The 9 Ways Missionaries Say Goodbye

Saying goodbye. It’s the elephant in every room, a silently acknowledged fact, a normal rhythm of a missionary’s life. Jesus commissioned us to “go into all the world”, and we know it’s not easy. But how do you deal with so many goodbyes? I’m a missionary kid, I’ve moved countries three times, and I’ve been in missions for over five years. Through all of these experiences, I’ve got a storehouse of goodbyes. I learned the hard way to process them—or else the grief caught up to me, one way or another. When I finally started processing my own transitions, nine “types” appeared around me (and in me)—each dealing with their losses in a unique way.…