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A SELECTED "NORTHERN
LIGHTS" MAGAZINE ARTICLE
(from Issue #491)
TUCK & A Talk: MKs
in Ministry
They're called "MKs" (missionary kids) and, through no choice
of their own, are in missionary work!
"They help open doors of ministry for their
parents on the reserves," says NCEMer Janeice Hill. "They invite
their unsaved friends home and ask them if they know Jesus; they sit and
answer questions in our supporting churches.
"And even more exciting for us, as missionary
parents," adds Janeice, "is when they choose to work alongside
us. Last summer at Arrowhead Native Bible Centre (Cumberland Bay, NB) we
were privileged to have five MKs with us. In fact, the MKs on our field
say that Bible camp work is the highlight of their summer!
"Here is what our oldest son, Cody, wrote following last
year's camps."
As a missionary's son, I have
had the opportunity to see things that many never will. None, however,
have made so great an impression on my life as one little boy at our
Arrowhead Bible Camp.
 ANBC
is a summer camp that focuses on reaching Native children for the Lord. It
has been a work in progress for about 15 years and has come a long way
from a bunch of tents and a few outhouses. It now has several cabins and a
main lodge for chapel, dining and some staff living quarters. Seeing how
God has brought the Camp about from its early days is in itself amazing.
However, it is the kids and the changes in their lives
that is important and ultimately the only thing that matters. The little
boy in this story is a perfect example of this.
The 2003 summer camping season was at first a
disappointment, as one week had to be cancelled. I was a cabin leader for
two weeks, and one of those weeks I was the only leader in a cabin with
four campers. I found that, if you want to see a miracle, you have to be
willing to put yourself in a place where you let go of control and let God
step in.
Three of the four guys were, for the most part, great
kids. I mean, all kids act up, but they were pretty good.
Oh, but then there was the fourth one. He would not listen
or sit still and he seemed to do everything wrong. I tried my hardest to
find reasons to reward him, but I found myself giving him black marks on
the chart when others were getting stickers. One evening in chapel I
snapped. I didn't really get angry -- I just gave up on him.
I told him if he did not stop running around, he would
lose his "tuck" (that's the kids' treat before they go to
bed). This is the worst possible thing that can happen to a nine year-old,
and I thought for sure he would listen. It didn't work. So I was forced
to take it away. He got angry at me and it took all I had to stick to my
decision.
Now, the other important element to this story was Gary
Countway, the Bible teacher that week. I was talking to Gary after chapel
about what had been going on. He came up with the idea that he would give
up his tuck so that the angry little fellow could have his back again. The
boy was shocked when Gary told him this!
After thanking Gary, he got his tuck and then we had a
talk. The first thing I noticed was that he sat and listened. That in
itself was amazing, but that was only the beginning. I explained how God
told us as His people not to do wrong things, but we went ahead and did
them anyway. Because of that we have lost our chance to live forever with
Him. God didn't want us to have to suffer, so Jesus gave up His life for
us so we could have ours back, even though none of us deserved it.
I told him that, just like he thanked Gary, we all should
thank God and accept the gift of salvation He has offered. I asked him if
he understood all I had said, and if he wanted to accept God's gift to
him. I honestly didn't have the faith to believe he ever would. His
genuine response of "yes" was God's wake-up slap in my face!
I then helped him through a simple, but heartfelt prayer
of asking Jesus into his life and, as soon as we had finished, the change
was plain to see! He even wanted me to take him to the phone to call his
mom and tell her what he had done. Sure, he still acted up a bit the rest
of the week, but he now wanted to know more, and he began to listen when
spoken to. The three other boys also accepted Jesus into their lives that
week, including the boy's older brother.
This past year all the guys who were in my cabin the
previous year came back. The change in that little boy's life has been
dramatic. He received stickers for good behaviour instead of black marks.
And, instead of being the worst camper of the week, he received the award
for best camper of the week!
I have never been so humbled in my short years on this earth than by
that little boy who, by the standards of men, was a lost cause. But God's
grace was used to show others that He can do anything, and that He will.
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