It was a January day when our daughter Heather shared with us that she had been asked to consider applying for the Cush4Christ mission in Sudan. Shortly after, I was reading about Adoniram Judson, who, with his wife Ann, was the first American to establish a mission to the Far East.

Having already been called by God to minister in India, Adoniram had asked Ann’s father for her hand in marriage by saying, “I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter, early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure for a heathen land and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death” (Walter Newton Wyet, “Ann H. Judson: A Memorial,” from Missionary Memorials, University of Michigan Libraries).

As I read those words I felt a bit like I had been hit by a 2x4. Yet it also put things into perspective for me, and I was overwhelmingly grateful that we are living in the 21st Century with satellite phones, email communication, air travel, malaria medication, and medevac service. What a different experience from that of the missionaries and their families in the 1800s. By the time Heather first traveled with Vince and Julie Ward and their son, Samuel, to Uganda and southern Sudan, she had participated in short-term missions in a variety of countries for several years, was actively seeking full-time mission work abroad, and was working at the U.S. Center for World Mission. So her January news was no surprise, though it did catch us off guard a bit.

By the time we parted with Heather at Los Angeles International Airport, we could quickly locate Sudan on a map, and we were rejoicing that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement had just been signed. After she left, we kept in touch by praying for her, writing and receiving emails, checking out the weather there each day, picturing what she might be doing, keeping track of the time of day in Sudan, and keeping up with the news. While we knew next to nothing about Sudan before, Sudan.Net is now one of our daily internet stops.

Heather’s safety in Sudan is a frequent concern of people, and I confess that my faith is stretched in this area. However, God is faithful and gracious to grow the faith I need, bit by bit. I still worry at times and probably always will, whether she is living in a mud hut in Sudan, taking care of business in downtown Nairobi, or driving the freeways of Los Angeles. When the psalmist reflects in Psalm 121:2 that his “help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth,” I am reminded that, wherever in the world Heather is, her safety is with God.

When He offers this encouragement, is it a guarantee against all physical harm when we are about God’s work? The history of the church and life in general do not bear this out, and God challenges me to shift my focus more from safety in this world to a passion to see His kingdom work accomplished. His protection is not measured by the suffering of believers, but by the strength and courage He offers in the midst of suffering. God is teaching me to be confident in the knowledge that, whatever happens, Heather is in His sure care. I am thankful for the peaceful assurance that He is a good and gracious God, strong and powerful to act.

Learning to trust God is challenging, but saying goodbye to loved ones is really hard to bear. In the midst of parting I immediately want to think of the next time we will meet. So it was when Heather flew to Sudan. My husband and I have always enjoyed learning about other cultures. Over the years one of our pleasures has been to host missionaries and students from other countries, so our excitement and interest in her work helped our loneliness. And it was with great anticipation that we made plans to be with her in Sudan for a visit.

As our departure date drew near, I was increasingly aware that, while it sounded exciting, I really couldn’t wrap my mind around what it would be like to live in Sudan, even for a short time. Heather’s life in a mud hut with no running water, electricity, mail service or phone service is worlds away from our life in southern California. Stepping onto that Boeing 747 was an act of faith. After about three weeks in Sudan, though, I noticed that life seemed to normalize. While on the one hand it was still a bit like living in the pages of National Geographic, on the other hand the people were now friends and the land was mostly like it is here: grass, trees, farmland, beautiful sunsets. When I put a face on a place or a style of living, it isn’t so strange and frightening. I can feel at peace now with where she is. I know her Sudanese family; I can see them in my mind’s eye even as I write. And I am overwhelmingly grateful for the way the Wards and Stringers have embraced her into their family lives. I look forward to the Cush4Christ family growing as Daniel and Natalie Faris finalize their plans to join the team sometime this year with their soon-to-be-born child. We have not so much lost a daughter as we have gained new family members whom we treasure.

Some of my favorite memories with the Cush4Christ team in Sudan are celebrations: birthdays, Thanksgiving, rainy days, Saturday spa days. It didn’t take much to make something a celebration. A can of fruit for dessert, mashed “potatoes” made out of maize meal, a birthday cake baked in a solar oven, washing each other’s hair and soaking our feet under the big tree, crepes for lunch, handmade cards, a floral arrangement of weeds in a jar. There was fun in the conjuring up of ideas, and we weren’t broke and exhausted in the end like we would have been here. There was a sense of gratitude for each other and for what God had lavishly provided. In looking for ways to bring the good of missionary life here to America, I want to be more content and joyful with simple celebrations, and I want to celebrate often!

Parot is in a different time zone in more ways than one. Arranging meeting times is more commonly a matter of pointing to where in the sky the sun will be when you plan to meet. Delays are expected: someone stopping by for tea and a chat, a broken bike, a sudden rainstorm. Meetings may proceed as planned or not; you never know. Amazingly, life goes on. And somehow things like prayer walks find a place into our schedules. Here in southern California we live frenzied lives ruled by organizers and watches with second hands, and we drive miles every day; but I’d like to be more willing to let relationships overrule my calendar when there’s a genuine need or opportunity. I am disturbed by how difficult it is for me to take the time even to pick up the phone and talk to someone for more than five minutes at a time. And I consider the possibility that many of those frustrating delays are really God trying to get my attention by overruling my calendar with His plans.

In God’s economy, we’re all part of His mission work. Life as a missionary is difficult, but there is joy in it, and God is clearly present. What would happen here in America if I were to focus more on relationships and what God is doing in people’s lives and less on checking off activities on an agenda? What if I were to enjoy the pleasures of celebrating in simple ways without going on a spending spree? Might a simpler lifestyle release me to serve God more freely and with more joy? Might I be able to support His work in other parts of the world in more significant ways? Might I know the pleasure of God’s peaceful and gracious presence more often?

Almighty Father, let me see people and events through the lens of Your eternal purposes. Help me take time to pray with leisure and talk to people long enough to really listen to their hearts. Grow gratitude in my heart so that I choose to take pleasure in Your lavish provision. Make Your wisdom mine as I consider how to thoughtfully and with generosity use the resources You have provided. Give me a vision for Your work both here and abroad. Lift my eyes from seeking treasures here on earth to seeking the accomplishment of Your kingdom work. Make it my heart’s passion to see people from every tribe and tongue confess Your Son Jesus as Savior and worship Him as Lord of Lords and King of kings. Show me how to translate that high and lofty vision into the mundane stuff of life. Thank You that You have entrusted Your work here to us, Your servants, and that as we speak forth Your Word it does not return void.

Irene Huizing and her husband, Howard, are members of the Los Angeles, Calif., RPC. She is retired from the administration at Chapman University.