See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for
I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold
the face of my father who is in heaven.
– MATTHEW 18:10
When I heard this my hackles began to rise, but when I considered the source I calmed down. After all, someone who has never
attempted to raise one child doesn't really know an awful lot about
the subject. I remembered also that before I had children I made
similar statements thinking that I was an authority on the subject
of raising children. After having had experience with a few kids,
unfortunately, I have been forced to take the humble position of
confessing my ignorance. I suspect though that I am not the only
one.
Some of my colleagues have inferred in one way or another that
missionaries' children are "kind of strange" and "different." Usually
this is meant in some undesirable way. Well, let me tell you that the
feeling is mutual. Maybe we could call it "mutual misery," because
I get the same feeling when I'm around your children. I know people expect more from preachers' children, and are disappointed
when they find out that they aren't any better than their own.
I read in one of our religious papers the other day, a news item
about how well MK's were doing at a certain college. I found that
MK meant "Missionary Kid." I'm sure it was a term of affection but
it irritated me just the same. If I was an MK (and I'm glad I'm not) I could get along without that kind of affectionate terminology.
Over here my children are called by some (who are not their
friends) PK's, which stands for "Preacher's Kids." Of course, we
could say CK's for "Church Kids," and I would be tempted to say
TBK's for "The Brethren's Kids."
But let us restrain ourselves. I noticed that the article mentioned
only those that were doing well, and left out those who were not in
the top 10 per cent. Reports written by the brethren back home are
just like those written by missionaries - they mention only the good
stuff. As one who never made the top 10 per cent in college, I can
appreciate the silence. I hope my children do better in school than
I did, but I'm not going to take a fit if they don't. What gets me is,
Why should anyone think it strange or newsworthy if some missionary's kids are smart, and also, Why should we be surprised or
critical if some of them are not so smart? I expect that our "brats"
are as good as your “brats," and your “brats" are as bad as our
“brats."
We have visited in the homes of many Christians over there and
over here and found problems with children about the same.
Children are wonderful, and God loves every one of them, large and
small. Children I know most about though are overseas and I want
you to know that they are not "spoiled brats." They may be "spoiled"
but they are not “brats," and they may be "brats," but they are not
"spoiled." Sound contradictory? Well, children are like adults in this
respect, but let us not despise the least of them.
Missionary children are tops with me. If they are a little "different" it could be for many reasons. Most of them have had the broadening experience of at least two cultures. They can speak two languages. They have been raised on the firing Line where the gospel
is being pioneered in conflict with pagan societies. They can learn
to do without, or "take it" when the going gets rough. Along with
their parents, they may bear scars for the sake of Christ; but before
God this will be to their glory, and not to their shame.
Educating children on the field is probably the greatest single
problem that married missionaries face. Most missionaries do not
neglect their children and are trying their best under various circumstances. But the failure to find a satisfactory solution to children's education probably causes more missionaries to leave the
field than anything else. Even so, educating children should not be
our primary goal in life as missionaries. If that were the case, we
should not have left home in the first place. Children must learn to
share in the mission of their parents. If we teach them that their
education is more important than preaching the gospel in the field
that Christ has led us to, then will they not consider the work of
Christ a hindrance to their progress, and a resented competitor of
secondary importance? We are never going to educate our children
properly for Christ unless we are fully dedicated ourselves.
Children must learn in a happy way that they are not the center of
the universe, and that the central purpose of the lives of the missionary parents is not the satisfying of their every whim. More than anything else, we want our children to be loyal servants of Christ;
but they are not going to learn what this means by the half-starved,
half-baked dedication of their parents. Therefore, we do not believe
that missionary parents should be apologetic to their children for
bringing them up overseas; and brethren back home should not
give the child the idea he is deficient in some way if he has been
overseas.
Original taken from: http://www.harding.edu/cwm/archives/resources/books/FOR_MISSIONARIES_ONLY.PDF
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