On June 8, 2026, the North American Division (NAD) welcomed 65 missionaries to its headquarters as part of the General Conference (GC) Institute of World Mission’s “Welcome Home” retreat. There, they engaged with NAD leaders, toured the building, and enjoyed a meal with fellow missionaries and other church workers.

“There is an old saying that home is where they have to let you in. Today, you didn’t even have to knock. We are so happy to have you here,” said Orna Garnett, NAD associate secretary for Missionary Services, in her welcome remarks. 

The NAD event marked the start of a week-long retreat, held June 8-13 in Maryland, for long-term missionaries completing overseas assignments. Six missionary families were returning to the North American Division, while the others hailed from divisions around the world.

Held every two years, these retreats include worship, cultural readjustment seminars, practical resources, emotional and psychological support, recognition of years of service, recreational activities, and opportunities for missionaries to share their experiences. Since only a few divisions host re-entry retreats, attendees from multiple regions gather in a central location.

For many years, the Welcome Home reentry retreat for missionaries serving in the NAD and other divisions has been held at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. This year, for the first time, the retreat’s venue shifted to Maryland, giving participants the rare opportunity to tour the North American Division headquarters and interact with division officers.

At their core, these retreats are a safe space for returning families to process the highs, lows, and in-betweens of cross-cultural mission with others who have traveled a similar path.

Organizer Ron Kuhn, associate director of the Institute of World Mission, noted that while family and friends cannot always relate to their mission experience, “this is the group that understands the journey.”

During the June 8 morning program, NAD president G. Alexander Bryant, executive secretary Kyoshin Ahn, and treasurer/CFO Judy R. Glass each expressed gratitude for the missionaries’ years of service and sacrifice.

“The impact of the work you have done over the last several years will continue to bear fruit and multiply exponentially over time until the Lord comes,” Bryant asserted.

Participants then toured the building and met with representatives from 37 departments and ministries to learn how the division supports the church’s mission across North America.

Garnett noted that the visit was especially meaningful for those returning to the North American Division. “Some told me that they were so grateful they had not been forgotten,” she said. “There is nothing like breaking bread with family you have not seen for a long time.”

That afternoon, the missionaries attended an awards and recognition ceremony at the GC headquarters, where they all received certificates from the GC. NAD-based missionaries also received certificates and pins from Garnett on behalf of the division’s leadership.

For NAD missionary Rose White-Ntakirutimana, who served alongside her husband, Jean, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the flood of memories evoked by the recognition was overwhelming. She became visibly emotional while receiving her certificates.

Jean and Rose served as missionaries for 13 years, including nearly a decade in the East Congo Union Mission. As treasurer there, Jean led the mission’s accounting team and oversaw its financial operations. Rose filled multiple roles, including overseeing office operations; coordinating the pastors’ kids (PK) program; managing the guest house; supervising the grounds, cleaning, and security staff; and serving as Jean’s secretary.

Jean was inspired to serve by missionaries who taught at his Adventist high school in Rwanda, while Rose sought to continue her father’s legacy as a Rwandan missionary pastor in Congo.

That sense of calling sustained them through financial instability, interpersonal conflicts, an often crushing workload, and a cancer scare for Rose early on. Jean reflected, “By the time we came back at the end of 2025, all those challenges were resolved by the grace of God.”

Rose later explained why the ceremony affected her so deeply.

“You work hard … everything is good. But to get the big ‘thank you’ was not there,” she said. “That’s why when I heard the word ‘thank you’ [at the awards ceremony], I had a lot of tears.”

She added, “We came [here] heartbroken. We thought we were the only people.” Hearing others’ stories and seeing their tears reassured them that they were not alone.

Despite the hardships, they would still encourage others interested in mission. “I will tell them, ‘Go, don’t have fear,’” said Rose. “Just go work for the Lord, and God will bring you home the way He brought us home.”

That same commitment to mission was echoed in the stories of several of their peers, including Edwin and Alice Emerson, also NAD missionaries. While preparing for retirement in Canada, Edwin was troubled by a dream in which someone called him to serve in their homeland. He found peace only after praying, “Lord, if it’s Your will that I should go to Sri Lanka, I will accept it.”

Soon after, he received a phone call inviting him to serve as the executive secretary of the Sri Lanka Mission. He immediately said yes.

Although Alice initially struggled with the transition, she eventually embraced it, including serving as director of Children’s, Family, and Women’s ministries. One ministry highlight was a children’s camp that drew nearly 300 children, many from Hindu or other religious backgrounds. Eight were baptized, and 18 responded to an altar call for those interested in pastoral ministry.

Despite the challenges of adapting to life in Sri Lanka after decades away and later readjusting to Canada, the Emersons remain grateful for their experience.

“After going there and working, I knew that it was a call for us, because we were able to help a lot of people in Sri Lanka,” Alice reflected.

For Wayne and Sarapee Hamra — the longest-serving missionaries at the event, also based in North America — nearly 40 years at Asia-Pacific International University in Thailand expanded their understanding of mission. Wayne served as chair of the MBA program and professor in the faculty of business, while Sarapee retired as associate director of food services.

Their most cherished role, however, was as campus “mom and dad,” welcoming students from various religious backgrounds into their home for meals, prayer, worship, and fellowship. 

Wayne said their mission work would not conclude with retirement. Being a missionary, he said, “is what we do more than where we are. It really needs to be a lifestyle.”

Jean expressed a similar commitment, saying, “We are still available and ready to serve, as long as the Lord gives us strength.”

In video greetings on June 8, GC president Erton Köhler reinforced a sentiment shared by several missionaries: “Mission does not end when an assignment ends. It continues in the heart of those who have accepted the call.”

NAD Missionary Services assists missionaries who call North America home with pre-departure preparation, ongoing care, and re-entry support. Learn more here.