How young can a missionary be? Is there a way to prepare children to successfully go through the culture shock that comes with cross-cultural missions? What can help a child cope with fear, anger and other emotions?
At AFM we want to have an environment where our missionary children can thrive and successfully grow in Jesus. Recently, I conducted AFM’s summer training program for the children of missionaries who are preparing to launch. While their parents are in extensive training, the children have a chance to work through many issues, such as:
- How to cope with change and transitions
- Safety tips
- Third-culture-kid dynamics
- How to work through culture shock
- What do to if they feel afraid or angry or experience grief or loss
- How to make friends in a new culture
- Tips to grow their own spiritual walk with God
- Spiritual warfare protection
- Conflict resolution skills
- How they can be missionaries, too
- And much more!
One day during our summer training program last year, we taught the children that they are not too young to begin having their own personal devotion time with Jesus each day. Showing them a Bible story picture book, I asked them what the story was about and then asked them what they love about Jesus from the story. Then I encouraged the children to do this on their own for their personal devotions. Several days later, Ruth Church came into her living room to discover five-year-old Samuel sitting on the couch in his pajamas with his blanket looking at a Bible story book. “I’m having my devotions, Mommy!” he announced.
This and many more reasons are why training missionary kids is so important.
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belong the kingdom of heaven’” (Matt. 18:14).
