After serving in Japan for four years, my wife and I returned with mixed feelings to our home country for our first home assignment. We were excited to see our family and friends again, but sad to leave behind our friends and fellow missionaries in Japan. We were about to discover that mixed feelings were going to be a key part of home assignment.

After we arrived, we realized that the place we once knew so well had changed. There were new subway lines, new slang, and new cultural trends, and in many ways, home no longer felt fully familiar. We often found ourselves searching our memory for places and routes we used to know well.

Then we began to notice that we had changed, too: we naturally combined the culture of our home country and that of Japan. We also kept comparing life in Japan with life in our home country. Over time, we learnt to accept this as part of who we are now.

But during home assignment we also discovered that we experienced a deeper connection with friends and family that was not possible through messages or phone calls.

When we shared real life stories from Japan, we saw how God had been at work, both in Japan and in our own lives. This encouraged us and those who listened.

We spoke honestly about our struggles and challenges and we were thankful for the grace, prayers, and understanding that people showed us, knowing that we are simply sinners saved by grace and called to become missionaries.

By the end of our home assignment, we’d realized that it was not only an important part of missionary life, but also a reminder of God’s rich blessings in our journey.

By an OMF missionary