This summer is a special one for our family. We don’t usually come home for the summer after our year of home assignment, but with our kids reaching working age, it felt important to give them a chance to do something they can’t really do overseas: work, earn some money, and start saving for college and beyond.
Finding jobs from overseas isn’t easy. A foreign phone number on a resume doesn’t exactly inspire employers to call back. So we’re incredibly grateful for the people who’ve helped open doors for our kids this summer.
One family from our church has a cabin a couple hours from Winnipeg, near Kenora, and they’re connected to a restaurant there. Last year they offered to have Cassie stay with them for the summer and help her get a serving job, even arranging transportation. It was a big opportunity, since Cassie only had a little café experience and this is a nicer restaurant than she’d normally have a shot at. But because the family vouched for her, and their own sons work there too, the restaurant took a chance on her. After four training shifts, she served her first table yesterday and earned her first tips. She’s loving it, and I think she’s also enjoying the independence of being a bit more on her own since graduating high school this past June.
Jay is working full time for a friend of ours whose husband owns a landscaping company. He’s been hired on for general labor, lawn mowing, laying sod, filling bags with gravel, and hopefully learning to drive a bobcat before the summer’s out. It’s good, hard work, and a great way for him to learn flexibility and pick up new skills. He’s also getting his learner’s permit this summer and practicing his driving in the evenings.
Kai is only fourteen, so his summer looks a little different, just enough work without too much. He’s helping a neighbor two doors down who’s recovering from surgery, mowing her lawn, trimming hedges, and weeding her garden. He could easily work full time at this point, but he’s chosen to keep it to about two hours a day. He’s also walking a friend’s dog once a week and picking up the occasional lawn job. A nice balance of earning and still having time to be fourteen.
All three kids will also get to go to camp this summer. Kai has a volleyball camp and a basketball camp on his calendar. Jay is headed to a basketball camp in Minnesota, a more serious one, since he’s hoping to play in college and wants to sharpen his game this year. And Cassie is off to a camp in Alberta for third-culture kids transitioning from high school into college life. Our church sponsored her for it, which has been such a gift.
And every day, Kai and I have been taking advantage of Planet Fitness’s free membership, getting our workouts in together, which has become a nice little routine of its own this summer.
It’s been a summer so far of hard work, new independence, and a lot of growing up for our kids, and we feel so thankful for the community that’s made it all possible.
We often tell our kids we’re on their team. Every choice we make is considering them. These are the gifts we’re working to give them — not wrapped in paper, but built into their lives.
Gift 01
The ability to create music
Music is a language of its own. We want our kids to know how to make it — not just listen to it.
Gift 02
A strong work ethic and ambition
We want them to show up, to try hard, and to care about doing things well — whatever they put their hands to.
Gift 03
The ability to communicate in more than one language
Language opens doors — to people, cultures, and places. Exposure to more than one is a gift that keeps giving.
Gift 04
Wisdom in using financial resources
Not just how to earn money, but how to steward it well — with generosity, patience, and good judgment.
Gift 05
A sense of adventure and love for beautiful places
We want them to get outside, explore, and develop a real sense of wonder for the world God made.
Gift 06
A desire to love God and love others
Above everything else on this list, this is what we want their lives to be shaped by.
Gift 07
The ability to think well
Discerning truth from deception — especially in news, media, and the arts. We want them to be thoughtful, not just informed.
Gift 08
Self-discipline in screens, food, and sleep
The basics matter more than we often admit. We’re trying to help them build healthy rhythms that will serve them for life.
Gift 09
Strong family roots and ties
We want them to know where they come from and to feel deeply connected — to us, to each other, and to the story they’re part of.
Gift 10
The opportunity to study what they love
We want to provide for them the opportunity to learn something they would love to do for a vocation that has meaning and blesses the world they live in, this often includes college and we want them prepared for that.
Gift 11
A love for God’s Word
Not just knowing it’s important, but actually wanting to read it. We hope it becomes something they reach for daily, on their own.
