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He has made me more open to other cultures and ideas and less self-centered

Andrew Visser

31

France

Having parents who loved being missionaries and passed that on to me made me want to be just like them (a missionary).  By age of 10 the Lord was already working in my life and by age 12 I knew the Lord wanted me in missions.  I am on the mission field today first of all because this is where God wants me, but also because of the great experience I had of growing up as an MK.  Being an MK is GREAT!

Jill (Peters) Watkins

30

São Paulo, Brazil

God called me into the pastorate and have been serving in this manner for 20 years.

Michael Reeves

48

Alaska

I returned to the US about two months ago from spending eleven months in Peru as part of the 2006-2007 ARRIBA! team. My parents have been missionaries for years, but I had never had the opportunity to live overseas before. That trip was a real eye-opener because for the first time I got to see first-hand the struggles and successes that missionaries face on the field. I have no idea if God will call me overseas or not, but I am willing to serve our Lord who has proved Himself faithful time and time again in my life and in the lives of fellow Christians all over the world.

Rachel Kerr

20

Bibles International

I think I have a very good sense of self; who I am and what I can do.  I know how to interact with a 89 year-old, half-deaf Russian with a bullet in his head and the wealthiest kid in town who has everything.  I can be diplomatic at the “missionary closet” when I’m offered a hand-made pot-holder and a generic shampoo and conditioner combo (“Thank you!”)  I can manage to travel on a shoestring budget (but now I prefer not to) and share a small McDonalds french fry with my sister.  I can manage on little sleep and sleep with drunk Russians outside my train cabin.  I’m pretty good at spotting wild-life on long drives too!

Karin Ruhkala Sicoli

32

Finland

I spent time separated from my parents at boarding school and at High School in the States so I learned to be independent and developed life skills.  I learned what it meant to be spiritual from watching my parents.  I also learned to be a good communicator.

Mark Seymour

53

Chad, Africa

I have been shaped by being part of the ministry. A large reason for which I am in ministry now is because of growing up an mk, and seeing my parents and their heart for ministry.

Joshua Whitman

27

Italy

It has really given me a heart for missions, and I understand what the requirements are on the different missionaries that I see come through our church.  I am blessed to be part of a church that is very missions-minded.  As a Trustee in the church, I am able to have a stronger voice on how churches should support missionaries.  My church now supports my parents as missionaries, and I am praying that my church takes on my brother as a missionary also, as he is currently on deputation to raise support to leave for France next year.

Jon Price

31

USA (Indiana) ?

I’m comfortable taking a stand alone for something I know is right. I’m more sensitive to others who may not fit the typical mold. Again, greater appreciation for American freedoms and way of life; deeper understanding of European mindset and proclivities. Greater love for God’s word and appreciation for other missionaries. Greater understanding of my own weakness and dependence on the Lord.

Daniel Ruhkala

31

Finland

Impossible to enumerate. I speak Dutch like a Dutch person. You cannot imagine how this impacts the ability to communicate. Not just grammatically, but also in vocabulary and especially use of idiom.

I grew up in a small, struggling work (actually in two). This prepared me to evaluate my Bible College teaching in the light of my personal reality in going back to a European Field. Both of those (growing up in small works and the evaluation of College) helped prepare me for working in a small, struggling work here... now.

David Boyd

49

The Netherlands

He put me into a family where I was taught about God from an early age.  He gave me parents who knew the answers to all my hard spiritual questions (or knew how to find out), and were always there for me.  He put me in not just any missionary family, but missionaries whose main ministry was teaching a Bible college, and who always made us part of their missionary life.  My dad’s love for biblical languages was passed on to both of his children.  It is mostly through God’s preparation of me in my earlier years that He has led me to where I am today, an appointee with Bibles International.

Anna Beth Wivell

25

Australia

God has used my experience as an mk to show me many things in my life that I am prone to, Life is not all about me. Life brings many turns in life that God already knows but I don’t.  All I have to do is trust Him in everything!

Sarah Darling

20

Venezuela

God used my MK experience to give me ministry experience and prepare me for the ministry that I have a heart for today. It has helped me to be more confident in new situations and to build relationships with a wide variety of people. I feel like exposure to many people and places has helped me to have a broader perspective on many life issues.

Lisa (Brammer) Bolton

27

Taiwan/New Zealand

It has made me more mature. It has helped me to cope with situations better and to be flexible. It has also taught me to rely heavily on God for without Him I would not have done well.

Leah Ronk

20

Brazil

I meet people easily. I am confident and independent. I am very involved in our church. I hold Spanish Ladies Bible studies from time to time because of my ability to speak Spanish fluently.

I don’t know if you need this or not but my parents are Jim and Janet Stinedurf who are still missionaries in Puerto Rico. I am so very proud of them! My parents have served God with all their heart! They have either started or worked in 7 churches, directed camps, started a Bible Institute. All this on top of visitation, counseling, home schooling, bringing up 5 kids, teaching Sunday school and classes at the institute, being guest speakers, and countless of other unseen things! They have been such an incredible example to me of loving God with all you heart, soul, and mind and putting Him above all else!

Thank you for being interested in the MKs and giving us a chance to share about our lives.

Michelle (Stinedurf) Williams

36

Puerto Rico

I am more aware of the spiritual depravity of America and mankind in general.

Philip Harris

37

C.A.R.

Mom and Dad’s love for Brazil and it’s people was passed on to me.  Their dependence on God to provide all our needs also carried over.  Dependence for His direction in life has kept me from marrying and being sorry for it later.

