It is now the middle point in the first semester. We’re halfway through until December break. The time when students start to really remember what they are missing out on at home. When the newness and sense of wonder has worn off for many. The many things about the culture that once held intrigue and interest, now causes frustration and confusion. I feel it myself and I see it in the students. The language barrier can be frustrating as we try to communicate things to our host families. We stutter through sentences and search for the right words to express our thoughts or desires to those who understand no English.

This isn’t anything new but living overseas is not always sunshine and rainbows. There are many days of discouragement and frustration. The girls have many emotions as they process these transitions with me. The day usually does not end without some tears shed by someone having a particularly rough day. It can be difficult to express this experience to people and supporters back home. After all, shouldn’t we be grateful for this incredible opportunity?

They do their best to put on their brave faces, but I see through the strong exteriors they have. I see girls who miss their parents, their siblings, their friends and the comforts of home. They wrestle through navigating these relationships long distance and struggle with the dynamic shifts. They mourn what they have left behind and the relationships that will no longer be the same when they return. They struggle with the diet changes as their bodies adjust to new foods and ways of cooking. I watch them experience fears and anxieties they have never before experienced, caused by a new environment with new unknowns. They question the future. The convictions and personal beliefs they once held are now in question as they seek truth on their own. They make sacrifices they are not used to making.

But through all these tough times.

I also see these bold, beautiful young girls who desire with all their hearts to serve the people around them. Their hearts are full of compassion for the people in our communities. I see a courage that many young people their age do not have. I see an extreme hunger for God and a desire to know more of who He is. I watch as they balance school, studies, learning a language and as they balance relationships back home with relationships here. I see them excelling and achieving as they speak full sentences in Spanish, and I watch the light in their eyes as they are able to finally communicate to natives. I see a strength and boldness in these young girls that makes my heart swell. They have given up much and they complain little.

There are days we accept discouragement and frustration as a group because there are many. We are learning to accept that even the strongest, bravest people have doubts and experience moments of overwhelm. We are learning to rest and accept that these emotions are very human and are part of the process. Oh, how human and incapable we are. As we learn to lean into a God who holds these emotions ever so tenderly, my prayer is that these girls would never forget that their Heavenly Father hears every cry of their heart. Or how His love, though at times doesn’t make sense, is all-understanding and patient.

Missions is not for the faint of heart. But it is for those who want to experience a full heart. A fullness of God that only He gives. And it is guaranteed that these girls will experience that over the next year.