Gift 12
Independence and basic life skills
Cooking, cleaning, sewing, gardening, building — and more. We want them to be capable, confident people who can take care of themselves and others.
This list isn’t exhaustive — but it reflects what we hope to pass on. We are on our kids’ team, every single day.
Every family has a rhythm — those little rituals and recurring moments that, when you look back, end up defining your life together more than almost anything else. Here’s a peek at ours, season by season.
🌱 Spring
Spring starts indoors for us — we plant seeds inside first and watch them sprout on the windowsill before eventually moving them outside to the garden. It’s a slow, hopeful kind of tradition. Spring is also when most of the kids’ birthdays fall, so it’s a season full of celebrations, birthday parties, and a lot of cake.
☀️ Summer
Summer is full. We do the Rollkuchen, slice into watermelon, and follow the Winnipeg Bombers (even from overseas). And camping at Blue Lake and Five Cabins is one of those anchoring summer traditions we come back to year after year.
🍂 Fall
First day of school photos — every year, no exceptions. Then Thanksgiving, which we love to share with Canadians (or really anyone who needs a table if there are no Canadians nearby). Pumpkin pie is non-negotiable. And when the mood strikes, we’ve been known to make a batch of homemade applesauce.
❄️ Winter
Hockey season means following the Winnipeg Jets. Come Christmas, the house smells like cinnamon buns — we make them every year. And New Year’s Eve? Fondue and a murder mystery envelope. It’s become one of those traditions that everyone looks forward to more than they probably admit.
🔄 All year long
Reading before bed. Reading the Bible at dinner — we did this more faithfully when the kids were younger, but it still shows up. Weekend adventures: hiking, biking, exploring wherever the road takes us. Weekend breakfasts like waffles, and an open-door policy for brunch. We love having people over. And every birthday, we sign each other’s birthday books — a small thing that adds up to something really meaningful over the years.
Jay made the varsity team this year. This is a pretty big deal since he is only a sophomore (grade 10) but an even bigger deal is all the playing time he got at Winter Classic. This is a tournament that our school hosts every year and invites schools from Austria, Croatia, Turkey, Albania and a few other countries. It is a really fun time with lots of external things like dance teams, pep band, American candy, food trucks, social events and more! But of course the basketball is the highlight, and our girls team took 2nd place and our boys team took 1st! These parents are so proud!
1) Ask for parents’ insight about how to relate with their kids
Parents know their kids best! If you can, talk with the missionary parents before they come to church on Sunday, or before you meet up with them, and ask them how you can best support their kids while you are together.
Some kids genuinely enjoy standing with their parents and listening to the adults talk and have conversations (that was me as a kid!). Other kids love making new friends and want to jump into the Sunday morning programs. They might prefer to blend in and make friends, or simply observe the world around them.
Ask parents about each of their kids specifically, since every kid has different needs. Then, see how you can help!
2) Introduce yourself like it’s the first time you’re meeting
MKs often hear something like, “Hi, I’m Barbara, do you remember me? I used to babysit you!” or “Oh, it’s so good to see you! Wow, you’ve grown so tall!” While these are warm and well intentioned comments, this can put MKs in an awkward position. They may feel guilty for not remembering you, or they may want to act like they do indeed remember you (even if they don’t). If MKs are back in their passport country for the first time in three years, it may be really hard for them to recall a lot of names and faces from previous years. Help them out by introducing yourself!
If you introduce yourself in the same way you would if you were meeting for the first time, or if you remind them how you’re connected to their family, it will give them more freedom to be themselves. And, who knows, maybe one day they will actually say, “Oh yeah, I remember you!! You’re the one who picked us up from the airport a few years ago and told the story about the alligators!”
