MK Camp! We're pretty excited here at my house!

My children - and my husband, for that matter - all grew up as Missionary Kids (MKs). Spending your childhood in a foreign country, as the child of missionaries, changes you forever.

Rachel, my married adult daughter, lives in the capital of Honduras. Growing up, she attended the annual camp for MKs in Honduras, and now she has taken on the task of organizing and running the camp for 2014! (Just to be clear, this isn't a paid job. There were no plans in the works for a camp this year, and she didn't want to see the kids miss out, so she decided to take it on herself.) I'm very proud of her desire to be of service in this manner. 

In spreading the word about the camp, and the need for such a camp, Rachel wrote the following:

MKs don’t really fit in anywhere, especially the MKs who have lived overseas for many years. The US isn't their home anymore, but neither is Honduras. The friends that they have, or had, in the States can't understand them; it's like they live on different planets. The only person who can truly understand an MK is another MK.  

This camp gives the MKs of Honduras an opportunity to be themselves, to play with and talk to kids just like them. That’s one of the reasons why this camp is so important. 

Here's another reason: MKs are special people. They love adventures, their eyes have been opened to the world’s problems, they have seen their parents’ sacrifices, and most of them become very strong Christians who work to enlarge the kingdom of God. One of the things we try to do at this camp every year is to nourish and teach these MKs, to encourage them to grow in their faith. 

In the US, kids have so many opportunities for group activities: youth groups, VBS, Awanas, sports, Sunday School, etc., but most of the MKs in Honduras have none of these opportunities. Their parents might run a Sunday School, or hold a VBS here in Honduras, but a lot of the time the MKs have to help run it (helping with the crafts, games, or skits). This isn't a bad thing because it teaches them leadership, service, etc., but they just don't get many chances to be just kids in a group of kids.  

One of the adult volunteers who works at the Honduras MK camp every year told me that we have to give back to the MKs, who, like their parents, sacrifice daily for the cause of Christ. He sees this camp as a way we can show the MKs of Honduras how much we appreciate them.

I'm sharing this here on my blog, because you have an opportunity to be a part of making this camp happen!

In order to keep the fee for attending the camp low - within the budgets of missionary families - we are accepting donations to cover some of the costs of holding the camp. And here's some exciting news: a donor has agreed to help with the fundraising, by offering a matching funds grant, up to $3000! So, anything you donate will count for double! 

Just so you know how the financial side of the camp is set up, all of the staff - cooks, counselors, guest speaker/teacher, games leaders, camp director, etc. - are volunteers. Most of these positions are being filled by missionaries and older MKs. These volunteers will not have to pay their own food and lodging costs. 

Rachel is setting up the camp to accommodate 80 campers. As of today, four months before the camp is scheduled to take place, 27 campers, 8 counselors, and 10 adult staff have signed up.

The instructions, for how to donate toward the MK Camp, appear below. Thank you SO MUCH for helping us make this camp a reality for the Missionary Kids of Honduras!

Oh, one more thing . . . if you'd like more info on this camp, or you'd like to see photos and videos from previous camps, Rachel and Boo have put together an MK Camp Facebook page. Enjoy! I especially recommend the 2012 camp video - it's full of fun!

To Donate by Mail, send checks to:

The Foundation

PO Box 560233

Orlando, Florida 32856-0233

- Make check payable to "The Foundation" -

- Be sure to write "preferenced for Sowers Ministry - MK CAMP" on an enclosed paper -

To Donate Online:

     Click on THIS LINK to donate online using credit card, debit card, or automatic monthly donations from your bank account. Make sure that you choose "Missionary Support" from the drop down menu, and type in "Sowers Ministry - MK CAMP" in the box requesting "additional specifics on how to use the gift."

- If additional instructions or information are needed for donating online, 

please don't hesitate to call The Foundation for Missions, at 407-796-4939,

or send your questions by email to brenda@tfofsp.org