leaving Mongolia was very hard on me (they could see) & our family based on what I shared.
They all shared that the most difficult time for missionary workers/families is the time of transition in between. This is most difficult because you have to physically & mentally say good bye, but also emotionally & spiritually. These last 2 are the hardest they have said. This is what takes the most time & they have said that God doesn't share what is next until you as a family together have come to a place where you all have released fully the last place & are ready for the next.
I am being honest with all of you that coming home to see you all & share how we served Mongolians is something that we want to do & need to do as responsible field workers. But this is really hard because we invested all of our lives in the Mongolian people & to have to leave them was/is very difficult. We asks that you all continue to pray for & support us because God has changed us, Canada will not/is not totally restful like it used to be. Our future is totally unknown which always goes against our natural humanness to always seek out security & without rest we will not be able to hear God's voice when he desires to share where & what he wants us to do next.
My devotional hit me hard this morning:
July 6
He Sets Things Right
Someone says: "Listen, God doesn't have time for your little problems. He is busy...right now. He has bigger fish to fry. If you want something for yourself, you better get it the best way you can...Take care of yourself.
We begin to respond. And we hear Paul's indignant, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ." Instinctively, immediately, we know that he is right...Let the people who tell us those lies (take care of self) about God be cursed!
Galatians 1:6
Eugene H. PetersonGod said to me, "Matt, I will take care of you, Teresa, Kiel & Esme. Trust me & at the right time will share what I want you to do next. Don't get distracted or impatient. I am here."