3) Ask specific, open-ended, simple questions
“Which country do you like living in better?” or “Do you have any friends there?” can feel like a lot of pressure for MKs. These are specific, yet very closed-ended questions. On the other hand, questions that are open but too broad or abstract can also feel intimidating. “How can we be praying for you?” or “What’s it like living in Hungary?” might be great questions for adults, but MKs are often at a loss for words to answer these questions on the spot.
Here are some other tips on tweaking questions to help MK’s feel more loved…
Instead of, “Do you have friends there?” ask, “Who are some people you enjoy spending time with at home in Budapest?”
Instead of, “Which country do you like living in better Hungary or Ukraine?” ask, “What’s something you think is cool about Hungary?” or “What’s something you miss from Ukraine when you’re home in Budapest (or Canada)?”
Instead of, “How can I be praying for you?” (which can sometimes be a tough question for kids to answer!) you could ask, “What’s something kind of stressful or challenging that you experience here in Canada?” Listen to their answers, and ask follow-up questions if they want to talk about it. After listening to their stories, you can say, “Wow, yeah, that does sound tough! I’d love to be praying for you for ________ .“ Here you could insert that area of their life—e.g. for new friends, for kind teachers, for school in their second language, etc.).
4) Invite them to join you in what you’re doing
If you’re welcoming MK’s into your home, share your hobbies and interests with them. I still remember the time one of our family’s supporters taught me how to knit. Knitting became my new favorite pastime on long car rides during that home assignment. I’m actually not much of a knitter today, but I still feel loved when I remember the woman who once took the time to teach me how to knit while we were in their home!
Think about some of the things you enjoy doing. Ask MKs if they’d like to join you and try something new. Do you make the best homemade kettle corn? Invite the kids to learn how to make it with you! Do you love building birdhouses? Do you play baseball in your free time? Let them paint a birdhouse you made, or coach them in pitching a baseball. You’ll not only teach them valuable skills, but they’ll feel so loved that you’d care enough to spend that time with them.
On Sundays, this may look a little different, but the same idea goes a long way. Are you teaching Sunday School? Ask them if they’d like to come with you and introduce them to other kids their age. Are you setting up chairs for the service? Invite them to join in and have a fun conversation as you go (and ask their parents first, of course!). Are you the same age as the MK? Invite them to play in the church gym with you and your friends after the service. You can even introduce them to other teenagers from the youth group and find out what you all have in common together.
5) Welcome them into the fold, rather than asking them to perform
In general, MKs long to belong wherever they go. They spend much of their lives observing and adapting to the world around them, and they are skilled at figuring out how to fit in. Give them the chance to feel at home in your church or community whenever they visit.
If you’d like for an MK to share something about life as a missionary kid in Sunday school or youth group, ask them beforehand. Then, give them the chance to say “sure!” or “I’d rather not.”
In conversations, ask them about their lives in their countries, and be intentional about getting to know them for who they are. At the same time, give them space to belong and feel like they are welcomed to belong (and not stand out so much!), even if they’re only at church for a day or in town for a week. Treat them “as your own,” and remind them that they matter to you.
Thank you for investing in missionary kids! We are like sponges, constantly observing and taking in the world around us. When you spend time with us and take time to see our needs, it really means a lot. Your words of encouragement, and your actions of love and care, help us feel less alone, and point us to the kindness of God. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that make the biggest difference in our lives.
Every year we begin to prepare for the new season. Not spring, or winter or even summer or fall… but birthday season! From April 15-May 25 we celebrate all of the kid’s birthdays. We sit down with each child and ask, “What do you want for your birthday breakfast and dinner? Is there a special dessert? Do you want a party with lots of people, or just a small one with a few friends?” Each of the kids always choose different things, but we hope that each knows that they are loved and celebrated. Of course, throw into the crazy birthday month an exciting volleyball season, a high school musical ‘The music man’, awards ceremonies, and let’s not forget mothers day…oh and… well let’s just say that it has been a full month!
If you saw Jay a few years ago, he had straight hair. Now, with that crazy introduction of being a teenager with new hormones, his hair has gone curly, and his biceps are growing, and he even has a little mustache!
