“What is the biggest challenge of living overseas?” 

Anyone who has ever participated in a mission conference has undoubtedly been asked this question. And anyone who has considered it honestly realizes that the answers can range from the most surface irritants (WAY too many mangy dogs in the streets) to the heart-wrenching responses that discouragement, loneliness, burnout, and spiritual attacks occasion in our lives. 

My answer when I first moved overseas two decades ago is the same answer that I give today; my biggest challenge is living so far away from family. When I was single, it was the keen loneliness that I felt on holidays when my entire family was together, and all I had was limited time on a long-distance phone call. That loneliness lessened a bit once I was married, but soon I faced the sad reality of missing the funerals for both of my grandmas because it was just too expensive and time-consuming to travel on a moment’s notice. 

I felt well-grounded in my overseas life by the time our children came along, but I struggled with the fact that they wouldn’t enjoy the same close relationship with their Ohio cousins that I had with mine. Fast forward a few more years and my current struggle is watching my parents age from a distance. I don’t know how much longer they will be the ones waiting for us at the airport when we fly “home” for a visit. 

I come from a close-knit family, and many times I have asked myself, “Is this really worth it?” As much as I would like to shout “NO!” and fly back to Ohio as quickly as possible, I’m grateful to fall back on Jesus’ promise that “anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life.”  

I suppose that my biggest challenge to living overseas will ALWAYS be missing family. But the knowledge that Jesus knows and understands this sadness is enough to keep me going. And the promise of eternal life WITH my family definitely makes this transitory pain worth it!