A POM gives thanks

POM Karen Stapleton captures the thankful hearts of POMs everywhere in this blog post:

http://tinyurl.com/y9cjyms

Parents of Missionaries on radio/internet

This week United News & Information (UNI) is airing an interview George Carden did with me about the book Parents of Missionaries: How to thrive and stay connected when your children and grandchildren serve cross-culturally.

Program information is available at 202-783-2444 or uninews@uninews.com .

And this Friday afternoon (October 16) both Cheryl and I will be interviewed by Scott Hollinger of MemCare By Radio, http://www.membercareradio.com/ whose programs air on radio and the internet and are especially geared toward cross-cultural workers in areas with limited resources for member care.

It’s not uncommon for missionaries to go to the field with unresolved issues with family at home, so we’re especially pleased about this opportunity.

Please pray for Cheryl and me as we prepare and talk with Scott.

–posted by Diane

Missionary Parents Fellowship in Kansas and Nebraska

In late August, a group of 21 POMs met together for the first time, organized by Priscilla Sapp. Also attending the Friday night-Saturday meeting were IMB staff and the IMB trustee for Kansas and Nebraska. Local people led worship and organized the food.

“It was a good first meeting and we plan on having it annually and then possibly we’ll have smaller regional meetings periodically,” Priscilla reported. “It definitely met needs as several families are in the process of sending off their kids for the first time.”

Priscilla used materials from our book, Parents of Missionaries, and from our website, http://www.pomnet.org, to plan and prepare for the event.

To learn more, contact Priscilla at priscillasapp@gmail.com .

Grandparents go techno!

Yesterday through twitter I discovered a blog for grandparents to help them (us!) negotiate the Internet, e-mail, and social media to stay connected with our grandchildren. You’ll find Grandparents TLC (Technology to help Loving grandparents Connect with grandchildren) at  http://www.grandparentstlc.com/blog/ .

The post for October 2 is titled “Three Steps to Get Grandparents Online.” Who should read this? Author Shayne Packer (Grandpa Shayne) says,

“Grandparents who are privileged to have one or more of your parents still living.

Parents who would like to facilitate a healthy relationship between your children and their grandparents and great-grandparents.

Anyone who knows a grandmother or grandfather who is reluctant or afraid to dip their foot into the Internet.”

So, missionaries, POMs, and grandparents—let’s get connected. The benefits are HUGE.

—posted by Diane

POM bloggers

In our last newsletter we listed links to POMs whose blogs we enjoy. Some write only about their POM experiences and some write with a wider focus. All offer POMs encouragement, insight, and connection.

Some bloggers were accidentally left off the list, and one link was wrong. So here’s a more complete and hopefully a correct listing.

Karen Stapleton, Parent of a Missionary
http://parentofamissionarymyreflections.blogspot.com/

Dee Porterfield, Hot-flashed Funk (see especially the July 10 post at link below)
http://deeporterfield.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/ive-things-to-consider-when-your-child-wants-to-be-a-missionary/

Denise Goodale, A Grandmother’s Heartbeat
http://grandmothersheartbeat.blogspot.com/

Terri Marks, Calico Woman (see Missionary Mom link below and also the archives)
http://www.calicowoman.com/missionarymom.html

Robin Ryan, Robinznest
http://robin-robinznest.blogspot.com/

Rose Jackson, Peregination and Inspiration
http://www.rospiration.blogspot.com/ (see especially the 3-31-09 post and also Rose’s accounts of her trip to the field in January and February 2008.

Marina Bromley wrote about the first trip she and her husband made to visit their daughter and son-in-law on the field at Mark ‘n Marina Go 2, http://mnmgo2.blogspot.com/

Marina also blogs at Marina’s Kitchen Table
http://marinaskitchentable.blogspot.com/

Help us keep this list current. If you know of other blogs we should add or if links change, let us know. Thanks!

—posted by Diane

A missionary dad blesses his adult children

Today I found the blog of a “finishers” missionary couple, Dave and Ann. Finishers are those who become missionaries later in life, often after their own children are adults.

The September 2 post is written to the couple’s adult children. I loved three things about this blog: its gentle tone, the cultural insights it communicates, and a wonderful parental blessing at the end.

Here’s the blessing:

“Blessings to my precious pearls. I love each of you dearly and thank you for your steadfastness, your faith, your love, and your gracious patience with your missionary parents. Our absence does not diminish our deep and abiding love for each of you. Not a single day goes by that you are not on our minds and deep within our hearts.”

In Parents of Missionaries, Cheryl and I wrote about the importance of giving our missionary children our blessing. Although Dave as the parent is the missionary here, the principle still applies—our children want and need our blessing.

Here’s the link to the blog, if you’d like to read the entire post, http://adedrickmz.blogspot.com/2009/09/short-cuts.html

Our actions need to back up the blessing we give. Dave’s blog seems to be one way that he does that—he’s taking time to connect with his kids in a way that I’m sure must be meaningful to them.

How are you blessing your missionary or mission recruit today?

—posted by Diane

Two special visits

This week Diane and I took the opportunity to present our  ministry and our book to two special gentlemen who care about missions, missionaries, and the cost paid by families who send and stay behind. We talked with Mark Vowels at Bob Jones University and Bob Caldwell at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church, both here in Greenville, South Carolina. Both men were unaware of NNPOM and both were very happy to learn about our resources. What an encouragement for us!

—posted by Cheryl

New use for your answering machine

My youngest daughter’s boyfriend’s mother has two sons in the military. Her answering machine message starts out something like, “You’ve reached the home of a military mom.”

Got me to thinking–why couldn’t POMs customize voicemail messages too? “You’ve reached the home of Diane and Ed…parents of missionaries. ” Or, “Thanks for calling, and please pray today for more believers in Bosnia.” You get the idea. A great way to increase missions awareness and stand up and be counted as POMs.

Wish I’d thought of this while our kids were still on the field, and hoping some of you will give it a try. If you do, let the rest of us know!

—posted by Diane

A look at missionary life

My Google alert for “parents of missionaries” brings some worthwhile blog posts my way. Here’s the most recent one, a missionary’s video and blog post that together express his take on both the hardships and blessings of leaving his passport country to live and work somewhere far away: http://thedesertpastor.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/africans-being-added-to-the-church/

It’s always good for POMs to seek to understand their missionary and grandchildren’s experience as much as possible. And to realize that we have a part in the joys they experience as the church grows.

–posted by Diane

Recruits with the right idea

A young couple making plans for overseas work, “Casey ‘n Jenny,” wrote about the NNPOM website on their blog recently. They titled the post “Left Behind” and started out, “Hey, Family and Church Friends!” They listed some of the features of our site and encouraged family and friends to visit. Then they added:

Even though we’re not leaving anytime soon, this is something that Casey and I would really like to encourage as we begin our new life in Asia.  We love our families!  They have been so supportive about this decision and we want them supported as well.  Yet another way you can become involved in our ministry! . . . Feel free to share any ideas that you may have on how our families can stay connected, supported, and prayed for while we’re away!

It’s great to learn about recruits who are thinking ahead to what their families will need in their absence and making plans for how they will stay connected.

—posted by Diane