A Life in Exile

I’m writing this post on the first day of my local church’s Vacation Bible School. It’s the first time for me to serve, as I’m now retired and can do it. I’m with two other women in the babies’ class, and I smell like a baby for the first time in decades. As our babies are only those of the volunteers, we had a small group and they were so sweet. Lots of fun rocking and playing. It was a good morning.

So, summer and vacation were on my mind as I think of lessons I’ve learned from living overseas. It reminded me that there was a tendency for guilt to creep in when we ever talked about taking a vacation. Do missionaries even take vacations? Did Jesus? What will the people I serve say when I take a week or two off from ministry?

Having lived in different countries and among different ethnic groups, local views on “vacation” varied, and in general, I do believe this is a Western concept. Societal norms and economic levels do affect a culture’s view of what we think of as vacation. Does that make it wrong, if my adopted people group don’t practice “time off”?

Rest is biblical.

I have written other blogs about the importance of rest in ministry. Some of you may agree that vacations are not always considered rest, as you are in the presence of an extroverted spouse or children who require your time and attention. Still, it’s a break from the ministry routine and affords us a kind of rest, even if it’s not as much or in the style we dream of.

Even our Lord Jesus sought times away from the crowds. Sometimes he took a few of his disciples with him, and at other times, he was completely alone. Rest is a natural God-given rhythm of life, and a vacation break can fill that void for the overseas worker. It should not be a cause of guilt.

Living as the other.

Another part of serving cross-culturally relates to our always being seen as the foreigner or “other” by the locals. As much as we want to live like them, we will always be different, and that’s okay. Because of this, however, there will always be ways they do not understand us or expect us to do things differently because we’re just that—different. Vacationing is part of that picture.

It is hard for a national believer to understand how much energy and mental power it takes for us to live among them. Even in English-speaking areas with “Western” ways, we are not completely at home. This land is not our home, and for that reason, it takes an extra effort to adjust to daily life. Worldviews are different, and the mental process of understanding another culture takes work. Doing this for any length of time leads to a desire for rest and relaxation from the personal cost of service.

Very few nationals will get that or understand why we need to get away. It’s okay. Taking a vacation is just one of those things that nationals know foreigners do. It’s not wrong; it’s just different. They may see that we do it because we have lots of money (which, of course, most missionaries don’t), but we do have enough to vacation in some way they normally can’t, even if it’s just going to another part of their country in a car and taking the kids to the beach. It’s more than most of them can manage.

Vacations help us to serve better.

Burnout is one of the leading causes for missionaries returning from the field. People burn out when they do not rest. Vacations provide a reset to our brains and a rejuvenation of our strength, helping us to return home ready and excited to take up the mantel of service. Two of the best things about vacations I took with my family were that they gave my husband and I time alone to talk. No one was ringing our doorbell or calling. We could discuss things like our marriage, the kids, ministry, and future plans. It was our time.

Vacations were also time to focus on our kids. My favorite pictures are from our vacations and seeing my husband with our sons at the pool or beach. I knew these were special times for them. They had Dad (and Mom) all to themselves. No one was taking their parents away from them. Kids need this. Parents need this.

Families that play well together stay together, and vacations are important times in all our lives as parents and children.

God puts us together in families, and we need these times of fun and relaxation to be healthy as a unit to his glory.

What are your vacation plans for the summer? Do you have a favorite place to go on vacation or to get away by yourself? What benefits have you found in taking time off? I’d love to hear your feedback.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Mission Monday post, click HERE, or check out these posts on vacations and rest: Jet Lagged, Learning from the Past: Two, and Running Out of Juice.