Love Children? Take a look at this..

MK (missionary kid) care has many facets to it. Over the past year you've learned about MKs and some of their characteristics. Over the many years as you've followed us you've read about our children, their struggles, and the people who have impacted them:

• us (parents)
• grandparents
• surrogate aunts and uncles
• biological aunts and uncles

But there are more:

• visiting teams: small groups who come and offer to teach on a Sunday, run Sunday school, lead worship, hold a VBS (or similar thing) for a week; their presence is not only a break for parents but a delight for the kids
• teachers: we have loved so many of our teachers and they have reached deeply into our children at times and encouraged them
• children's teams: these groups come and run a program for 1-2 weeks, 8 hours a day. If you have followed us for the past many years you know that we loved, loved, the children's team who attended our conferences. 

A children's team can make or break a conference. And we've experienced both (at a different conference). A children's team gets to know those MKs, encourages them, has fun with them, challenges them (especially in the high school group), cries with them (especially those little ones away from their parents). They loved our kids and our kids loved them. A children's team at conference brings the stuff of memories for years to come. Some of our children were baptized by those children's team members. That shows you how important people on a children's team can be in the life of an MK.

We were fortunate to have the same church send a team for every conference we attended with our organization. We loved seeing them year after year. But as you know we frequently attended a second conference. That conference had a different children's team every year. They still brought fun, encouraged our children, and listened to them, and helped them grow in their faith. 

What about you? Do you love children? I learned recently from a colleague about a group called Refuge139. The name is based on Psalm 139:9,10 which says 

“IF I SETTLE ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE SEA, EVEN THERE YOUR HAND WILL GUIDE ME, YOUR RIGHT HAND WILL HOLD ME FAST.”

A children's team member addresses physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of the children they've come to serve. They stand as a representative of Christ in the lives of those children. There are long days, long flights, challenging cultural and geographical surroundings, and always, always, unexpected situations. But the reward is great. If you might be interested in this kind of service, please visit the Refuge139 website above and read through
it, considering if MK care is something you could be involved in.