Missionary Kids

Growing up, missions was an every day part of my life.

No, we were not missionaries. My family were rope holders. We prayed for and financially supported many missionaries serving in places all around the world. 

Occasionally, they would come to our house, have a meal, and sometimes stay overnight.

The results of these encounters are comparable to a window: a small opening into the lives of these servants. But, a window only allows you a limited amount of knowledge, and little understanding.

A door , however, can provide more data, and hopefully, more understanding. Several times in my life time, I traveled to a far off country on a short term mission trip: Grenada, Taiwan, Mexico, Haiti, Ecuador, Philippines. These were more like coming into a stranger's front door. 

You can see more of the house, and thus more about the personality of the family. A week, maybe ten days gives much more perspective into the life of a missionary.

It wasn't until we moved to Taiwan to serve as missionaries at a missionary school that I entered fully into all the joy, struggles, and difficulties to living and serving in a country other than your country of birth. It's exhilarating at times. 

But, not all the time.

Sometimes its just plain hard.

Over the past three years, I have been experiencing an area of missionary life that is probably one of the more difficult aspects of missionary life- the letting go of children.

I know this is a difficult time in the life of any mother. 

Ask any mom who has had to drop off their child at college. Its not easy.

But, when the dropping off entails three separate airplanes, and thousands of miles, anxiety levels multiplies.

If its hard on the parents, what about the kids?

I know this reality never struck me until Nick graduated three years ago. Many of his classmates had been together since kindergarten. And unlike their counterparts in America, once they left Taiwan for college, they may never return or see their classmates ever again.

When I left for college, I came home every couple months.

Over Christmas, I knew all my friends would be home. Plans could be made.

Summers were opportunities to reconnect.

Not so for the thousands of missionary kids scattered through out the world.

Graduation is more than just getting done from high school. It is literally leaving EVERYTHING and EVERYONE you have known behind.

Since our family moved to Taiwan only four years ago, this transition for Nick and Ben wasn't as sharp and soul wrenching as for some of their classmates.

As a missionary school, Morrison understands the issues of these TCKs (third culture kids).

Every year the seniors attend a transition retreat where experts come and help them begin to process the grief and shock of this transition. 

The class of 2016 attended theirs last week.

Graduation is truly bittersweet. They are ready to move on; ready to tackle the challenges of adult life. But, to move on means cutting loose. 

I am glad that Morrison recognizes these difficulties and takes the time to prepare their seniors for the grief of transition.

Abbi has grown up a lot over the past four years. She was barely a teenager when we arrived.

Saying goodbye will not be easy, but necessary to continue the journey onto adulthood. While the internet can be totally irritating at times, it does allow friendships to continue and even grow despite massive distances. I think that does help soften the blow of goodbyes.

So if you have a loved one graduating this spring, congratulations! But as you celebrate their achievements, please say a prayer for the graduating missionary kids from around the world. 

And, maybe a little one for their parents, too!