Missionary Kid Education & Spiritual Growth

Oliver’s* mom struggled to homeschool him. Living in a remote region, she had few resources and no one to confirm her suspicion that Oliver had learning challenges.

But because of your generosity, an IMB educational consultant arranged for a specialist to meet with, observe, and evaluate Oliver*.

The specialist offered Oliver’s mom clear, practical recommendations for his schooling and helped her access resources to support her son’s learning.

As a result, Oliver has made meaningful progress in his learning, and the family has gained renewed confidence and hope, encouraged not only by the outcomes but also by the affirmation and care they received.

Thank you for walking alongside missionary families like Oliver’s as we labor together to provide quality education for missionary kids (MKs).

Moving overseas to serve as a missionary is stressful, but doing so with an English-speaking organization, when English isn’t your first language, is even more challenging. Adding homeschooling your children in English only multiples the stress.

Thankfully, your gifts to this ministry paired the family with an excellent tutor, secured a strong curriculum, and provided added support.

The curriculum was even hand-carried to the family by a team serving with them. These additional supports led to a successful year of learning for the family, who are deeply grateful for the guidance, care, and practical support they received during this challenging transition.

Your giving and prayer help IMB missionary families serve more effectively by equipping them with solid educational resources for their families.

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for MKs who recently graduated from high school, as they prepare to leave the country that has become home, say goodbye to family and friends, and navigate another culture for college, trade school, military service, work, or other plans.
• Ask the Lord to bring qualified personnel to our team to serve MKs globally.
• Pray for a new program launching this fall called “Modular Study Program” that will offer new schooling options for high schoolers living in remote areas.

Your gifts and prayers enable educational consultants, MK teachers, and others to minister to MK families, whatever their challenges. Thank you for helping missionaries shine Christ’s light into dark places by supporting MKs.

*Name changed

Madison* first met her MK Education Consultant when her family attended missionary orientation. They bonded over Vacation Bible School songs, snacks, and Bible stories.

And that was just the beginning!

After Madison started elementary school on the mission field, her personality changed drastically. Naturally, Madison’s parents were concerned. The educational consultant helped the family make educational changes that renewed Madison’s bubbly personality.

Madison’s MK Education Consultant was part of her journey from the beginning because of givers like you who know the importance of supporting MKs.

As Madison’s school situations shifted over time, she offered suggestions to make the transitions less stressful and build her confidence and resilience.

Your generosity helps MKs like Madison from their first days in orientation through high school and beyond. Madison has now graduated from high school and is entering a new chapter in her life.

Thank you for supporting your MKs throughout their journeys to adulthood. Your faithfulness keeps missionary families on the field, confident that their children receive quality education and support.

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for Madison and other MKs as they graduate and leave their families serving abroad. Ask God to help them adjust to life in the U.S. and find community.
• Pray for the emotional well-being of MKs and that they become Christ-followers.
• Ask the Lord to bring qualified candidates to serve as MK Education Consultants.

Thank you for giving and praying for MKs globally. Your gifts enable consultants to walk alongside MKs and their families as they face the challenges of living and learning as third-culture kids.

*Name changed

“The DNow weekend was truly amazing! It was so encouraging to see how God is working in the lives of other MKs and to hear the leaders share how He has worked in their lives.

“One big takeaway for me was realizing that my life has infinitely more value when I fully surrender every part of it to the Lord.

As MKs, we don’t often get opportunities to spend time with other teens who have a heart for the Lord. These weekends give us an opportunity to fellowship and make memories with others. I’m so thankful I got to be a part of this DNow.”

Sophia, 17-year-old

Your generosity to this ministry provides Disciple Now (DNow) weekends for missionary kids (MKs) across the globe.

Forty-five of South Asia’s MKs recently participated in a time of spiritual renewal, focusing on the I AM statements of Jesus. They gathered for fellowship and fun.

“I rarely get the opportunity to fellowship and study God’s Word with fellow MKs, so the few days I was able to do so meant so much to me.

“I am so thankful for the time we spent together both in God’s Word and for fun.

“We were also able to talk about the struggles we all face as MKs and relate to each other as we through hard things together.”

Madison, 15-year-old

Thank you for caring deeply for MKs! Your sacrificial gifts and faithful prayers cover MKs with love and care.

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for the spiritual lives of MKs around the world. Ask God to help them grow in their walk with Him.
• Pray specifically for teen MKs as they build friendships and deal with the challenges of living in a multi-cultural environment.

You are strengthening missionary families through your giving to this ministry.

*Names changed

Your generosity provided young adult MKs with an impactful Thanksgiving Retreat. Most of these MKs attend college in the U.S., away from their families serving abroad.

Hear the gratitude from their parents for this meaningful time of fellowship, fun, and spiritual growth you gave to these third-culture kids (TCKs):

Our daughter tends to be an introvert and is often reluctant to participate in events like this, but she was glad she decided to attend. We are so thankful for the people who love, encourage, and support our adult TCKs.

