When we first heard God’s call to Albania, our daughters Megan and Moriah were 12 and 8 years old. While Moriah was immediately agreeable to the idea of being a missionary, Megan was a planner, and this news upset her carefully laid out plans. Ironically, one of the things on her list was to attend a summer missions camp to learn about becoming a missionary. As she recognized that the doors were opening for us to go, she did all she could to hold them shut. That is, until God called her personally. When that happened during a prayer, she joyfully surrendered and became the most enthusiastic of us all. She wouldn’t just be a missionary kid, she said. God wanted her to be a missionary, too.

We got in touch with the AFM missionary families in Albania, the Wilcoxes and the Hendricksons, and took the opportunity to meet them while they were on furlough. The children took to each other like favorite cousins, which made the transition easier for our girls. We would be on a separate project in another city but still only a few hours away from the other families. As the only boy among the seven girls from the three AFM families, Kristofer Hendrickson took upon himself the role of the girls’ protector. As the years went by, their friendship grew.

When they were 15 and 11, Megan and Moriah began a ministry of their own with the Romani (gypsy) children. The following year, they opened the Hope Center, a literacy and health-education center for Romani girls where they taught many practical skills, reading and writing, simple arithmetic, and how to maintain health and hygiene. Most importantly, they showed God’s love and taught the girls about Jesus. These Romani girls in turn are teaching others in their families what they have learned at the Hope Center. For the first time, many have now been allowed to enroll in public school and are doing well. God blessed the missionary efforts of our children in a remarkable way.

Kristofer and Megan were young adults when Kristofer traveled to our city to ask Sean for his blessing to court Megan. They had become best friends through the years, and both had been praying for their future mission-minded mate without realizing they were praying for each other.
On June 26, 2011, Kristofer and Megan were married. We didn’t lose a daughter; we gained a son. They are observing Biblical council to take a year to get to know each other as husband and wife before applying to be career missionaries. Meanwhile, they are helping us in Albania while we are on furlough and seeking the Lord’s guidance on where He wants them to serve. This is the first marriage between AFM missionary kids, and we are praising God that the next generation has a passion for the unreached. Please remember them in your prayers.

Even though Moriah had to leave the mission field for her own safety, it has not deterred her enthusiasm for missions. Life isn’t easy for missionary kids. The enemy of souls attacks them mercilessly in order to turn away their parents from the work to which God has called them. Missionary kids need your encouragement and prayers for physical, mental and spiritual protection and health. Let’s salute missionary kids, past, present and future!

• Twitter