Parents of Missionaries: How to Thrive and Stay Connected When Your Children and Grandchildren Serve Cross-Culturally
Available October 2008

STL/Authentic will publish this comprehensive handbook for all POMs, based on Cheryl's research, Diane's POM experience, and the experiences and stories that YOU shared with us. Our thanks to all who participated!

A comprehensive handbook for all POMs, based on Cheryl's research, Diane's POM experience, and the experiences and stories that YOU shared with us. Our thanks to all who participated! To read the endorsements we’ve received, click here.

The book has four main sections:

Can I Tell You How I Feel?—Honestly dealing with four key life issues (handling grief, relating to adult children, facing an empty nest, and dealing with complex emotions) allows POMs to adjust and thrive.

Hello, Good-Bye, Hello, Good-bye—POMs can meet the challenges of preparation, send-off, understanding life on the field, and reconnecting at furlough time.

Staying Connected—Practical, inspirational insights for creating and keeping strong family bonds across the miles, including connecting with grandchildren, using technology to stay in touch, traveling to the field to visit, and celebrating holidays.

From Surviving to Thriving—The POM journey can lead to good places if we are willing to find help for ourselves and offer help to others.

As the pub date gets closer, we’ll provide excerpts and tell you how to purchase the book.

Endorsements!

• We do not often think about the families missionaries leave behind, yet parents of missionaries often miss their children and grandchildren and experience a variety of emotions: fear, anger, pride, loneliness, and perhaps even bitterness toward God. Authors Cheryl Savageau and Diane Stortz are uniquely qualified to address these important but often neglected topics, providing tangible steps toward acceptance and adjustment.—Doug Priest, executive director, CMF International

• This book speaks to the greatest unseen cost of missionary work—the ache of parents separated from their children and grandchildren who serve Christ overseas. Until recently, many have suffered in silence. But through this book and the network of parents behind it, there is practical help in finding peace in the great ministry of being the parent of a missionary. —Dick Alexander, senior minister, LifeSpring Christian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Just enough gripping stories and quotes from parents of missionaries and their missionary offspring humanize this handbook that deals with God’s call to be loving parents of missionaries who build healthy family relationships. I recommend it also for church leaders who want to better understand the dynamics of sending out missionary families from their church.
 —Dr. Wayne Shaw, dean emeritus and professor of preaching, Lincoln Christian College and Seminary, Lincoln, Illinois; president of the board, Asian Pacific Christian Mission International; and a POM

• Parents of Missionaries lets parents know they aren’t alone in their thoughts and feelings and provides practical suggestions for dealing with them. A wonderful gift for missionaries to give to their parents, especially missionaries leaving for the first time. Agencies may also want to give it to parents of new missionaries.—Dr. Ronald L. Koteskey, member care consultant, New Hope International Ministries

• This is a great book to give to any parent of a missionary, whether they just found out their kid is going to the field or they have been POMs for a long time. As the missions minister at our church, I plan to buy a copy for each of the families whose children are called to be missionaries.—Wade Landers, missions minister, College Heights Christian Church, Joplin, MO

• At last, here is an extremely comprehensive book for the parents of missionaries! Cheryl Savageau and Diane Stortz's partnership has left no stone unturned in researching helps for those who "stay by the stuff." This is a must-read. I know of no other book that so expertly addresses the needs of parents of missionaries at so many levels.—Sherrie Johnson, ENHANCE Dept., coordinator of Family Ministries, EFCA ReachGlobal

• This book is a must read for all parents of missionaries and those who want to understand and minister to POMs. Real stories and honest emotions from POMs and their missionary children give us insight into the struggles of both parties. Diane and Cheryl give practical, positive advice. POMs cannot help but be encouraged after reading this book. We can't wait to share this book with every one of our POMs.
—Steve and Becky Overlin, Pioneer Bible Translators Missionary Care Dept.

• For years I have been praying almost every day that God would raise up 100 men and women from our church to serve in international missions. It was not until my nephew answered that call and moved to Greece that I began to understand the challenges facing the family and the church that sends those bold souls to pursue such a noble cause. The authors of this book have written from personal experience and given a gift to everyone involved in supporting a missionary. The comprehensive treatment of the challenges that must be faced and the practical helps they have provided will both comfort and equip families who are sending someone they love to “the uttermost parts of the earth” in the name of Christ.—Cam Huxford, senior pastor, Savannah Christian Church, Savannah, GA

• Cheryl and Diane provide a practical overview of what to expect as a POM that is helpful for both those caught by surprise by the honor of becoming POMs as well as for those who have longed and prayed for that privilege for many years. This comprehensive tool will help parents become missionaries most enthusiastic cheerleaders. Parents of Missionaries is packed full of insights about our God-given emotions that make it difficult to release our children to live in a distant land. But by being a supportive parent, we can encourage them to persevere in the role God has called them. We, too, will share in the joy of the harvest!
—Lorrie Lindgren, CEO and president of Women of the Harvest

• A book for parents of missionaries…what a needed resource! Cheryl Savageau and Diane Stortz do an outstanding job of helping POMs honestly deal with all the complex emotions involved in this journey of change, pain, and fulfillment.—Dave Stone, senior minister, Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY

• As overseas missionaries, my wife and I received tremendous encouragement from both sets of parents. Their wholehearted affirmation of God's call on our lives made all the difference in our cross-cultural experience—already super-charged with difficulty. We could never have accomplished what we did without their prayerful and active support. Reflecting on it now, our parents were by far the most important members of our team, even from a distance of twelve thousand miles. While we applaud the missionary who steps out in faith, what of those left behind? What is the "hidden cost" in the lives of those who release their children and grand children to the Lord's service? And, just as importantly, how can family members transform themselves from reluctant observers into powerful participants? Parents of Missionaries will help every missionary-sending family navigate this challenging and potential-packed journey.—Steve Richardson, president, Pioneers-USA, Orlando, FL

• It’s one thing to send money to support a missionary. But what if the Lord asks you to send your son, your daughter, or your grandchildren to the other side of the earth? Most of us find it a lot easier to write a check than to face prolonged separation from our loved ones. Yet, when we pray for the Lord to send workers into the harvest field, we can’t add a disclaimer: “And please, Lord, send someone else’s kids instead of mine!” This book will help all of us with loved ones involved in cross-cultural ministry to make sure our relationships survive and thrive. Thanks to Cheryl and Diane for showing how we can support our children when they follow God’s call—even when fulfilling the Great Commission takes them to the other side of the world. —Dr. David Faust, president, Cincinnati Christian University