It seems to be rare for missionary teachers to spend the summers in their countries of service. Why? Because they are usually "home" for the summers, visiting family and trying to raise support. That's certainly been our experience in the past.
The pros of going stateside for six weeks or so are fairly obvious:
- Getting to see precious family members and dear friends
- Opportunities to reconnect with sending churches & sponsors
- Chances to buy affordable clothing, books & coffee
- Air conditioning, iced drinks & free refills
However, if we're in the US, then we're not here in the Czech Republic, which means that we miss out on the following:
- Chances to build relationships with our neighbors, co-workers & students
- Ability to assist with ongoing school improvement projects
- Engaging in summer outreach such as English camp
- Opportunities to study Czech
The decision to remain in Prague this summer was really out of our hands, since we cannot leave the EU until Susanna Jane has a long-term visa. We'd love to introduce our daughter to family members and dear friends; we'd love to visit our supporting churches and let everyone know how very thankful we are. On the other hand, it's a tremendous blessing to remain in the Czech Republic this summer, and we're looking forward to what God has in store for us here.
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