Added to our Missionary Family

Judy Keith is mom of three grown daughters (Tif, Rachel, Margie) and grandma of Fiona (5). Her husband, Pastor Jim Keith, died in ’95. She now works with Mu Kappa, a ministry of Barnabas International -- an organization dedicated to the encouragement of missionaries.

To learn more about them, visit http://www.barnabas.org/. (Check out their Encouragement Online Magazine! http://barnabas.org/magazine.php)

Judy’s primary role with Barnabas is Regional Coordinator for Mu Kappa, their ministry to college-age Missionary Kids ("MKs"). She meets with MKs on university campuses throughout the South Central U.S. and New England, and is support staff for Re-entry Seminars, MK Retreats, and the Pastor-To-Missionary Conferences. In addition to encouraging MKs and their families, Judy’s passion includes raising awareness of MK transition issues as she visits churches and meets with university faculty connected to MK care. email judykeith@barnabas.org

 to jump to the latest newsletter click here                                                           For Archived New letters 

MK Reentry - Who's it for?

A Dynamic and Practical Reentry Seminar for the Sons and Daughters of Missionaries

 

June 11 ~ HAPPY ST. BARNABAS DAY! 

 

Thought that was appropriate in light of my work with Barnabas International.  =) I'm thankful to be working with this group of encouragers!!

 

"You know you're an MK [Missionary Kid] when?.."

?High school graduation is the saddest day of your life.

?You'd rather never say hello than have to say good-bye.

?The majority of your friends don't speak English.

?The U.S. is a foreign country to you.

?Going home means one thing to your parents and an entirely different thing to you.

 

"MK on the brain"?and on my heart as I have been praying for the transition of missionary families, especially during the summer season.

Some are just coming off the field for a year or a few months of furlough, hoping to reconnect with supporters and help their kids get settled in college.  Others have just finished that furlough time and are now heading back to their field of service?.without their college-age children, and praying for God's protection and guidance for these precious ones during an extremely challenging season of life.

 

Please pray for Sarah (Africa), whom I met at the spring MK Retreat.  She has finished her first year of college in OK, and her parents will be leaving this summer?this time not back to Africa, but to Australia, a totally new field.  Pray that the Lord will comfort parents, siblings, and Sarah during the painful separation, and give them peace.  No doubt many of you have your own names that you could fill in!

 

MK TRANSITION SEMINARS!!!!!  This summer Barnabas Int'l staff members will be hosting three Transition Seminars (also known as Reentry) across the country, in Los Angeles, CA, Seattle, WA, and Cedarville, OH.

Approximately 80 MKs from nearly every continent will converge on these locations for two weeks.  Why do they come?  A typical expectation:  "I hope to gain some peace from what I've been through, and maybe make some friends and learn from others' experiences.  Maybe God has something

special for me to hear through them."        Please pray:

        .?that the Lord will use us staff members mightily in the lives of these MKs.

        ?.for the hearts of the MKs attending.  They have said good-bye so many times, it can be

             difficult for them to open up to yet another set of relationships for such a brief time.

        ?.for logistics and to fall into place ~ many details have to come together for these!

        ?.for financing: the Seattle and Cedarville seminars must raise $1000 per student

             some of that need remains  (kids are only charged $475). 

            

Coming Up:   After a restful yet productive month at home, I'm ready for

the road again!

June 24 - July 2: Barnabas Int'l staff meetings in Williams Bay, WI (includes driving time) July 11-23: MK Transition Seminar in Los Angeles, CA (I fly out the 8th to help with this one) July 18-30: MK Transition Seminar in Seattle, WA July 18-30: MK Transition Seminar in Cedarville, OH

 

Favorite quote from the last ministry year:  "Thank you for your mama's heart."  I have found that my greatest joy in this ministry is developing relationships with individual MKs.  Thank you for all of the support and words of encouragement during this journey.  Looking forward to what God has in mind for the coming year!

 

Serving with you,

Judy

 

 

August 17

Dear Friends,

"Urgent prayer request" answered! Thank you for praying for the debriefing conference Aug. 2-6 in Joplin, MO! I'm thankful that the folks at TRAIN Int'l entrusted me with the four kids (ages 10-14, picture attached). We had a good week together! The seven adults, my four kids, and a few younger children bonded well and hated to say good-bye. What a privilege to see the TRAIN staff come alongside these servants with encouragement and compassion. They were truly renewed and hopeful after the sessions together. Thank you for praying us through!
YOU KNOW YOU'RE AN MK WHEN...
...You'd rather never say hello than have to say good-bye.
...Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to...." five times.
...You never know what to say when asked for a "permanent address."
...You want to write "MK" in the "other" box under ethnic origin.
...You have a passport but no driver's license.

