As missionaries, we live a strange, sometimes absurd, lifestyle. We have unique, God-ordained experiences on a regular basis AND we have ridiculously complicated “should-be-simple” interactions daily. All of it is mixed together in a beautiful mess! But one of the most extraordinary constants is being fully planted in a culture that (even after 10+ years) is foreign to us while still maintaining roots to our home culture. This reality is felt more acutely by our family when we return to America for HOME ASSIGNMENT (aka, “furlough”).

We recently spent over two months visiting America, and it drew attention to this tension that we feel. After being in Uganda for the past two full years without traveling back to the U.S., we were lovingly welcomed by so many people: family, friends, churches, mission committees, and even the weather! We could not have asked for more generosity, warmth, hospitality, flexibility, and abundant love as we moved from city to city, state to state (we drove 7,400 miles, plus additional flights). Every meeting, gathering, meal, or rendezvous we had was a genuine blessing. But one strange thing happened each and every time: “Welcome Home!”

Our well-meaning and loving family and friends were eager to make us feel welcome to the place they reasonably assumed was our home. But something strange twinged in us every time we heard these words…something simultaneously familiar AND foreign. Are we home?

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A regular part of our life as missionaries is returning to our passport country for home assignment (previously known as “furlough”). This will be our first time back to America since the summer of 2024 (two full years) and our sixth such trip since we moved to Uganda in January 2016. Like many other missionaries, our home assignment is filled with activity – visiting churches and supporters to report on our work, additional fundraising, spending time with family and friends, and attempting to recharge our hearts and minds. These trips help us stay in touch with the people who enable us to do our mission and provide a brief respite from the stresses and strains of everyday life in a (beloved) foreign culture.

But these trips also come with their own stressors: It means living out of a suitcase for a couple of months and staying in the homes of other people; It means being on our best behavior as the spotlight is shown on us whenever we arrive at supporting churches; It means trying to compact our whole life, heart, and ministry into two, five, or ten minute sound bites to take advantage of the opportunity we have to tell others the stories that give the ministry richness and meaning. It means many miles spent together in a borrowed vehicle as our family travels from one location to another. It means trying to split our time between family members who want to see us and the work we need to do while in America. It means still maintaining a spiritual “presence” and leadership role in Uganda while also preaching, sharing, and living in churches across several states.

As another missionary states: “We’ve been told that Home Assignment is meant for rest. We’ve also been told it’s meant for fundraising. And for reconnecting with family. And for sharing stories and photos at supporting churches. And for finding new people who might be interested in our ministry. And for reflection and prayer and rejuvenating ourselves before diving in again on the mission field. And…and…and…” (Click THIS BLOG for the full story.)

For us…we are blessed! We are blessed because our hosts, supporters, and meetings are with dear friends and loved ones. God blessed us with the honor of serving with partners who know and love us, so our time is more relational than many other missionaries we know. But it’s still hard to be away from home while also visiting “home;” and with several well-meaning people assuming we are enjoying an extended vacation stateside.

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