Life in the MK Office

It seems like Fall should already be here, but that is how it feels every year after summer program. We start planning for events like Thanksgiving Retreat in late July. It gives us the false belief that summertime is over. However, we still have many weeks left of this season and praise the Lord for it! There is still so much to do before autumn arrives. We are continually preparing for the launch of iDiscipleship September 1^st in hopes that it will radically impact MKs and youth groups globally. Our Thanksgiving Retreat registrations goes live on August 1^st, which means we will soon be putting on the hat of travel agent for 150 people. Fall dinners are right around the corner and are a great time to catch up with our MKs.

Each event or program takes many hours of preparation and tweaking. As a team, we enjoy working together to ensure that our goal is accomplished to equip, engage, and enable MKs in Christ.

Summer Program

It is hard to believe that our summer program is almost over. Even though the weeks have flown by, it feels like we just started.We've had close to 250 MKs pass through our doors, and have witnessed amazing things happen in each one of them. The Lord is good! Our hope is that every MK leaves knowing who they are in Christ and how valuable they are to us. 

 

Please pray us as our MKs depart on Friday, and we start packing 60 pallets of ISMK items to store away for next summer.

The Past Few Months

The past few months have been full of activity and exciting developments!

After 22 years at Beaver Village, Thanksgiving Retreat has found a new home at Young Life-Crooked Creek Conference Center. We announced that  Fired Up is becoming iDiscipleship (www.idiscipleship.com) in September to be more inclusive.  Our website (www.ismk.org) had a major makeover and is designed to show off our MKs! Preparations for summer program are well under way. Summer staff has been hired, notebooks have been assembled, activities have been booked, reservations have been placed, and we are about to move the MK Office over to Central Bible College for the summer.

We know that the past can predict the future, and at the rate we are going, the future looks amazing!

Candidate Orientation Spring 2011

This week is Candidate Orientation, where missionary hopefuls travel to Springfield, MO to find out where and how they can serve across the world. This tends to be a time filled with anticipation and excitement. Seeing people passionate to reach others with the love of Christ is invigorating.

During this week, the MK Office has the privilege of meeting with parents of future MKs. Schooling options and cultural transitions are just a few topics discussed when introducing the MK program. Our goal is to equip, engage and enable the parents and their MKs. Our hope is to see parents head home knowing we are on their team.

ISMK Enables MKs

Each summer, the International Society of Missionary Kids (ISMK) has the privilege of training MKs that are headed to the mission field for the first time. In 2009 we prepared over 100 MKs for the adventure to which God was calling their families. We spent two weeks running cultural simulations and hands-on adjustment exercises. Our older MKs even spent a week in a wilderness-style survival camp, learning how to endure difficult situations. Our goal is to enable MKs to stay strong in their walk with the Lord as they face challenges and adventures on the mission field.

Immediately following Missionary Training, we host a renewal and reentry program for MKs returning to the states. We enjoy hearing stories of the joys and challenges they have faced on the mission field. Each summer proves to be a time of healing and refreshing in God’s presence for our MKs. The goal of these times together is to help MKs stay healthy and strong physically, mentally, and spiritually, so their families can effectively live out the call God has placed on their lives.

In July 2009, ISMK headed to Italy for our annual MK missions trip. Our passion at ISMK is to enable MKs to fully experience missions. Many MKs live most of their lives on the same field and it becomes home for them. When MKs are given the opportunity to minister in another country, they gain a whole new perspective on missions. By engaging MKs in missions, we increase the overall effectiveness of the entire missionary work force. After attending an MK missions trip, MKs often express a desire to pursue career missions as adults.

This year we hosted a Vacation Bible School (VBS) in Padova, Italy. Our team of MKs ministered to a group of international children from 5 to 17 years old. Most of the children were immigrants from Africa and Eastern Europe, approximately half of whom were un-churched. It was a great trip. We received feedback from team members that working outside their home country gave them a deeper burden for ministry and greater confidence to reach the lost.