Guest Editorial: Kristen Stagg

By Kristen Stagg, Assistant Editor

accountant, agronomist, Air Force officer, airline employee, artist, attorney, auditor, author, claims adjustor, coach, computer programmer, corrections officer, cowboy, dentist, diplomat, diver, doctor, ESL teacher, elementary school teacher, emergency medical technician, exotic meats salesman, fire fighter, flight attendant, general, grocer, hair stylist high school teacher, home maker, home schooler, insurance representative, interpreter, librarian, linguist, loan officer, massage therapist missionary, musician, naval officer, nurse, Peace Corps worker, pediatrician, pilot, pianist, playwright, police officer, professor, psychiatrist, real estate agent, reporter, restaurant owner, sales person, secretary, senior pastor, social worker, sound engineer, special ed. teacher, speech therapist, supervisor, translator, truck driver, webmaster, youth advocate, youth pastor

Does this look like a career counselor's list of potential fields of employment? In actual fact, it's a partial listing of jobs held by MK's (missionary kids) who grew up on ABWE mission fields. They spent their youth in countries all over the world, and little has changed; they now ply their trades on every inhabitable continent in countries including Australia, Bangladesh. Canada, china, The Gambia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Philippines, Portugal, as well as nearly every one of the 50 United States.

While some of their occupations may seem expected, given their backgrounds, they are a widely diverse group of individuals as the list suggests. There is no "standard" MK, just as there is no "typical" MK experience unless it was being uprooted every few years going to and from the mission field.

We salute our MKs for their contributions to ABWE, and thank God for each of them.

In addition to an update of MKs, this issue of the Message shares reports of second and third generation ABWE missionaries, churches, and outreach programs. In countries such as the Philippines and Brazil, local Christians have developed their own ministries, reaching beyond their borders with the gospel message.

May you be encouraged as you read of faithful Christians continuing in their godly heritage to reach successive generations for eternity.