 Parent serving in Central Asia

This was our youngest daughter’s first Thanksgiving without us. She reached out to us after hearing about the retreat and said that she really wanted to go. During our daughter’s time at the retreat, we heard from her, and she was so happy to be with other TCKs and those who understand her life more than her friends at university. Having that time with her TCK family was so special and encouraging for her. Thank you for being a huge blessing to TCKs and their parents, who miss having their kids with them for the holidays!

Parent serving in Europe

We are continuously blessed by the way people give and allow us to serve God overseas. It is an added blessing that you would go that extra mile to take care of our TCKs especially and enable them to gather with other TCKs and share life experiences together.

Parent serving in Sub-Saharan Africa

Thank you for caring for your IMB missionaries by investing in their children’s mental, physical, and spiritual well-being!

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for MKs to seek the Lord as they move into this new season of their lives.
• Ask God to bring MKs into healthy, spiritually growing relationships with peers.
• Pray for the continued adjustment of college students, away from their families.

Your gifts and prayers for missionary families are essential in bringing the gospel to the nations. Thank you for caring for them and helping them grow in Christ!

“Life in South Asia is always changing. In the chaos of it all, DNow weekend provides TCKs an opportunity to see friends we do not know when we’ll see again.

“Whether we are playing soccer, going on a mall scavenger hunt, or worshiping and studying God’s Word together, we are making memories that last a lifetime.

“DNow weekend was more than just watching videos and answering questions. It provided space for us high school guys to be vulnerable with each other. We’ve had weekly accountability with each other and have grown closer, though we have become increasingly separated geographically.”

Drew* is 17 years old.

“When I headed to DNow, I had no expectations. But the time was full of surprises and fun interactions that my friends and I continue to look back on and laugh about.

“Over three days, there were four sessions around the theme, Wonderfully Made, and Psalms 139 in particular.

“Verse 14 stuck out to me. David wrote that he praised God that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. How often do I look at myself and actually praise God for who I am?

“An idea that particularly impacted me is, ‘Humility is not thinking less of yourself—it’s thinking of yourself less.’

“On the last day, each person shared a takeaway from DNow. Amazingly, every single person had a different application to bring home.

“These brief gatherings are essential for the community they bring [to MKs], too. We only see each other a few times a year, but those Christ-centered friendships are by far the strongest ones we make. Whether it’s discussion groups, videos, or blasting worship music in the car, God can do some incredible things when we simply give him the time to work.”

Ashleigh* is 14 years old.

Thank you for impacting the lives of Drew and Ashleigh through your gifts and prayers. You made a difference in their Christian walks now and in the future.

*Names changed.

“I am humbled and grateful for the acts of service, love, and discipleship our children received while at camp. Our daughter returned home with a softer heart and an eagerness to honor the Lord in her interactions. This is a huge praise and an answer to our prayers. Because of your sacrificial giving, all of our children experienced the power of Christ’s goodness in their lives as they grew in their love for God, His Word, and others. Thank you!”                                                                                —Mom of 3 campers

What an incredible experience we shared at Camp MIKI 2024! Thank you for making it possible to bring together our missionary kids (MKs) with collegiate MKs and a group of trained “aunts” and “uncles” for a time of encouragement and growth. This week allowed MKs from 9 to 18 to have fun, develop and deepen friendships, and experience the love of God in tangible ways. Our goal is for students to understand their identity in Christ.

As we dug into God’s Word, we focused on 2 Timothy 4:2a, talking about the importance of being ready to share Christ anytime, anywhere. Over 100 students, led by 29 staff, spent time in small groups with other MKs their own age. For many, this is one of the few times they fellowship with MKs outside their own families each year.

Camp MIKI enables essential mentoring time with peers and counselors. As students study Scripture, enjoy recreational activities, work on team building, and experience treats like an American-style candy shop, they find community and experience the Body of Christ. What began in 1962 by Dr. Catherine Walker, a long-term worker in our region, has continued as a treasured opportunity to invest in this new generation’s physical, mental, and spiritual growth.

Please join us in prayer:

• Pray for MKs to seek the Lord and continue growing spiritually throughout the year.
• Ask God to open the hearts of MKs who have not yet accepted Him as their Lord and Savior.
• Pray for peace and assurance of God’s presence for MKs struggling with their faith.

Thank you for investing in the spiritual and emotional lives of missionary kids and families through your gifts and prayers. Camp MIKI is an example of how God is using your support and encouragement to strengthen missionary presence globally. You are a co-laborer with us in the gospel. We value your partnership!

