There's always a moment. Whether you're sitting, standing, walking, or talking, it hits you. "I want to be a student missionary." For some, it stops there. A missionary year was nothing more than a passing thought. For others, however, the thought is put into action. Paperwork is filled out, a location is chosen, or assigned, and fundraising begins. The whole process seems like a dream. It doesn't really hit you until you're at the airport saying goodbye to your loved ones that you're actually leaving and you won't see them for a year. As hard as it may be to accept the fact that you will miss things and people will change, that's not the hardest part. You board the plane and take off into the unknown, unaware of the challenges that lie ahead. After arriving at your destination, getting settled, and creating a routine, you finally have time to relax. Instead of relaxing, however, you may find yourself thinking about family and friends, what they might be doing, and how much you miss them. Moments like this come and go and, at times, you may feel like your heart is going to break, but you'll get through. Homesickness is not the hardest part. Time will pass and you will fall in love with your students and the people you are interacting with. You will build lifelong friendships and you will learn to love in ways that you never thought possible. Then, in what seems like a blink of an eye, you're packing up your things and heading to the airport. As you drive away from what has been your home for the past year, you try to take a mental picture. You attempt to save that moment in your mind forever. You arrive at the airport and your friends and students are there to say goodbye. Some of the kids may decide to bring you into a group hug and that is when the tears will start to flow. That is when you realize that saying goodbye to your new family is the hardest part about being a missionary. You will be showered with a mixture of gifts, kind words, heartfelt letters, and hugs. You want to be able to make promises that you will come back, but you aren't sure when, or if, that will happen. Your heart breaks as you walk through the terminal, into the plane, and head back to the place you were once afraid to leave.
My year as a missionary was full of challenges, but it was also full of blessings. There were times when I felt like giving up. I was hurt, stressed, overwhelmed, and homesick. Sometimes I felt completely alone, like God was making me do it on my own. I realized very quickly that God had NOT left my side and that He was carrying me every step of the way. I learned so much about myself and God through everything I experienced and, if I had the chance, I would do it all over again. So, if you have made the decision to be a student missionary, or you are struggling with making the decision, don't be discouraged. Give it all to God and go for it. The best is yet to come.
