Missionary Kid

by Sandi B.

Introduction by Pastor Don Elmore

The following is Sandi B’s excellent article on her life; especially about her school days in the Philippines. She rightly questioned the method of schooling the missionary kids (MKs) received — that is, they were sent many miles away to schools that were set up for this purpose. Some, even as young as kindergarteners, were and are sent, a long distance away from home to go to school.

It is like going to college — except all of the MKs are a lot younger. They only get to see their missionary parents on holidays and during the summer. And this is not the time to question this behavior.

Even brothers and sisters are many times separated. This happened in Sandi’s family. And for many of them this time of difficulty is just something to "suck it up" and put on a happy smile. To question this behavior is almost the same in the minds of these children as to question the command of God.

For those of you who know Sandi; you can appreciate the pain and awful memories she had in remembering these days. She only recently had the power to find out, herself, how bad these days really were. As she wrote, for those living these days they were always just "fine." I want to publically thank her for not only writing this article, but also for telling us that even pastors must be duly awake for the "wiles of the devil." Not only are the duties of the mother and father so important; nothing can ever separate their importance in the life of a child.