The Perks of Being a Missionary Kid (Part I)

      Being an MK (Missionary Kid) is quite an adventure. So why not talk about it?



"Being a missionary kid is a unique, precious and beautiful journey.

Ok, so there's my statement.'Yeah,' you look at the screen, 'suuuure... Let's start at page one, shall we?' If you're an MK chances are  you've got 'THIRD CULTURE KID' stamped on your forehead as well.

Yes, I'm the son of a Malayalee father and a Dutch mother and yes, neither of their ethnicities blend with the people God has called them to work with. However, that certainly doesn't mean I feel like I've just stepped out of a UFO every morning I exit the front door. Growing up with two or more coinciding cultures is, in my opinion, the healthiest environment for growth, learning and a widening of perspective. I admit it's a sort of roller coaster ride- there are peaks and not-so-high-peaks  (ahem...) but every time I look back on my seventeen-year-short missionary-kid life, I smile and shed a happy tear and know I've become the better for it.

If you'd be my schoolmate upto eighth grade, hearing me declare I'm a missionary kid would be as expected as me giving out pamphlets of the need to knock on bathroom doors before entering because of the possibility of a live dinosaur taking a shower inside. In short, it rarely happened. I wasn't the lawyer's, business man's, engineer's or doctor's kid. I was the missionary kid.But my perspective grew. It didn't take me long to realise that my parent's work is one of the greatest occupations that can be done by a human being in the life that is given to him. I'm proud of my parents and what they do. They touch people's lives in a life-changing way.

Speaking of my parents, the work they do- venturing into the most obscure, remote villages in the foothills of the Himalayas to provide medical support, sustain it, develop communities from their impoverished conditions, build opportunities for new ways of life and most importantly share the Good News; the experiences they went through and more importantly, how they tackled them has given me powerful role models and parents I respect, admire and love.

This barely touches the surface of all that can be said about life as a missionary kid but I want to keep it brief and digestible.So.If you sport the MK badge, hope this was relatable and of you don't, hope this gave you a picture (however quickly sketched) of what it means to be the child of a missionary."

Stephen Johnson, 18 \\

"When I first heard this from Sharon, I have felt that the truth is that we all are missionary kids in reality, as sons and daughters of God, no matter which part of the world we live in. Of course, my parents have been also active in their communities back in India. My mom worked at a Christian non-profit organization which helped educate children, provide homes for at-risk girls and developing communities. In lieu of that, I often wondered to myself what were the perks of being a missionary kid and I was mostly at a loss before. Sometimes, I would complain that my mom would take things too seriously even when it came to simple things like food because she would remind me about other children who are facing poverty and food problems. I didn’t realize how grateful I should be until after I immigrated to the States.

I also would see that certain days she was very busy that she came home late due to her work, which was upsetting. But I did enjoy sometimes the food she would bring along just for me. I also didn’t like how my mom often had to travel to other countries like Thailand or Philippines for her work. But I enjoyed the things she would bring back - memories of her visits, specially designed T-shirts and even movies as well as food. Way before some movies were formally seen in India, I got to see them, for instance - Brother Bear and a collection of Mr. Bean classics. Even before Chocopie became popular in India, I got some great samples. Well, I don’t want to boast but these were some ways I felt privileged enough as a MK, but the best privilege for me, was going to the homes and seeing and meeting children and girls whose lives were being changed for the better from the worse.

When it comes to my dad, I also went through similar situations although he worked in more local and regional settings, also working for another Christian organization. He went about planting churches in villages and in regions such as Sundarbans, helping people and as well as helping organize medical camps for the people who needed health services. I got to travel with him at times to these camps and was glad to help out in these ventures, learning more about the way people live in there. I was also glad to make friends with some of kids, who were my age when I would go for some Christian camps. Plus, I get to meet some very talented people who work along with the organization, helping expand the kingdom of God in their own fields, whether it was teaching art or computer science. I should also mention that my family hails from Kerala and so it was my late grandfather who would always give to the mission field when he could and he’s been a huge inspiration to me too. I do believe that God is using me and has plans to carry on this legacy as I now am studying in the States and happen to meet people from around the world, who don’t know Jesus and are curious about Him and want to learn more.

Lastly, I thank Interserve for all the friends I made, who also came to India as missionary kids and meeting their families has always been a great strengthening in unity across parts of India and the world.

Thanks,

 Noel  "

Noel Manoj, 20 \\

"“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness…”

Innocents Abroad

Mark Twain

Missionary Kids is a title given to those whose culture or worldview is a combination of two or more culture or worldviews and have parents who work as missionary’s. As a MK the one question which I have never liked being asked was “Where are you from?”  For most people it’s a simple answer however for MK’s it’s a question which brings about an existential crisis. A MK is not from a single place

Time is not on our side. Most of us relocate every few years. Whether it be from one country to another, one state to another or one city to another. Our life style is constantly changing, One day you might be in a metropolis and the next in a small remote village. Most people show sympathy when they find out that we have been constantly moving throughout our lives.

As kids, being an MK is not fun. The constant change of scenery means that we have to grow up faster. We might be a ten year old but our mentality is that of a twenty year old. This alone alienates us from other children. The fact that best friends tend to grow apart once we relocate also discourages us from making close friendships. The pain of a withering relationship in the future pains us

Being an MK is not without its benefits. We experience multiple cultures, see new lands, meet new people and learn new languages. We learn the in’s and out’s of traveling whether it be by train, bus, plane or ship. We can change our accents easily and are some of the best host/hostess you will ever meet and are able to adapt to any culture or situations quickly.

The older we get the more we realize the advantages of being a MK. We are able to adapt quickly to any situations. Most of us are bilingual and if not are able to learn new languages quickly. We have a unique broad world view and are more mature than our peers. We know where to go in a new city to experience the culture and know how to work hard and play hard. We make deep friendships, empathic and know how to deal with most of lives problems.

As a sapling we hate the hurricane of constant changes. However when we mature andbecome an oak tree whose roots has grown deep and wide in the storm softened soil we come to love the hurricane and bask in its refreshing rain. "
Jason Abhishekaraj, 25 \\
                                                                                                                                                             All the write ups above are by ISKs (Interserve Kids). Interserve Kids are those Missionary Kids who's parents are partners with Interserve (in this blog, Interserve India).