Furlough is just one of the many things associated with being a missionary kid and just like everything else, there are a whole bunch of emotions involved. I think how an MK views furlough really changes from person to person, some love the chance to go back to the states, see family, and go shopping, while others view it as being torn from their home and thrown into a place they know little about.

Furlough was always a mix of feelings for me. My first furlough was during the first half of my middle school years. This meant that I had to start over right at the beginning of my teenage years which was without a doubt one of the hardest things I’ve had to do, but it led to many friends and tons of great memories. My parents took us kids to national parks and museums during our travels, making the trips fun and not all tiresome driving. Still it was hard to be in a different place each week, a new church filled with people asking the same questions.

Furloughs since then have been much the same. You meet people, maybe even become friends with them, then you leave and don’t see them for years, if ever. It can also be tiring to listen to the same sermon and watch the same video for what seems like a hundredth time, each time missing the faces in the video just a little bit more. Despite all this, there is also a side to furlough that can be amazing. I’ve seen God use furlough to bless people countless times. What we as Mk’s have heard dozens of times from our parents can lead someone to the Lord or maybe to the ministry. So while I may often feel like I get the short end of the stick when it comes to going on furlough, I can’t complain. Furloughs always led to a whole mix of emotions but in the end I enjoyed each one.

-by Ashley Robertson, MK to Costa Rica