S T O R I E S    T H A T    C H A L L E N G E

By Philip Troyer

Many of us cannot begin to describe what it's like to be right there on the mission field, but for seven Rosedale Bible College students, the memories of those days are still fresh. They are MK's, missionary kids, and their lives have been radically changed by their families' cross-cultural experiences. On February 28, 2006, they gathered in the RBC coffee shop with other students and friends to discuss their lives in the field.

Nicaragua – This is the home of Wendy Orozco, daughter of the current president of the National Council of the Nicaragua Mennonite Conference, Marcos Orozco. Wendy's mother, Lois, teaches kindergarten in the city of Managua. Nicaragua has impacted Wendy in a number of ways. Her parents met there; her mother was doing missions at the time, and her father lived in Managua. To her, Nicaragua has always been home, even while living in the States during her furlough.

Cross-cultural family life has been completely normal for her, and she considers that type of marriage as a possibility someday. “It's a good thing,” she said, “and I like it.”

Her days in Nicaragua were filled with helping to teach in her mother's classes and spending time with her family while they were fulfilling the call God placed in their lives. If you ever meet her, ask her what a typical day in Nicaragua is like–I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

Turkey – Chadwick Miller can tell you a lot about Turkey. He spent practically his entire life there, only moving back to the States a year and a half ago. Spending eight years in a Turkish school does affect how one reacts to cultural situations.

Chad acquired many valuable gifts in his time in Turkey–a new worldview is one of them. “When you look at the newspapers here,” he comments, “you look at it from a new perspective. You know what's happening.” He is also thankful for being able to learn a different language and to communicate with people in a different way.

During furlough, he was able to click right back in with his relatives and cousins, partially because of a need to fit in. Back in the States, it is awkward for kids of missionaries to find their connections again–things simply change. Sometimes, it's better not to talk about experiences and just try to fit in. Chad commented that he missed Turkish food and candy.

Speaking of possible long-term missions for himself, he said that if it's God's will for his life, he'd love to.

Ecuador – Bethany Nisly moved to Ecuador when she was four and a half and moved back to the States only this year. Her family was involved with church planting, and her experience in the field has challenged her in many ways. Being torn between two cultures was a somewhat negative experience for her, because she felt more rooted in Ecuador and less so here in the States. Her parents' devotion to the ministry showed her how to be focused in her own life, and she appreciates that greatly.

Friends were a challenge for her. Keeping the connection while overseas was difficult, but she had lots of friends in Ecuador. She lived in Indiana for a year while on break, and felt a bit like an outcast. “I was so used to the friendliness over there, but it's just not here,” she said. She still enjoyed her breaks, though. Shopping for clothes was always exciting.

When asked if she would consider doing long-term missions, her response was immediate: “There's just no other way; it's what I've wanted to do.”

Papua New Guinea (PNG) – This was home to two RBC students, Cherissa Blank and Chris Coblentz. Both of them were in Papua New Guinea at roughly the same time (Cherissa's family was there for over ten years, and Chris's family spent two years in PNG). Cherissa's family left when she was 15; Chris's left when he was 16. Both families worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators and lived on the mission compound.

Coming home was hard for Chris because the familiarity of his home in the States had long since changed. He is glad for the different view of the world, as is Cherissa, but he felt like a foreigner on his initial return.

The lack of entertainment in Papua New Guinea didn't stop Cherissa. She talked about creating her own forms of entertainment, such as throwing surprise birthday parties for people. “You just don't have that sense of having a need for entertainment,” she said.

Coming back was hard on both of them, though. Chris's grandmother didn't recognize him at first, and Cherissa met with many relatives she had no idea she had. It was hard for her because she didn't have long-lasting friendships, so she turned to books.

One thing Chris welcomed on returning to the States was food. “Hamburgers over there are so dry . . . when we came back, we went to McDonald's, and I ate like three or four quarter-pounders.”

Living in the field changed their view of church, and they both enjoyed having services in the native tongue (Pidgin). The highlight for Cherissa was the tambourine. She started learning how to use it while in the second grade, and even began her own tambourine ministry while in eighth and ninth grades. “It's part of me now. I fit in completely with it, even though God showed me I could fit in without it. But someday, sometime, somehow, I still want it.”

Both of them would consider doing long-term missions if it's what God wants them to do.

Belarus – Renel Kennell and her family resided for five years in the Republic of Belarus, working with the local Baptist Union to help start a church. Being gone so long was hard on her. She didn't have the opportunity for lasting friendships, and it was harder for her to relate. She stayed connected with family, however, as her grandparents visited their family while overseas.

Returning to the States was a mixed blessing for her. Not being able to relate to the culture and her peers caused many struggles for her, but she has resolved them. People often ask her and other missionary kids questions concerning their connections overseas. Most of the time, these questions are a bother, and they will simply not talk about it. However, Renel said that time with people and friends who would just stick close mattered more than any question ever could.

She has considered going into long-term missions, even though it may be a challenge for her.

Closer to home – Next year, Kevin and Wendy Mayer and their children will take on the challenge of mission work in Spain. The group gave them a lot of advice on how to treat their children.

Chad told them not to be afraid of the local children. “You have to be careful to a degree, but don't leave your kids in the house, or they'll miss out on a lot.”

Elizabeth Ziegler, who lived in Haiti for two years with her family, had another suggestion. “Take your kids with you,” she said. She talked about how her parents took her around with them, helping people with health kits. “My parents taught us how we were a servant family.”

Undertaking the call of long-term missions is not an easy task. It takes years of hard work and stress on your life and the life of your family. The cross-cultural experiences of these young adults changed their lives for the better. As they consider what God wants in their lives, we must consider how God has affected our lives through them. Their stories challenged everyone in the room to ponder how they could impact others. I hope now their stories have challenged you to do the same.

Philip Troyer is a first-year student at RBC. He attends Bethel Mennonite Church in Sarasota, Florida, his hometown.