Thank you, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to participate in this retreat held in Southeast. During the retreat, I certainly gained a lot. Apart from listening to guest speakers explaining the missionary theme from different perspectives and strengthening the missionaries, we also had the chance to have private conversations with missionaries from various mission fields during meal times. We heard them share how they received their call, the challenges they face now, the mental processes they've gone through, and the wonderful ways in which God has guided and protected them.

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I remember during one of the meals at the retreat, I had the chance to interact with a missionary couple from Central Asia who had previously served in South Asia. Their experiences deeply touched me. They spent time reaching out to Muslim people in the area, and they would only be invited into their homes once they were truly accepted by the locals. They visited many households each day, and when entering the local people’s homes, they had to remove their shoes. However, due to poor sanitation, their feet would become swollen and inflamed after returning home. The dirty environment also led to water pollution, resulting in a strange odor in the drinking water at the local people’s homes. In the hot weather, the hosts would offer either the odorous water (which tasted like laundry detergent) or cola. After a day of visits, they would end up drinking either numerous glasses of the odd-tasting water or several cans of cola, leading to their later aversion to cola.

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The missionary brother also shared his wife's experience with childbirth in the country. Due to the inadequate medical facilities, the hospital did not provide the necessary blood supply for surgery. When his wife went to the hospital for a cesarean section, she also had to bring a friend willing to donate blood. While blood was being drawn from the donor's body on one side, it was simultaneously being transfused into the wife’s body on the other. Although the hospital had conducted blood type matching tests beforehand, the sister suddenly experienced respiratory distress. Further testing revealed that it was due to a blood type mismatch.

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Throughout the sharing, the brother had a constant smile on his face. However, when we inquired about their children, he couldn't hold back his tears. They had chosen to follow the path of the Lord as missionaries, which was their choice, but their young children also had to endure a difficult life alongside their parents. This burden weighed heavily on his heart.

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When I asked the brother if he had ever regretted his decision, his response deeply moved me and has remained engraved in my heart. He said, "For the sake of the Gospel, missionaries willingly choose with God’s given free will to give up their personal freedoms.  “ 

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May God continue to lead and bless these missionaries!