Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! I hope you and your husbands enjoy a wonderful day celebrating your love for one another! My husband is off at a ministry event tonight, giving a talk to students about true love and the gospel. I am home with the kids and looking forward to his return so we can celebrate together a little bit! It’s a bit non-traditional, but we’re making vegetarian sushi for our celebration.  Should be fun!

For today’s Tuesday Topic, what is one thing that you as a couple do or value in order to strengthen your marriage? What has helped you to grow in love for one another?

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

Chrysti in England asked this question in the comments of the last post, and I thought it was a great one for this week’s Tuesday Topic: How do you handle going back to the US after adapting to living in your host culture? I have found it to be challenging for the first couple weeks or so because people tend to think I’m being different on purpose!

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

God declares in His word that mankind is created in His very own image, each of us reflecting various characteristics of God himself. It is incredible when we take time to see how this truth is reflected in countries and people groups throughout the world, each with different cultures full of people reflecting various aspects of God’s very own nature. What are some aspects of the culture where you live where you see the image of God shining through? Are the people hospitable? Are they generous? Do they work hard to do quality work? Are they sacrificial?… We have friends here from Indonesia, Niger, Kenya, Hungary, Paraguay, Brazil, the U.S., Pakistan, Ukraine, India, Australia, Latvia, Kiribati….and all over the globe! It would be so encouraging to hear some of the certainly diverse ways that God’s character is being revealed throughout the earth!

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

The holiday season is often a time full of so many different strong emotions, especially when living miles and seas and borders away from our family and the culture that has been the setting for most of our treasured holiday celebrations growing up . How are you feeling as we start coming up on Thanksgiving and Christmas? Are you feeling excited? Distracted and busy? Homesick?…  Are any of you spending your first holiday season on the field? How can we be praying for you during this season? If you would please take a moment, please pray for your sisters in Christ who comment here, as well as for the rest around the world who need an extra dose of the Lord’s peace and closeness during this joyous but sometimes painful time of year.

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

From Melissa in North Africa: As a new mom living in the Muslim world, I would love to hear about juggling a young baby and the responsibilities of that, all while honoring guests when they spontaneously drop by for a visit. I personally am a planner and prefer notice about when friends are going to drop by, however that isn’t always possible in the event oriented culture that I live in. In North Africa, it’s common for people to stop by unexpectedly, and culturally I should receive them well by serving the appropriate local treats (tea or coffee along with cookies and other local snacks). I find the spontaneity of the culture challenging while trying to juggle a routine / schedule with a baby.

Do you have any thoughts on this issue? If you live in a similar culture, what has helped you?

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

Last week at a woman’s outreach I mistakenly replaced the word “marriage” with the word “enemy.” Yikes! Definitely NOT what I was trying to say! Also, this past Christmas I informed a friend of mine that I had decorated a small hedgehog for Christmas (instead of a Christmas tree)! What is the funniest language mistake that you’ve ever made? If you speak English where you are, do you have any other funny cultural mishap stories?

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)