Thank you for sacrificially giving and faithfully interceding for missionary kids across the globe. Your gifts provide times of fellowship with other missionary kids who understand the challenges and excitement of living between cultures as a “third-culture kid” (TCK). These events are critical to healthy adjustment on the mission field and, most importantly, spiritual growth into Christian maturity. Your generosity helps TCKs navigate between cultures and encourages them to grow deep in their walk with Christ.

Milestone Thanksgiving Retreat reignites TCKs’ connections. This year marked the exciting return of the TCK Thanksgiving Retreat for young adults, most attending college while their families remain abroad. The retreat provided opportunities for these TCKs to connect with their peers, with whom they share the unique experience of growing up overseas.

During a season like Thanksgiving, when TCKs are often far from their parents and siblings, your gifts offered the warm hospitality of a place to go when dorms are typically closed for Thanksgiving break and with the opportunity to build new friendships and make wonderful memories. Our guest speaker delved into the theme of home throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of finding ultimate solace and home in the Lord.

TCKs also enjoyed an American Thanksgiving dinner, engaged in “Thanksgiving Olympics,” tackled the challenges of an escape room, and enjoyed some Fall and Christmas traditions. The retreat was an enriching time, from decorating Christmas ornaments to building colorful gingerbread houses and sitting around a campfire making s’mores. Please continue praying for missionary kids as they begin the new phase of life in the U.S., apart from family, friends, and what they call home.

We are immensely grateful for your generosity! We hope and pray this retreat will bless many more TCKs in the coming years.

Thank you so much for your generosity to this ministry and the Southeast Asian missionary kids, also known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs) we serve. Your prayers and sacrificial giving underwrite an annual camp that brings these kids together, taking them outside of their world for a week to hear what God is doing in their friends’ lives, drink deeply from daily teaching in God’s Word, and participate in corporate worship, something most of them do not experience often.

FORGIVEN! This year, we had a fabulous camp with 67 campers in third through twelfth grades and 27 aunts and uncles gathered to focus on the life of King Saul. As we looked at his life, we refuted these three lies:

• My sin is not that bad.
• My sin is not my fault.
• I’m too far gone.

God used Camp Buddy to call many campers to deeper relationships with Him. As always, TCKs and adults alike enjoyed the time together and left encouraged and revived.

Time and time again, we hear of how Camp Buddy has changed the lives of campers and their whole families. Hear from a family impacted by your generosity:

Sara* (mom of two Camp Buddy campers): “When I met my kids at the airport on the last day of camp, they were totally pumped and couldn’t say enough about how awesome the week was. At first, it was all about sports and outdoor games. Then I heard stories of roommate antics and how they connected with various ‘aunts and uncles’ who were counselors. Eventually, the ‘meat’ started to come out—about the speakers and testimonies as well as powerful worship times. This was literally the first time that I heard my children speak of how Bible teaching and worship had been impactful for them. Normally, they tag along to church services or other meetings where speakers focus on reaching a primarily adult audience, and they ‘tolerate’ the times but don’t have much to say about them. But this time, the message was specifically directed at them—and delivered by an adult TCK himself! Honestly, hearing from my child that one of the favorite parts of the week was the spontaneous worship time shocked me, but at the same time, it brought me such joy! Finally, this event ministered specifically to my most treasured souls, my own kids. Of course, my husband and I strive to disciple and lead our kids at home and provide opportunities and resources for them to grow in their faith, but this was an event where they felt the freedom and safety to just be themselves with a bunch of other missionaries’ kids (MKs) and really focus on meeting Jesus. There is truly something really extraordinary about how Camp Buddy is run, and even the fact that it is all ‘in-house.’ Even the counselors are aunts and uncles who genuinely love and understand our kids because they live among them in our places of service. I pray that we can prioritize Camp Buddy and other similar events. I believe they will be milestones in our kids’ journeys of faith and in discovering their identities as MKs and authentic followers of Christ.

We are so thankful for you, our partners, who have made Camp Buddy possible. There are so many ripple effects from this we will never know this side of heaven. Your sacrificial gifts and intercession are truly transforming lives as we partner together to solve the world’s greatest problem, lostness.

*Name changed.

Thank you so much for your generosity to this ministry and the Southeast Asian missionary kids, also known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs) we serve. Your prayers and sacrificial giving underwrite the costs of Camp MIKI, a fun and deeply meaningful week of camp for TCKs where missionary families find encouragement as they see growth in their children from this vital time with their peers.

Created, Chosen, Valued, Sent. We had a fabulous camp this year! Over 80 campers in third through twelfth grades and 27 aunts and uncles gathered to seek out our identity in Christ Jesus. We walked through the book of Philippians and talked about being CREATED in God’s image, CHOSEN, VALUED, and SENT. God worked through camp to bring about decisions, with many accepting Christ as Savior and others committing to grow through personal relationships with Christ. As always, TCKs and adults alike enjoyed the time together and left encouraged and revived.

