Vacations -- A Missionary's Guilty Pleasure

Nancy and I got to Ecuador last week, spent some time with some of our folks, then headed for the beach.

Same, Ecuador (Sah-may) is a place of healing for me. We've spent countless vacations here, with our boys and friends, over Christmas and in the summer. I even have a sweet memory of my sister and her boys stranded here with us, when a general strike closed the roads. Not a bad place to be stuck. 

My happy place

But when we got here, Nancy clicked two pictures, posted them on Facebook and I thought, "Crap!" 

Missionaries don't like to tell you about their vacations. If we ever do, we qualify it with phrases like, "We found a great deal!" or "Used frequent flier miles!" or "Someone blessed us with!" Those things are probably true. But many could also say, "We lived frugally and saved for it." or "The last few months have left me emotionally exhausted. I needed time away." 

You see, people give us money. Widows give us money. Personally, since our basement flooded, people have given us all kinds of money, supplies and help to fix it. And here I sit, looking at the ocean. Something about that feels wrong. 

We wrestle with that, the guilt of taking a break, in the beautiful places God has landed us. Especially when we know other's have sacrificed to send us here. And anxiously, we wonder if our donors feel the same way.

So there are missionaries who don't take great vacations. Or we hide them from you, like a dog afraid you'll steal his bone. That's why I love Nancy. Secrecy isn't in her. "I'm on vacation. (click, click) Deal with it."

Missionaries need vacations. It's in those places where we can reflect on our lives, on God's creation and his presence. He renews our vision, our calling and affirms who we are in him. It's when we rest, cease to pour out and only exist to be filled.

Missionaries need vacations. Just ask them. You need one too.