Untitled - St.Francis Magazine

St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 2 | April 2012 The Random House Dictionary (1987, p. 777) designates a furlough as “a vacation or leave of absence…” This is not, however, the reality for most missionaries who return to their homeland. Usually, there is no vacation, absence from work, and no holiday. For the missionary, the furlough is a time to reconnect with supporters and to assure them that that their contributions are accounted for and well-­‐invested. It is also a time for fund-­‐raising. This is the reality of a missionary’s “furlough.” Sometimes, if they are fortunate, they may have opportunities for much-­‐needed rest. One missionary was frustrated about the misunderstanding of furlough. He stated, …please don’t call it a sabbatical or vacation! People do this with good intentions, but sometimes home assignment can be even more busy and stressful than life in the mission field. It is a lot of running around and teaching and preaching and meeting and giving the same talk time after time…it is certainly not vacation. Another missionary opined: …it is important for churches and dioceses to recognize if missionaries on recess from the field are tasked with too many responsibilities in the home church, they will not get the rest they need. The same theme was repeated by someone who continues to serve in a difficult field: [Our church could] aid in hosting larger gatherings where many can be addressed at one time with current ministry and progress reports. It is difficult to meet with smaller groups as it takes away much of your furlough time needed for rest. 143