HAVE you ever wondered what the missionary does when he comes home?  You might imagine that during the few months he is here he has nothing to but enjoy being with his family, relatives, brethren, and friends.  In other words, you might call it an extended vacation with pay.  If this were true then no doubt he would deserve the time for rest, but this is not the whole story?
        I can't speak for others, although I have a pretty good idea of the kind of home visit they have, but I can speak for myself and I must say that there is more than enough to do when I come home.  As a matter of fact, when I am in the mission field itself I often conclude that I am more busy there than at any other time of my life.  Then when I come home and begin to make the rounds and to do all the things that must be done here I decided that it would be impossible to be busier than I am right here.
        Most people have no idea whatsoever of all that the missionary has to do during the time he is at home.  He comes supposedly for rest, but he gets little.  There are relatives to visit and supporting congregations to report to.  If additional support is needed he must visit with many congregations over the country to find it.  This means many hours of travel, week after week, besides all of the other work that goes with it.  There are mission workshops and lectureships to appear on and re-ports to send in to the papers.  Also, there is a monthly report to be gotten out to all of the supporters.
        But that is not all.  There are letters and letters and more letters that have to be written every week.  These involve making appointments, expressing appreciation for support, giving instructions as to where the monthly help is to be sent, and so on.  Then, having worked in Asia for the past ten years, and having brethren in Karachi, Pakistan, Colombo, Ceylon, New Delhi, India, Kathmandu, Nepal, and Teheran, Iran, who are counting on me to correspond with them on a regular basis, letters of instruction and encouragement must be written to them.  Should I not do so, it would be a great hurt to them personally and to the work itself.  Of course as I write to them every week, this lets them know that I am trying to help them in every way I can.  I want to do this, and I love to do it, but naturally it takes up a lot of my time.
        In addition, we put out a monthly magazine in New Delhi, India, and even while I am here that goes on.  Being the editor of it, I must write its editorials and supply much of the rest of the material for it.
        And on and on the list of responsibilities go.  I can truthfully say that I am constantly on the move in the interest of this work, or else I am buried in my office at home with dozens and dozens of things that need to be done.  As if that weren't enough, I must find a little time to try to be a husband to my wife and a father to my children, not to mention the time I need for my own personal study, prayers, writings and other duties.  I make mention of these things only to give you some idea of what a missionary has to do while he is at home.

Winona, Miss.