Some of the greatest people on the planet are Missionary Kids (MKs). Emily and I have been able to invest in different groups of MKs through the years, and we, of course, have two of our own that we think are dynamite.
Missionary Kids possess a great deal of cultural intelligence and seem to be able to adapt to a multitude of challenging situations. But that does not make them impervious to pain and loss. Recently I re-read a poem that a wonderful MK wrote in 2011 when she was 14 years old. I hope that it gives you a window into what a teenage MK deals with and the hope that they can find in God even when the burdens seem unbearable.
Jeremiah 29:11
Ana Brunk, Nazarene MK in Singapore, 14 years old (July 2011)
Imagine yourself in Heaven,
Where the beauty of God’s creation thrives
Where the light and love of your Father surrounds you
Imagine yourself sitting in a vast field full of color and beauty
Your Father is there with you
You crawl onto his lap and hold his hand
As you do, he lifts your thumb for a closer look
Do you see those tiny lines all over your finger?
Your thumbprint is so special and unique, just like you he says with a wink
You look up at your Dad and smile
I have a purpose for everything that I do
Even the pattern on your thumb was made the way it was for a reason
Before returning to your home here in Heaven you suffered many hardships
Dear friends would have to leave
Your best friend moved away from you too
You felt alone, like you were the only one who really cared about your relationship with me
I felt your pain in all those situations
I cried with you in the bad times and celebrated in the good
But I knew the plans I had for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you
Plans to give you a hope and a future
You look up at your Father with tears of joy in your eyes
And it all worked out perfect, thank you Daddy
Transform the Globe 
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