Susan's Homeschool Blog

What are the pros and cons of being an MK?

For me personally, I’m glad that I grew up as a missionary kid. I never fit in when I was in Guatemala, but fitting in is overrated. Who cares that the kids screamed, “Fire! Fire!” and ran away from me because I had red hair and white skin, while they had black hair and brown skin. Yes, I cried, but I got over it.

For all that, I know that living overseas in a third-world country has opened my eyes and given me more wisdom. I have more perspective on life. When I later lived in England as a teacher and my shower stopped working, I was not angry when it took six months for them to fix it. Americans become furious when their lives are not perfect. I’m not sure why they do this. They expect that life on this earth is heaven.

Having grown up in Guatemala, I can tell you that this life is not heaven, and it never will be. Heaven is what happens when you have a deep walk with God and care about God’s glory. Then your life can be heaven on earth, even if your body is put into flames, because more of God in your life is more incredible joy. Yes, heaven is the presence of God. You can have it here on earth when you die to self and stop seeking earthly ease.

Americans are really in the grip of materialism, and American Christians are oblivious to the fact that their walk with God is almost non-existent. They live for TV. They live for a nicer house. They live for all that they covet. They do not live for God. It’s hard to find an American Christian who actually walks by the Spirit. It’s easier to find true Christians in any third-world country, where their walk with God is raw and real.

I watched the following video that has many MK’s telling the pros and cons of being an MK, and I list what they said in the bullet points under the video:

Advantages of Being a Missionary Kid:

• You get to taste amazing food from everywhere.
• You get to meet a lot of interesting people.
• You’re 5,000 miles away from your family.
• You appreciate the small things in life.
• You know another language.
• You get to travel everywhere.
• You can fit in to most contexts.
• You understand people better.

Disadvantages of Being a Missionary Kid:

• Pride keeps you away from good relationships.
• Always saying good-bye.
• Traveling everywhere.
• Always feel like an outsider.
• Lack of stability.
• Not being there when your younger siblings are growing up, if you go to college in America.
• Not being able to connect and feel like you’re a part of somewhere.
• Not understanding American culture. Feeling “out of it.”
• Home is ever changing.
• Feeling misunderstood.

One MK said that she would never be truly home until she was in heaven. For me, home is where my husband is. It’s more the people that I’m with, rather than the physical location.

Can you think of any other pros and cons of being an MK?

Keep up with missionary kid posts by liking my Missionary Kid Page.

Why should you support a missionary? Why should you suffer financially to make a monthly commit- ment to a specific missionary family, to support them over the years?

First of all, Jesus commands all of us to “go and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19) If you financially support a missionary, you are enabling that missionary to preach the gospel to the unsaved in foreign lands, and that evangelism is attributed to you and counted as what you are doing for the Lord. There are many people who want to preach the gospel to the nations but don’t have the financial backing to do so because we as Americans love to live in luxury and in self-indulgence. (James 5:5)

Secondly, what we do with our finances reflects what we value. Let’s get our finances in order so that we can give more to the work of the Lord, to work that matters for eternity. If God were to look at your checkbook (or credit card bill), He would instantly see where your heart is. But of course God knows where your heart is already.

Thirdly, do you realize that you have a direct impact for Christ through the lives of those missionaries, and that you are rewarded for eternity for giving to them? Paul says that you participate in the gospel when you do that. (II Corinthians 9:13) Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy. (Matthew 6:20)

But the most important reason to support a missionary is for prayer. Yes, prayer. You heard that right. When you personally suffer financially to support a missionary every month, you have a personal stake in what happens in that missionary’s life. When my life is directly connected to a missionary, I’m more likely to pray. I don’t want my family to suffer financially if that missionary is not accomplishing anything for the Lord. If I fail to pray for that missionary family, they will be much less effective. When I pray fervently, God promises to answer. (James 5:16)

When missionaries go overseas and do not have prayer cover, this is worse than not having enough food to eat. Pastors and missionaries are attacked more spiritually because when they fall, many people fall. Please pray for your missionaries daily. If you don’t, who will? And the lukewarm prayers of the people whose lives aren’t as invested in the outcome aren’t as effective as the prayers of those who financially hurt each month to put food on the table for a missionary to be able to serve the Lord full time. For this reason my husband and I feel strongly about supporting missionaries, and we will continue to support missionaries each month. My heart is interwoven with their ministries.

I found a list of missionaries who translate the Bible into foreign languages of people groups who don’t have the Bible in their language. Here is the list: Wycliffe Bible Translators. Having grown up as a missionary kid, I can personally attest to the trustworthiness of this mission. What is more important than saving lost souls while delivering the Bible in their language for the first time, so that they can grow spiritually?

To keep up with news about missions and missionary kids: Missionary Kid Facebook Page