Joy Spieth

62

Brazil

I understand what my kids (also MKs) feel.  I know how to be flexible and live without all the modern comforts when needed.  I know how to improvise.

Lisa (Richter) Armstrong

35

Alaska (as MK)

I'm in the ministry today because of all the exposure I had to it as an MK.

Mark Swedberg

43

Brazil

Amazingly, living in a 3^rd world country on a missionary compound, has prepared me to be a farmer’s wife living next door to my in-laws.  Cooking from scratch in Africa helped me feed our family of 9 when we had 4 extra foster children.  My mom was a wonderful hostess & always had large crowds come through (sometimes unexpectedly or last minute notice).  She taught me to know what to do in many occasions.

Victoria Lynn (Elmer) Meerman

31

C.A.R.

   I believe that the privilege of being an MK has made me the person I am today.  I so wanted to be a missionary myself and to raise my own children as MK's.  But God did not find me worthy of that calling and has given me another.  But, the same philosophies (for want of a better word) that I was raised with have shaped how I mothered, how I work, how I minister. 

Growing up and seeing God's victory in my parents' lives, the lives of my brothers and sister, the lives of my Brazilian brothers and sisters has given me confidence that God will continue to work His will. 

People tell me that they're impressed with how "strong" I am.  But I know that I am extremely weak.  I was raised with the constant knowledge that it's all about God; that without Him I not only can DO nothing, I AM nothing.

I am so grateful to God for the blessing of being an MK.  God IS good!

Darlene (Reiner) Smith

54

Brazil

For the reasons listed above! God has called my wife and I back to Holland to plant churches. I realize that because of my experience as an mk, I already know the language, culture, and quirks of the people I have been called to reach. It is an advantage that many missionaries do not have and I thank God for my heritage.

Daniel Boyd

26

The Netherlands

Through watching my father who would so bravely go to new fields to plant churches and the many experiences I had before large crowds growing up, God developed me as a leader of people.  After a number of management positions of increasing responsibilities over 30 years in Motorola, I became the General Manager of our manufacturing site near Campinas, Brazil.  Through my ability with Portuguese, knowledge of Brazilian culture and experience with the public, God prepared me in a singular way.  I held this position for 6 years and turned it over to my successor, a Brazilian, in 2003. The site provides employment for over 5000 people, a great contribution to the region’s economy and helping many lives.

Bill Griffin Jr.

58

Brazil

By learning to adjust and be flexible it has allowed me to have a good testimony and accept changes as they come in my career and daily work habits.  It has also provided a good starting point for witnessing in conversations that might not otherwise provide those

opportunities.

Growing up as an MK has also made me appreciate so much more what we have in America and not take those things for granted.

Tim Lankford

38

Manaus, Brazil

I’m more open, more accepting, more sensitive to people from other backgrounds & cultures.  It has exposed me to what “ministry” is all about.  Helped me to be serious-minded and faithful.

Sam McMillen

58

C.A.R.

I listen well to others, because I had to listen carefully to understand conversations while I was learning Japanese, and also because I appreciated people's patience in listening to me when I had to speak slowly.

Sharon Rose Enterline

24

Japan

Seeing God’s miraculous hand intervene in numerous ways around the world has given me a wonderful sense of the reality of His presence and a real dependence upon Him.  Being familiar with different cultures has made it easy for me to relate to people of many different backgrounds.

Hannah (Broeckert) Sherd

32

C.A.R.

God has allowed my being an MK to make me who I am today. I had a difficult time on the field because I didn't feel like my parents cared much about my spiritual condition that they only cared for the people in Brazil. I actually just recently got saved, while I was in college. I realized that it wasn't up to my parents to help me with my spiritual life, that it was something between me and God that I had to resolve. Since then, I have been serving God and preparing for the day when I can go back to the mission field as a missionary.

Joy Thompson

18

B.I. (Brazil for 15 years)

-     I have become more independent and self-confident.

-     I have a breadth of perspective and world outlook.

-     I have developed a great appreciation for people of other races, colors and cultures.

-     I have a sensitivity and compassion for people who are underprivileged in one way or another.

Larry Fogle

56

C.A.R.

Even though the struggles were unpleasant at the time, they allowed me to see how God will always provide for his servant children. We really got to see that at times not only did God supply our needs but often gave us some of our wants. We have been able to hold on to those memories when we have gone through some financially lean times of our own.

Doug Holtz

37

CBF

It gave me the cultural background and language skills to return as a missionary to the country where I grew up.  Although God doesn't have us there currently, there are still many experiences that I had as a child and good examples to follow which have an impact in the ministry where God has us now.  I think being an MK gives you a more accurate world view.

Cherith (Broeckert) Teachout

29

C.A.R.

I am more flexible willing to make the best of my situation.  I am more independent of my parents but have a strong relationship with them.

Mark Anderson

35

France

I haven't been an official MK for very long since my parents became missionaries a little bit later in life.  But I can say that I have learned so much from watching my parents as they have been obedient during every

stage that the Lord has led them through (bible college, deputation, etc.) and now being on the field with them.  I have learned a lot about the

importance of prayer and teamwork in the ministry and that we must be faithful to what God has called us to do.  It's exciting to know that the

experiences I have had as an MK are all a part of God's plan as He continues the sanctification process in my life.  No matter where He leads me in the

future, I will take those lessons with me!

Jolene Syroteuk

24