When people ask where I'm from (I still have that slight Ohio accent), or ask what my dad does, I tell them that my family is here as missionaries. I get one of three reactions when I mention this; sometimes people just nod or shrug, then don't say anything. Other times they are excited that we're here starting a flight school, and want to know more about it. However, the reaction I get most often is confusion. They'll ask questions, like "What does that mean?"
The basic facts are that missionary families live on the support of others, we go wherever God tells us, and we're here to help people; but there's so much more to it than that. Every day is lived by faith, and there are many trials to work through. We make sacrifices, but for every sacrifice we are blessed. Missionary families do not have a steady income, but every day we are provided for. Through everything we go through, the good and the bad, we become stronger.
We're known around town as "the missionary family". I don't know exactly what people think of us, but that doesn't matter. For my brother, sisters and I to be known as the "missionary kids" is an honor. It means we stand out. It means we're being who we are. It means we're making an impact.
It's a beautiful thing.
