Just Another Challenging Time

We said our goodbyes. Carmen and I hugged each other. Yesterday, I said goodbye to my daughter, Carmen, and my son, Jacob. They won’t have the chance to say goodbye to me because my departure time for Cambodia is one of those early flights. I need to leave the house by 5:00 in the morning.

Saying good bye to my family never gets any easier. I have been doing this work for over ten years. And every time, leaving the family in Kaohsiung still leaves me with a hollow feeling inside. I still struggle with the act of giving a goodbye kiss to my wife, and I have to force myself to open the taxi door that will bring me to the airport. And just like this morning, watching my wife wave goodbye to me was still a difficult thing to do.

I travel every so often to visit our Free Methodist (FM) pastors in Asia and lead a seminar or workshop for them for a week or two. I enjoy this kind of work. I believe this is what God has called me do here in Asia. I am to be a missionary for our FM Asia leaders and help them get ready for ordination and local church work. This is fulfilling work. However, saying goodbye to family, even for a short period of two weeks, can still be a challenging experience.

Jesus said: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Do you think we can apply this verse to this moment in time?