The Return 2002: Remember the Days, Renew the Friendships, Refresh the Spirits

By Phil and Barb Klumpp

Total ABWE MKs = 1,896
(1,114 over the age of 18)
69 ABWE MKs have been appointed to career missions.

For some, it was like a big family reunion. For others, it was a time of soul searching and renewed commitment to Christ. For many of us, it was the culmination of over a year of planning, preparation, and meeting as a committee. The Return 2002 was a reunion of college and adult MKs (missionary kids) held in conjunction with the July 2002 Missionary Enrichment Conference. Ninety-eight adult MKs (ages 18 66) plus spouses and children from all over the world attended and renewed acquaintance with other MKs, missionary "aunts" and "uncles," and former teachers.

The Return started as a dream of Michael Loftis, president of ABWE and an MK himself, to gather the adult MKs of ABWE. We started an MK search by writing to all former and retired missionaries to find the whereabouts of their adult children. (One trait of MKs is that they, like their parents, move a lot, so this is a never ending process.). The second step was to form a committee of adult MKs to plan and prepare. We met almost monthly for over a year. We had so much fun together that when The Return was over, we decided to continue to meet. It was worth all the work to watch the hugs, tears and laughter that accompanied the meetings, stories and late-night gatherings at The Return.

Here's what some MKs said was their greatest blessing:

Seeing missionaries and MKs I had not seen in 30, 40, 50 years.
The privilege of meeting Marjory Barnett Miller, one of the oldest MKs from China.
Playing soccer with Jim Bowers and 70 other MKs.
Singing "How Great Thou Art" in "our own" languages.

Others commented:

It made me all the more willing to be a missionary if God leads me.
It was great to connect with missionaries who are often closer to us than our own families.
Thank you for letting us be a part of the ABWE family again.

The Return 2002 was only a beginning. MKs left The Return excited to minister to each other and their fellow MKs, especially those who struggle adjusting to the States, college, and being away from family at the same time. Pray that God would bless this special group of people-ABWE's adult MKs.

To keep in touch with what's happening in the MK world, e-mail: mkrelations@abwe.org