Missionaries give up a lot to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. They’re lauded for their bravery, their zeal, their sacrifice. But what of those they leave behind? Sending loved ones to the mission field is a different kind of sacrifice, one that’s not as often discussed—and the pain is particularly acute when those loved ones are grandchildren.  

What does it take for a grandparent to endure the grief and anxiety of separation?

In the final Anne of Green Gables book, Anne prepares to send her son to fight in the Great War. She says, “I am determined that I will send my boy off tomorrow with a smile. He shall not carry away with him the remembrance of a weak mother who had not the courage to send him when he had the courage to go.”

Mack Stiles’s latest article will help give that kind of bravery to those who face their grandkids being taken to distant and perhaps dangerous places. He acknowledges the pain while warning about the cost of adding bitterness to your child’s decision to go. And he holds out a different option: the glory of being a supportive sender. “Be supportive and help them go,” he writes. “I promise your care for them in this way will never be forgotten. And they’ll brag about how great you are to the grandchildren.”

Stiles also advises missionaries on how to make the painful separation easier on their parents. So whether you’re a missionary or the parent of one, read his article to learn how to be, like Anne and her son, a shining example of courage. For the sake of the Great Commission, dare to go and dare to send those you love most.