Any given second can change our lives forever — a car accident that leaves a young mother paralyzed, a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer that necessitates immediate treatment, a struggling teen who gives in to the suicidal thoughts that have plagued him. None of us are beyond the touch of suffering. However, for missionary families, these crises are complicated by the reality of living overseas where resources and the finances to access them are almost certainly more meager.

Missionaries face a litany of challenges, some like those of their mono-cultural counterparts but others unique to their calling. Issues like language learning (or lack thereof), cultural adaptation, changes in food and temperature, safety concerns, and the lack of familiar social supports in family and friends are just a few sources of stress on a missionary/missionary family. In addition, the pain of watching one's child struggle with these issues greatly compounds the stress that becomes so common to cross-cultural workers.

I recently was reminded about some research that had been done regarding missionaries and stress. "Back in 1999, Drs. Lois and Larry Dodds (of Heartstream Resources) were studying the levels of stress on the mission field, using a modified version of the Holmes-Rahe Scale. In Holmes and Rahe's original study, they found that if you reached a level of 200 on the scale in a year, the cumulative stress would have consequences for some time to come.  In fact, they found that 50% of those who reached this level were hospitalized within two years.  The reasons included heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and other severe illness. If ever the level reached 300, the person was almost certain to end up in the hospital within two years. Frankly, you don't want to have that much change and transition in your life.

The Dodds wanted to find out what the typical missionary went through.  As you might have guessed, the news wasn't good. The typical missionary had not just peaking levels above 300 — they had sustained levels over 300 year after year. The typical missionary, in fact, had  double that level — 600 on the scale! First term missionaries were found to have scores peaking at 900.

In the end, it's worth the stress.  This rescue-mission that we're on is more important than personal comfort. But that’s not to say that we should ignore the issue. Instead, we should minimize the problem as much as we can, so that missionaries can be more effective in their ministries."
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In my 22 years of working as a mental health professional among missionaries and their children, I have seen countless families face huge hurdles. Some have had the benefit of organizations with rich resources and deep pockets, but most have had to fumble through the unfamiliar world of treatment options and help of various kinds with little guidance and support. Having people come alongside these struggling servants makes a world of difference in their painful journey. That is the calling that Melissa hears from God — to follow Jesus in being one "to bring good news to the poor ... to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed." (Isaiah 61:1)

Respectfully,
Susan Stocksdale

Susan is a NCC (National Certified Counselor) and has a M.S. in Community Counseling from Georgia State University and a Diploma in Christian Counseling from Psychological Studies Institute (now Richmont Graduate University). She has been with Africa Inland Mission for 29 years, 23 of those as a counselor at Rift Valley Academy.