The following is a story from our On Location Fall/Winter edition. Read the full newsletter.

Life as a missionary kid is defined by goodbyes.

“The world of people living overseas is a mobile world,” says Debby Witmer, IM’s global MK and family care coordinator. “Just when you get attached to someone, it’s time to say goodbye.”

When a new global servant family sets out from the U.S. to their assigned country, their kids lose everything — their house, food, and the people who matter to them—all in a single plane ride. It takes about two years for children to start building roots in a new country.

“By the fourth year of a family’s assignment,” Debby says, “the new country feels like home. And just then, it’s time to return to the U.S. for a year.”

Home assignment is a chance to reconnect with family and friends in the U.S. and plow into a pile of yummy food. Once again, however, those benefits come at an enormous price.

Debby describes the MK mindset: I’m going to be living with relatives or friends. I’m going to be on the road visiting churches, and I have to be on my best behavior because my parents need the money to serve God. Other MKs who go on home assignments also think: Oh, I’ve got friends there. I’ll reconnect. Unfortunately, reconnections are rare, and relationships don’t automatically go back to how they were, which may intensify an MK’s feeling of isolation.

Each goodbye, each transition, stacks up like blocks on a tower. The average missionary kid enters college with 20 blocks on their tower of grief — more than most American adults will experience in their lifetime.

Goodbyes are everyday life for most MKs, but what if someone in the family has to be hospitalized or medically evacuated? What if political turmoil makes the country unsafe? What if you’re robbed? What if you have to leave at a moment’s notice with no chance to say goodbye?

Statistics give the answer: Eight in 10 MKs aged 18-26 report having severe depression or anxiety. One in five will leave the faith entirely, becoming an atheist or an agnostic.

In Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” We might ask a similar question, “What good is it for a global servant to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others yet forfeit their children’s well-being?” And that is why we have MK care.

At International Ministries, our ministry priorities include health and wellness for youth and young adults — in addition to the health and wellness of our global servants and their families.

As the MK and family care coordinator, Debby works with MKs individually and in special places and times – such as during our MK conferences – to help them understand they always have a home with Jesus. He is the source of their identity. God has a special plan for them. And He can teach them how to transform their challenges into something uniquely beautiful for His glory.

Debby also helps parents understand how to raise resilient kids overseas. Healthy families don’t happen by accident—they are the result of intentional discipleship and formation, which can look different when raising kids in cultures outside of the U.S.

If God is prompting you to invest in IM’s MKs, we invite you to:

1. Pray for our missionary kids!
2. Support college MKs, families in transition, and MK families who come to visit you or your church.
3. Consider giving to God’s global mission through IM to support the MK and family care ministry.
4. Learn more about MK care, upcoming events, projects, and other ways to support MKs at internationalministries.org/mk.