Are you the mother or grandmother of a Goer looking for a supportive community? Join other women on a monthly zoom call to talk about your feelings, fears, questions, and quandaries. Scroll to the bottom of this post for more information.
Recently, I asked L.A.B., the mother of a Global Goer to write about what it’s like to have a child living in a conflict zone. Here is her poignant response . . .
We will always remember February 28, 2026, news of the bombings hit us hard. Our youngest daughter, her husband and our two grandchildren were in harm’s way. The US State Department urged all Americans in the Middle East to evacuate. This, layered on top of the past October 7 conflict in the region, felt different, harder to take, our feelings raw and troubled.
Our daughter communicated to us via text daily. She would reassure us that they were doing okay. She told us, when asked, that sirens would go off when air space was violated by missiles or drones from Iran. My husband and I were having a hard time understanding why their sending agency wasn’t urging them to evacuate. We kept hearing that Americans needed to contact their nearest embassy and make evacuation plans. Our daughter reassured us that they had these plans in place if needed. But as the news got bleaker, our fears and anxiety increased. We did not want to burden our them with our fears and worries. I even contacted our daughter’s sending agency; they listened, but were unwilling to give us any information due to confidentiality issues. Our daughter had been in mission work during college, and after graduation working state-side. For the past fourteen years, she and her family have been working as global workers. They had spent seven years in East Asia and currently have served in the Middle East for the past seven years. We have lived with this reality of their life’s work and supported them faithfully with love, and prayerful hearts. You’d think we’d be used to this, but having them in a conflict zone was different.
I remember reaching out to our local church to ask if they knew of other parents of global workers. It was my hope that we could find some local parents going through what we were, and who understood the feelings, and angst we were experiencing. I was told they would get back in touch with me. I did not hear from them for over three weeks. Finally, the response was “we are praying, but we know of no one in your situation:” My husband and I truly felt alone, scared, isolated and powerless. We felt our local church was not supportive in the way we needed and hoped. There were inquiries about the current status of our kids, but what was missing was the “how are you doing?” and “How can we support you during this time?’” We really felt lost for weeks. We prayed and prayed. We knew the kids were in God’s hands. But in reality, our human hearts were hurting. The feelings raw and real. It was not something you could bury, you had to feel the feelings. As a retired medical professional, I understand stress response and anxiety. This was tough, and for the past five months, we have felt waves and a blur of emotions.
This past July, after two years of not seeing them face-to-face, our daughter and her family came home to the states on a short- term home assignment. As older parents, we are so grateful for this time we have had. Each memory made becomes richer and is felt deeper. Our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren are such a blessing to our family and to all whom they serve. They returned home to the Middle East this past week. Through the years, each goodbye becomes harder and harder. My daughter wrote me this, “Thank you for always letting us go, BUT never letting go of us. I see you Mom, even if it feels lonely, I see you. I see God is with you and me and he will sit with us in the sadness.”
It’s during times like this I think back to the family events the kids have missed, Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, deaths of family members, and just normal day-to-day life. I regret that I am not there to help take care of our grandchildren to give her a much-needed break. But we are so grateful and blessed for this time our family had together. We pray that God’s abounding love will protect them in the days ahead and continue to bless their ministry. We also pray for parents and families of global workers that they find the support, love, and care from their local church and sending organizations. It has been my hope and prayer that through this time of feeling lost, and not seen, that we could come along side other families and parents of global workers. We want them know they are not alone, that they are seen, and that their feelings are real. We understand.
———————————————————————-
L.A.B. is a former healthcare worker who, with her husband, shares the joys and anxieties of having a child on the mission field. She would love to meet you and support you in this peculiar calling of being a Sender.
Parents of Goers is starting a monthly Zoom call for mothers and grandmothers of missionaries! We need each other!
Join us on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at
8:30 am PST/9:30 am MST/10:30 am CST/11:30 am EST (the calls will be approximately one hour)
Interested? Contact Sarah at meekhofs@msn.com to sign up and receive a zoom link.
