Half A Day Away

Chapter 9 ▪ Mission

Arthur and Nancy had been in love with each other and in love with God as long as they could remember. They shared so many things in life. Their collective early backgrounds included abandonment, parents in jail for multiple drug offenses, various stops in the foster care system, and finally placement in a Children's' Home in East Tennessee run by a Christian Agency. Arthur was placed there at age seven and Nancy at age ten. Eventually their paths crossed at the stables. Both had a love for horses.

At the Children's Home, they learned of a Savior who loved them unconditionally. The two were inseparable and neither one was ever placed with adoptive family. Never mind; they had a Heavenly Father and loving role models at the home.

And they had God's call. Both Arthur and Nancy sensed in their teen years that their future would be one of missions. An opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Costa Rica one summer away from college cemented this call. When God later joined them in Holy Matrimony, it was a covenant of mission as well as marriage. A month prior they both applied to an international mission board and were awaiting word as they set up house together. They jointly decided to forego any formal honeymoon trip to save funds for their missionary work.

On furlough from their current placement, the loving missionary couple was traveling back to Tennessee to stop in and see old friends and mentors at the Children's Home. On the way, there would be stops at various churches that supported them with prayer and finances. One happened to be a Church of God in Asheville, North Carolina...

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"Let's go, Mom!"

"It's great to finally see a smile on your face, Em! We usually have to drag you to church lately."

Her mother was correct; Emily had avoided church over the past few weeks, as she suffered silently. But Joy was going to be there, and after all it was the Christmas season. Not only that, but Joy mentioned something about missionaries speaking. Thus, no boring sermon. My apologies, Reverend Tate, she thought, but couldn't help giggling.

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"Brother Arthur, Sister Nancy?"

"Yes?

"Sorry, I am Emily! It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too! We are so thankful for the prayers and support you have given us. It means so much to us!"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Absolutely!! Anything!"

"Do you ever minister in Manila?"

"Our calling is to a more remote area of the Philippine Islands, as we talked about in the service today. But of course we enter and leave the country through the airport in Manila. Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason! Thank you for coming to our church to-"

"Emily - have you ever considered whether God is calling you to the mission field? I sense a deep calling of God on you."

Emily tried hard not to look in the eyes of this sweet young woman. Eyes that had seen so much hurt, but also much joy. But she could not. Her own eyes began to well up with the pent-up tears of months holding in her secret. Seconds later, she was sobbing uncontrollably on Nancy's shoulder, who quietly escorted her to a private room. Through her tears, Emily confessed to Nancy about Paulo, Le Bab, all of it. They both prayed to Jesus about it, with Emily asking God for forgiveness. Her burden was lifted.