The boot is on the other foot!

For the last fifteen years I have spent a large amount of my time seeking to encourage people into overseas missional activity. I have had varying degrees of success in this venture!
Over the past twenty years I have been bringing up my children, final tally four. I seem to have had varying degrees of success in this venture also! (but that is another story!)
What do I do when those two collide?
My eldest is now committing to work for four months at a hospital placement in west Africa ... it is very interesting to reflect on the emotions and thoughts that this brings forth as we embark on another phase of parenting.

Initial thoughts:
1/ This represents an opportunity for me to make a personal visit back to west africa. This time I have another reason to go! Okay, so this is a selfish thought - but it's there nonetheless!
2/ Viewing the application process from another perspective is an interesting one - suddenly the questions that are asked take on a different meaning and importance.
3/ It gives a fresh appreciation of what our parents went through as we were preparing to go overseas - counting the cost of separation, thinking through ways to communicate.
4/ I am looking forward to hearing of fresh experiences of God, through both the good times and the challenges that lie ahead.
5/ I am thinking about things (on her behalf though she hasn't asked me to!) that I never gave a moments thought to when I went overseas for 2 years at about same age. "How wonderfully liberating youth is!" or "How unnecessarily complicated life has become!"
Early days, and no doubt more thoughts will emerge though overall there I always have a real sense of excitement as I watch my children spread their wings and move forward. God alone knows what He has prepared in advance for them to do ... and He will work in them to cause them to will and to act according to His good purpose ... revealing what needs revealing, when it needs revealing. May they each have ears to hear and a desire to listen!
Watch this space ... there will be more to come!
(Which makes me think of point 6/, another selfish thought, I must encourage her to blog so that she can write some posts that I can include here ... that will save me some time!!)
Press on!