Suffering

As you think about some of your fellow cross-cultural workers, you realize that many of them are suffering greatly.

• One man has been in constant physical pain for years because of a problem with his back.
• A woman had a small fortune when she came to serve, but poor financial decisions by friends back home have left her virtually penniless.
• Another couple receives many heart-rending e-mails from their daughter living with a man to whom she is not married.
• Yet another couple cannot forgive themselves because their teenage daughter was molested by a national years ago.
• After nearly two decades of service, a cross-cultural worker family sees its influence nearly wiped out when a cult comes in.

The list could go on and on.  How could it be that faithful cross-cultural workers could suffer so much physically, emotionally, financially, and so forth?  They have been faithful in their service.  It seems like God just does not care.  Where is God anyway?  God rewards his children, doesn’t he?  Does he keep his promises?