missionary marriage book

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Missionary

Marriage Issues

Ronald L. Koteskey

Member Care Consultant

GO InterNational

Missionary Marriage Issues 2

2009

(Revised May 2009)

Ronald L. Koteskey

122 Lowry Lane

Wilmore, KY 40390

USA

[email protected]

www.missionarycare.com

Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book in itsentirety without charge.

Send it to anyone you believe may benefit from reading it.

Please do NOT post this book anywhere else on the Internet.


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Missionary Marriage Issues105

Bring them to your field of service where you can hireMissionary Marriage Issues 106

A more general book about blessings is The Blessing by


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good, low-cost help to give them adequate care nearyou.

Return to your passport country for a period of time tocare for them personally.

Blessing

The Biblical concept of the blessing originated in thevery first book of the Old Testament. Many missionaries find ithelpful to ask for and receive the blessing of their parents just as

was the case with Jacob, Joseph, and Josephs children whileliving in their host culture. A study of Genesis 27-28 and 48-49reveals the importance of the blessing.

Isaac called his sons to give his blessing, Esau first(Genesis 27:1-4) and later Jacob (Genesis 28:1).

Both Jacob and Esau asked for Isaacs blessing, Jacobfirst (Genesis 27:19) and then Esau (Genesis 27:34, 38).

The blessing was so important that Jacob deceived to getit, and Esau was ready to kill his brother because he did.

Jacob then passed the blessing on to each of his sons(Genesis 49). The author of Genesis ends by saying,This is what their father said to them when he blessedthem, giving each the blessing appropriate to him(Genesis 49:28).

Jacob (Israel) also asked to bless his grandchildren(Genesis 48:9).

Jacob blessed Joseph and his two sons, Ephriam andManasseh, giving the greater blessing to the youngergrandchild.Parents may find it easier to let their children and

grandchildren go if they have given their blessing. If yourparents are believers, you may want to suggest that they preparea blessing modeled after the ones Jacob gave in Genesis 48

not necessarily using animal analogies, but giving each theappropriate blessing.

Gary Smalley and John Trent. It gives more detail andadditional suggestions not possible to list here. This blessingmay be given in a number of settings.

Family setting. You may want it to be a family eventwith only rather close family members being present.

Church setting. You may want it to be a church familyevent at a special meeting in your church.

Commissioning service. If a relatively small number ofpeople are involved, this may even be part of yourcommissioning as you leave.

If your parents will grant their blessing, it will make iteasier on all involved. Even unbelieving parents who do notunderstand the Biblical basis of it are often helped by givingtheir blessing and permission to go.


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Missionary Marriage Issues117

missionaries. We are not sent by the agency, but go only wheninvited by the missionaries themselves.


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v y a v .

Care of Missionaries in a Geographical Area. We are

seeing the realization of a dream we have had for several years,a dream of providing care for missionaries from many differentagencies in a given place. We go on a regular basis to the samemissionaries so that they will get to know us and feel free to talkwith us, rather than just going to help in a crisis situation. Wevisit Bolivia on a regular basis, talking with 30-35 missionariesfrom five different mission agencies each time.

Reentry. We facilitate reentry retreats for missionariesin transition as they return to the USA. This includes a groupdebriefing as we talk for two days about where they have been,where they are now and where they are going.

Missionary Kids. Since we live near a college that hasa rather large number of TCKs, we were very involved with

them while we were teaching at the college. Of course, nowthat we are retired and travel more, we are unable to keep up thesame active relationship. However, we do let them know thatwe are available to help them however we can, and they contactus for everything from taxes to borrowing things to personalproblems.

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