Happy Wednesday Y'all
Today, on my mind, is an article I read a few weeks ago on A Life Overseas, entitled
Why Do I Keep Going Back?
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If you missed my previous Tuesday Talk posts this year, you can click on the links below to check each of them out.
January - Introduction to Me
February - The Little Things
March - You Might Be A Special Ed Teacher If...
April - Spring Break in America
May - Home Assignments
June - He's here.
* No post in July *
August - A Lesson on God's Provision and Love
Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up,
where we, bloggers, come together and talk about whatever is on our
mind at the moment.
And yes, I do realize I’m a day late... :)
Today, on my mind, is an article I read a few weeks ago on A Life Overseas, entitled
Why Do I Keep Going Back?
In the article, the author discusses how she hates answering the question, when are you guys coming back because she feels like a liar. Apparently, she and her husband originally went to their overseas place of work (ministry) the first time for a year. Then the work was still going, so they went back. And on and on...
Different missions organizations work in different ways.
Typically, with AGWM (who I've come to Senegal with), a missionary will go overseas for a 4 year term before coming back to the US. However, because my primary ministry is teaching, I'm a little different.
In 2009, I came to Senegal for the first time.
In my mind, I was coming for only one or two years.
That was it.
But I didn't leave for 5 years.
And when I came back in February 2016, I was coming back for a year and a half. And here I am 3 1/2 years later.
And because my primary ministry operates from August - June, I come back every summer for budget/support raising (fundraising). And yes, as long as I can afford it, as a single person with no family here in Dakar, I will also go home at Christmas each year.
And it's because of the above two statements, that I often hear the question...
When are you coming back?
As in...
When are you going to leave the mission field and come "home" for good?
So usually I ask people if they want the long answer or the short answer.
Different missions organizations work in different ways.
Typically, with AGWM (who I've come to Senegal with), a missionary will go overseas for a 4 year term before coming back to the US. However, because my primary ministry is teaching, I'm a little different.
In 2009, I came to Senegal for the first time.
In my mind, I was coming for only one or two years.
That was it.
But I didn't leave for 5 years.
And when I came back in February 2016, I was coming back for a year and a half. And here I am 3 1/2 years later.
And because my primary ministry operates from August - June, I come back every summer for budget/support raising (fundraising). And yes, as long as I can afford it, as a single person with no family here in Dakar, I will also go home at Christmas each year.
And it's because of the above two statements, that I often hear the question...
When are you coming back?
As in...
When are you going to leave the mission field and come "home" for good?
So usually I ask people if they want the long answer or the short answer.
The short answer is I’m there ‘til God tells me to leave.
The long answer is...
There are so many factors that go into a decision like that.
I mean, it all depends on God. I came here because God told me to. I’ve extended my assignment with AGWM over the years because God has told me to. I’ve stayed because God told me to.
And obviously, that reason is technically all I need. It’s all up to God.
But when that answer doesn’t satisfy genuinely curious people (which is totally fine for me), here’s how I usually answer...
Honestly, I don’t know how long I’ll be on the field.
It depends on the work God’s asked me to do.
My job depends on the students. If they’re not here, I don’t have a job.
And at the same time, if I were to leave, some of my kids would not have a schooling option in this country. So there’s that.
My current AGWM assignment ends in June 2021. So at the end of the ‘20-‘21 school year... And at that point, I’ll pray and decide if I want to extend again or not.
At this point, God has not released me to leave. So I’m going ahead with plans to extend and stay.
But who knows what could happen between now and then? Who’s knows what’s in store for my future? Who knows what’ll happen?
God.
And while it may be cliché to say...
It’s still true...
God holds my future in His hands.
He knows how long I’ll stay in Dakar. He knows if it’ll be 2 more years or if it’ll be 20 more years.
He knows if I’ll eventually leave and live in Alabama for good or if I’ll move somewhere else.
He knows if this or that will happen.
He knows it all.
God holds my future in His hands.
If you missed my previous Tuesday Talk posts this year, you can click on the links below to check each of them out.
January - Introduction to Me
February - The Little Things
March - You Might Be A Special Ed Teacher If...
April - Spring Break in America
May - Home Assignments
June - He's here.
* No post in July *
August - A Lesson on God's Provision and Love
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