Time and time again, we hear of how Camp MIKI has changed not just the lives of campers but also the whole family. Hear from two of those impacted by your generosity.

Theresa* (parent): “The impact of Camp MIKI extends beyond the one week our children are at camp. MIKI introduces our kids to new friends who can relate to the blessings and challenges of being a third-culture kid. The week instills in them a passion for the spiritual disciplines, such as a daily quiet time, that develop into a lifestyle. Camp MIKI is our children’s favorite week of the year, and our family can’t imagine life on the field without it.”

Wesley* (student): “As I reflect on my faith, Camp MIKI is something that has had a tremendous impact on my walk with God, even though I was a rising senior and grad at the time. The combination of awesome counselors, times of worship, teaching, prayer, and small groups each contribute to MIKI being one of my spiritual (and fun) highlights of the year. God really used this time to convict me and grow me closer to Him in a number of ways.” 

We are so thankful for you, our partners, who have made Camp MIKI possible. There are so many ripple effects from this we will never know this side of heaven. Your sacrificial gifts and intercession are truly transforming lives as we partner together to solve the world’s greatest problem, lostness.

*Name changed.

Thank you so much for your generous support of our team and missionaries’ kids worldwide. The children of our personnel (TCKs) grow up with their feet in three cultures—their American heritage, the culture in which their families live and minister, and a third culture that is a space between these two worlds where TCKs often find the greatest sense of comfort and familiarity. Your gifts offer TCKs the nurture and training to navigate these cultures and understand God’s beautiful plans for their lives.

We strive to maximize the resources God provides through your gifts. This year we are focusing on several projects:

TCK Caregivers: The teachers at our International Learning Center (ILC) will be able to attend the “MK Caregivers Summit” this year due to your gracious giving. Three teachers will be able to go in person, and seven other teachers will be able to attend the conference virtually at ILC.

Lunchroom & Kitchen Upgrades: The preschool children at ILC have an updated lunchroom and kitchen area to enjoy, thanks to your generosity. We were able to purchase a new stove, microwave, fridge, blinds, sinks, and counters to freshen up the area where the children eat snacks and lunch each day during Field Personnel Orientation and Stateside Assignment Conferences.

Technology Investments: We purchased additional technology and apps for teachers and students to use during FPO. Students are using these to begin learning their new languages, study about their new countries, and continue their academic learning. They are an excellent tool for us all, and the kids (and teachers) LOVE having access to this technology!

Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and partnership! Your prayers and gifts are truly making a difference through this project and transforming the lives of TCKs and their families worldwide!

Praise the Lord for a wonderful Camp MIKI 2022! Camp MIKI is one of several ways you encourage and support missionary kids through your sacrificial gifts and prayers. This week-long camp supports missionary families by bringing together these Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and adult missionary camp counselors living in Southeast Asia.

Camp MIKI. Kids and adults alike were delighted to be together again. Some friends had not seen each other in three or more years. We also welcomed many campers who had never experienced Camp MIKI. We are so thankful for your support and prayers. The Lord answered so many prayers for camp!

• Campers from other countries participated in this camp experience for the first time in several years.
• Travel restrictions lifted “just in time”—God’s time, of course—so a total of sixty-five campers could come, one-third from outside the country.
• The camp location received lots of rain leading up to camp and even on the day campers arrived; however, we experienced beautiful weather for the remainder of camp.
• The Lord protected the 65 campers and 21 adults from sickness and major injuries.
• Getting everyone to camp and back seemed a logistical impossibility, but God worked everything out!

Thank you for your investment in these children!! We could not have pulled this off without you! We hope one day you will see your generosity’s impact on our TCKs in southeast Asia. For 60 years, Camp MIKI has been a blessing, but this year it was also a reminder of how God loves to give great gifts to His children!

Your generosity to this strategic fund enabled children of missionaries living in Southeast Asia to attend Camp Buddy last week. Many of these kids live in remote areas with little interaction with other TCKs. Because of your partnership, these children came together for corporate worship, daily teaching, and the opportunity to hear what God is doing in others’ lives. Thank you so much for making this event possible! Here are some testimonies from kids who attended.

• Counselor—Five campers gave their lives to Jesus! Their lives will never be the same!
• Girl, 12—At Camp, I made a commitment that I want to be a missionary.
• Girl, 11—I liked the message about having a soft heart when you are stressed.
• Boy, 18—It was good to get to worship with kids our age after three years of not being able to do that.
• Boy, 11—I like the free time because we got to go on slides and play Gaga ball.
• Boy, 17—I like that we are able to hang out with people we’ve grown up with.
• Girl, 17—You don’t realize how big an impact our Camp Buddy friends have on our lives until we get older and reconnect year after year.
• Mom—The investment that the missionary “aunts” and “uncles” make with our kids is invaluable. Our kids know there are other people around our region who love and support them.