College students all over the country are descending on their campuses. Their lives will be forever changed by this new journey! Many American kids have difficulty adjusting to being away from home for the first time. Magnify that for the Americans who are away from "home" in the "foreign" country of the U.S. (Missionary Kids)!

The MKs who attended Reentry Seminars in July were typically nervous about their upcoming university transitions. They expressed concerns like "I'm really scared, but I'm also excited to start something new." "Will I fit in?" "It's going to be so weird to be so far from my family." "I'm trusting God to work everything out." Thank you for your prayers on their behalf! They are touched when they realize that people in churches all over the country genuinely care for them, are praying for them, and ready to help when they can.
Making "history": I love making continued connections with MKs over the years! Emily and I met in 2007 at her Reentry Seminar, and God has allowed our paths to cross multiple times since then in AR, GA, KS, CA, and again recently as I gave her a ride from the Tulsa airport to AR. I miss my girls and Emily's folks are back in Africa, so the on-going "history" is win-win for both of us. J
AFGHANISTAN. AUGUST 5, 2010. Ten members of a medical aid team were ambushed and murdered after a two-week humanitarian mission. I'm still stunned and grieving for the families of the victims. It is one thing to be praying for particular families in that area ...to see their names on the list of victims has been difficult and surreal. But to be the family members and close friends? I can't begin to comprehend that anguish. My heart and prayers go out to them. Stories abound of how individuals on this team impacted many lives. My own life is richer because of contact with a couple of the daughters who grew up in that country and loved it. Thank you for joining me in continued prayer for healing for families and friends.

Coming Up: Aug. 18-25: Family gathering in TX with MK visits en route (hopefully!).
Aug. 27-31: "Northwoods Gathering" in MN (some Barnabas staff will be getting together). Hopefully I'll be able to connect with some MKs on this trip as well. Please pray for those details to be worked out. Please also pray for travel safety since I'll be driving. Thanks!

Joyfully serving with you,
Judy

 AUGUST 16 2010

Dear Friends, 

“Urgent prayer request” answered!  Thank you for praying for the debriefing conference Aug. 2-6  in Joplin, MO!  I’m thankful that the folks at TRAIN Int’l entrusted me with the four kids (ages 10-14, picture attached). We had a good week together!  The seven adults, my four kids, and a few younger children bonded well and hated to say good-bye.  What a privilege to see the TRAIN staff come alongside these servants with encouragement and compassion.  They were truly renewed and hopeful after the sessions together. Thank you for praying us through!

YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN MK WHEN……You'd rather never say hello than have to say good-bye.…Your life story uses the phrase “Then we went to….” five times.
…You never know what to say when asked for a “permanent address.” 
…You want to write “MK” in the “other” box under ethnic origin.

…You have a passport but no driver’s license.

College students all over the country are descending on their campuses.  Their lives will be forever changed by this new journey!  Many American kids have difficulty adjusting to being away from home for the first time.  Magnify that for the Americans who are away from “home” in the “foreign” country of the U.S. (Missionary Kids)!

The MKs who attended Reentry Seminars in July were typically nervous about their upcoming university transitions.  They expressed concerns like “I’m really scared, but I’m also excited to start something new.”  “Will I fit in?”  “It’s going to be so weird to be so far from my family.”  “I’m trusting God to work everything out.”  Thank you for your prayers on their behalf!  They are touched when they realize that people in churches all over the country genuinely care for them, are praying for them, and ready to help when they can.

Making “history”:  I love making continued connections with MKs over the years!  Emily and I met in 2007 at her Reentry Seminar, and God has allowed our paths to cross multiple times since then in AR, GA, KS, CA, and again recently as I gave her a ride from the Tulsa airport to AR.  I miss my girls and Emily’s folks are back in Africa, so the on-going “history” is win-win for both of us.  J

AFGHANISTAN. AUGUST 5, 2010. Ten members of a medical aid team were ambushed and murdered after a two-week humanitarian mission. I’m still stunned and grieving for the families of the victims.  It is one thing to be praying for particular families in that area …to see their names on the list of victims has been difficult and surreal.  But to be the family members and close friends? I can’t begin to comprehend that anguish. My heart and prayers go out to them.  Stories abound of how individuals on this team impacted many lives. My own life is richer because of contact with a couple of the daughters who grew up in that country and loved it.  Thank you for joining me in continued prayer for healing for families and friends.

Coming Up:  Aug. 18-25: Family gathering in TX with MK visits en route (hopefully!).
Aug. 27-31: “Northwoods Gathering” in MN (some Barnabas staff will be getting together).  Hopefully I’ll be able to connect with some MKs on this trip as well.  Please pray for those details to be worked out.  Please also pray for travel safety since I’ll be driving.  Thanks!

Joyfully serving with you,
Judy