We are back from mission training in Minneapolis, MN.  Much of what we learned served as a reminder that God’s vision and reach are endless even though our perspective is limited by our knowledge.  We learned a lot about our calling to disciple, teach and serve missionary kids at Black Forest Academy.

People ask us why we have chosen to serve this particular field.  Many Christians are familiar with overseas missions but have little knowledge of the diverse support network that also exists to directly respond to Christ’s Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 and in Acts 1:8.  Author David Pollock an expert in mission work says, “Caring for missionary kids and missionary families is not an appendage to the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”  It’s in that spirit that we share with you our second installment of the Reasons for Serving Missionary Kids.

PARENTS – Reason 2

Many of us know Proverbs 22:6. “Train up a child in the way they should go…”  Just as parents in the United States and Canada need help educating their children and giving them a Christ-centered, biblical worldview, so do parents serving overseas.  It’s true that it takes a community to grow a child.  In this case, it is the mission community and organizations like TeachBeyond that help bridge that gap.

I know a woman who lost her job at the headquarters of a global discount retailer while she was going through a tumultuous period with her teenagers who were ill and acting out.  She could no longer do her job well and reliably because of the extra care and attention the kids needed.  That family made a choice. In the end, it was the right choice to put family first. This “state-side” example points to another reason for BFA and similar schools. They help missionary parents to maintain an effective ministry and serve the unique culture where God has placed them.  One research estimate showed a $250,000 cost to mission organizations replacing a family that has been in the field for more than three years.  Even cutting that amount in half shows a quantitative problem that often can be avoided with the right help and resources.

While parents still play the key role in rearing their children, the residential staff and school staff at BFA work with dad and mom to do what is called team parenting.  This does not mean taking over the parenting role or assuming that missionary parents can’t handle their God given responsibility. Team parenting is assisting the family in critical situations and phases in a child’s development.  I personally don’t know a family that hasn’t seen their teenage children go through a critical development phase that required some extra love and support from outside the home.  We have all experienced this directly or indirectly in our own lives.  Just remember your teenage years and the many people outside your family who had an influence on your development!

In a recent study on global missionary attrition rates, estimates showed that as many as 33% of departing missionaries were leaving because of issues related to kids and their educational needs.  With schools like BFA, missionary families are able to stay on the field because their children are being cared for, educated and discipled. When children cannot be taught and treated well within their third culture, parents cannot stay.

Missionary families have many of the same needs that families in the US and Canada have. Just as God has called them to a specific place for His specific purpose, Valerie and I are called to BFA to use our specific gifts to help with this specific need. Feel free to leave your comment(s) below. Our final segment will focus on the missionary kid and the amazing potential that many of them have.

If you’d really like to dig deeper into this issue please check out David C. Pollock’s book Third Culture Kids.  Pollock is recognized as an expert in this field and can fill in the many gaps that I’ve left here.