Vacation? What Vacation?

Ladies, we don't live in a goldfish bowl...I'm afraid it's more like under the microscope.

This quote came from a thought-provoking, humorous discussion I was in recently with other BMWs (Baptist Missionary Women) when a lady shared the criticisms her family received over spending "missions money" unwisely to get away for a day. The irony is that the missionaries were given the day away for free! Many other women shared how they had lost support or been threatened with dropped support because of sharing pictures of a vacation they took while on the field. Honestly, I've not experienced criticisms of misused funds for our personal use before, and I feel sorry for missionaries who have supporters like that. Who needs enemies when you have "friends" like that, right?

It got me to thinking about how I have often struggled with, and never fully adjusted to, the lack of privacy here on the field. But I didn't take into account that we can also be closely watched from American supporters (at times--we would actually like more input and friendship from our supporters--an uplifting kind of friendship!)

How ironic that a lack of privacy would be a culprit on both ends of the matter: It can make you feel like you're dying to get away from the village for a break, but then deliver criticism from across the ocean if you do. (Again, thankfully, I've not experienced this!)

So in the spirit of solidarity with missionary women who have experienced this, I am posting pictures of an amazing vacation we just took to Durban (a coastal city thirteen hours south of us)!

Preaching to the Choir: 8 Common Stumbling Blocks for Missionary Women

Preaching to the choir...
                                  An idiom

It means that you are trying to prove a point to people who already agree with you. So maybe this post is preaching to the choir. Maybe you already have your spiritual superhero cape and merit badge. Or maybe... the choir really needs to be reminded of some of these things. Maybe you are more like me. I can sing in the choir with the best of them, but occasionally I sing a little off key.

This past week, I have been going through Matthew 6. I never really thought of it as a passage for the missionary life. But the more I read it, the more God shows me I am more guilty than I would like to realize. As I read this passage, it was almost as if it were written just for missionaries, though I know it wasn't. But let's take a look...

Critter Crisis Around the Globe

Ok, my last two posts have been on a very serious note. I want to lighten things up a bit. We can all use an adventure, can't we?

There is never a loss of adventures on the foreign field. The fields may look a little different, and the adventures come in all shapes and sizes, but there are adventures to be had in every corner of the globe. (Why do we say that? Isn't the Earth round and without corners? Anyway...)

One of the adventures that seem to lurk in the shadows of every field are the critter adventures.

Earthquake Disaster

It seems everyone loves those moments when missionaries are totally transparent. Even other missionaries love unfettered honesty. Those "Uh oh. I'm human" blog posts get more view counts than any others. I guess it encourages us to know we aren't alone in our imperfection. There are others who struggle with not having all the answers or making wrong decisions.

And, alas... today's post is such a moment. I will declare it up front: Uh oh. I am human.

Road Rage

I was on the scooter, heading up the steep, bumpy hill I hate the most. The traffic was its usual nightmare of congestion. Motorcycles were bobbing all around, and the potential for collisions with cars, tuk tuks, motorcycles, pedestrians, and animals was a matter of inches. It is more like playing with bumper cars than driving, only you see how close you can pile up vehicles without actually hitting each other too hard.

(This is the kind of road I prefer. No traffic!

Although I don't prefer the 100 foot cliff just to the right of the picture!)