We have started 2016 with a *bang* in the MK program! A couple days after Christmas, a team of us went to Nairobi, Kenya to work with the children of missionaries living in some of the most challenging places on earth. Live/Dead Arab World missionaries all came together for 10 days of meetings, services, and spiritual renewal. We were glad to come alongside them and invest in their children. Many of these kids live in very remote, hostile locations. However, they understand the call of God, and the purpose behind their location. Needless to say, we can’t name families, and aren’t able to post any of their pictures. We ministered to about 70 MKs, from 6 months old, to 17 years old. I must say that this was an amazing group of kids. While we focused on the fruit of the Spirit (in the youth program), we saw these young people share their own passion for God and his mission. These are some of the sharpest kids in our movement! They are passionate about reaching the lost. They are equally passionate about taking the Gospel to the hardest to reach unreached people groups. As a team, we walked away refreshed by these MKs. We continue to pray for God’s protection and blessing on them and their families!
Immediately after the retreat in Nairobi, several of us continued on to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we held a retreat for all of our families living in Northern Asia. Northern Asia is another closed country, where names, pictures, and identities must be withheld. Once again, we had about 70 kids that live in rough places! Something missionaries don’t often talk about are the struggles of the kids. One of the major challenges that MKs face is loneliness. We send out these families to remote locations (and they gladly go where God sends them), but the consequences can be painful. Many of these kids face loneliness on a daily basis. Because of their locations, many times they are unable to access the internet. If they can access the internet, they know that their communications are being monitored. The annual times that we get to spend with these kids is like breathing a breath of fresh air for them. They get to have “church” once a year.
We value your prayers and support as we facilitate the ministry to these kids. 2016 is a busy year with retreats. We have had 2, and we have 6 more retreats overseas. They are all listed on the www.ismk.org website. If you have a desire to travel with Dargan and myself, please let us know. We would love to have you!