This past weekend MK2MK hosted its first college retreat. We had 24 college students either fly or drive to Florida for a weekend of fun, community, and learning how to be a TCK (Third Culture Kid) in college.
Continue readingBy Jessi B.
Jessi is an MK who has lived all over. She hopes to one day become a counselor for MK’s but right now she is living in Tennessee with her family. She joined the MK2MK team this summer to lead Xtrack.
Growing up I prided myself in being what I thought was a “good” missionary kid: obedient, respectful and above all, honest. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized I had lied almost every day of my life to my family, friends, and even myself with two simple words: “I’m fine.”
By Bekah Leary
Bekah directed the MK2MK summer missions trip to Bosnia this past summer. Here is a reflection of her experiences and some exciting ways God worked this past summer.
God Creating a Masterpiece out of a Mess
Our very first day of ministry was spent ministering to families staying in a refugee house outside of Sarajevo. It was hectic; we had to make game-time decisions, small children were running around everywhere, and I felt very out of control. The staff was supportive and the kids were so excited for us to be there, but in my limited human view, all I could see was a messy situation. I was not looking forward to the rest of the week there. But, God took what I saw as a mess and turned it into a masterpiece. The children looked forward to us coming every day, our students were so sad when the week was over, and the staff told us how much of a blessing it was to them that we came and served there. God showed me that I can trust Him; that He can take what I see as a scattered mess of broken pieces, and turn it into something beautiful; that He uses for our good and His glory.
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Growing up overseas has made me an expert on long-distance friendships. In fact, I think that I’ve probably had more significant long-distance friendships than I have in person.
One of the sad parts of long-distance is that the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” can often be true. I love when I can get together with my long-distance friends and family in person. It’s so much fun and so often it’s like we were never apart.
While it often feels like we were never apart and thankfully due to modern technology we can readily talk in-between the times that we get to see each other, these drop-in-drop-out friendships aren’t the same as the ones I have with the people that I get to see every day. The people who are consistent, who are present, who I don’t have to spend an hour or more explaining where I’m at because they already know. They know because they do life with me.
This summer we had to write an I am From poem to share with our team. As an MK and TCK I hate the question “Where are you from?” because it is never simple or easy to answer. I’m not from one place but many. Most memories are mingled with bittersweet loss and a sense of longing. It took me five tries before I came up with a poem I was comfortable sharing. Continue reading
By Ana Tavsancea
You know how when you were little you’d repeat something until you received a response? And if you didn’t receive a response you’d probably end up throwing a fit? I get that sometimes, like “I know I’ve repeated this 10x and you’re probably annoyed, but all I need is confirmation that you heard me and right now you’re giving me nothing.”
On the flip side of that, lately I’ve come to realize that some of my facial expressions make me look like I am either judging someone, look bothered, or want to see someone dead. These facial expressions are often so far from the truth of what I was actually thinking or feeling at that moment. Continue reading
Jessi B.
We can’t believe that Xtrack has been over for almost two months now! Even though so much has happened in between now and the end of Xtrack, it still feels like it was yesterday.
Here is a post about our last few days by Jessi B.
What a whirlwind! When our team was debriefing we all said it felt as though these six weeks went by so quickly. We felt as though we had only just begun getting to know these kids, and yet on the last day we all had bittersweet time where we emotionally hugged, took pictures together, passed out notes and said (or yelled) our goodbyes. The connections made we precious; not only between the leaders and the kids but also between the kids themselves! It was so encouraging to see that they had created close bonds that they were able to process and play together in a healthy and supportive relationships. This is something we had specifically been praying for all summer! Continue reading