He has been playing basketball for the past few months and it is always fun to watch him take the ball down the court, go in for a lay-up, or shoot from the top of the key. He is really growing up in so many ways, but especially in his maturity. He is learning to love those who are more challenging to get along with, and he is finding ways to be himself (silly and fun!) while still showing respect to teachers and classmates.
Well, it is official! He is now 8, and he wanted to have a big party with his friends playing lazer tag. We negotiated a little and decided he could do the big party if he was not expecting any gifts from us. It was a bit of a struggle, but the lazer party won out over a gift, and a great time was had by all! It was hard to get photos in the dark, but we tried :)
One day we were in the shopping mall and I wanted to test Jay’s ability to read Russian cyrillic. I pointed to a sign and asked Jay- “Can you read that?” He said, “No, the words are too blurry Mom”… and that is when I knew.
After a few tests at the eye doctor it was confirmed, Jay has Myopia :( Sad but at least he found some cool glasses to wear, and it is so nice for him to be able to see clearly!
Jay is 7 and loves to watch CFL football! He always has a plan and loves to make that plan happen! Smarter than the average bear, he reads like a 14 year old and is doing math problems way beyond his age. But like he says, with much privilege comes much responsibility. Don’t worry though, he loves to run around with his dog Midnight, race around remote control cars and play with his latest hotwheel cars just like any 7 year old boy!
Jay and I read through this verse the other day and talked about strength, inner strength and outer strength. I really pray he grows up to be a trustworthy man, who is honest, hates bribes and stands against injustice. Later that day he decided he wants to be strong on the outside too and wants to do 20 pushups every night. Then he wanted to measure his biceps. 19 centimeters around- both the left and the right.
As we live our lives, every action we take has some sort of result…good and bad. For example, if I stay up too late every night and then wake up early each morning, the result is a grumpy mom and wife- which in turns affects everyone else!
Someone gave us the parenting advice once that it is important to teach your kids there are consequences for actions before the age of 14, when their choices can really have long-term consequences for their future. Well, this last week we had the opportunity to teach consequences for actions!
One day we were standing by our car and looked down at the hood. It had letters and faces scratched right into the paint! We thought it had been vandalized when we had been grocery shopping that day. Our kids would never do that! Well, after chatting with Jay we discovered he had thrown a rock and it had flown through the air, turned around and ‘somehow’ scratched the car. :)
After thinking for awhile we came up with a plan where he would have to ‘work off’ the money he owed to fix the car. Each day he had a pretty difficult chore to do. At the end he had to write a sorry card to mom and dad. Hopefully he learned through the whole experience, and now we have a nicely decorated car!
April and May become birthday season around here, are three kids celebrating within 35 days. That means cakes and presents and parties, all things we love – and our kids too!
This years birthdays included a day at the park with close friends, a superman party and a day at the zoo, also with friends.
Often this website is a way for us to communicate all of the things that we are doing, to share the excitement with family and friends far away. BUT sometimes it is good to share what is happening with our kids since many of our readers love them too
Jay and Cassie are really growing up, and like most kids, they love to be creative. Lego is one way they express their creativity! Jay loves to invent new vehicles and Cassie likes to build anything, from scenes to animal shows.
Kai’s creativity comes out when he plays pretend by himself with little animals or figurines. He also has a favourite spot next to the bookshelf where he will sit for a whole hour just looking at books.
Cassie is still loving school, she is on Spring break now, and just last weekend had a big sleepover with 6 girls.
Jay’s buddy Egan is back from America and the three boys have all sorts of fun together during the day.
So the kids are growing up healthy and have lots of fun with their friends- but often talk of their family and friends in Canada. Soon we will be printing out pictures to put up in their room so they don’t forget :)
Thanks for all of you who love and pray for our kids!
Wooden train tracks with bridges and switches, lego blocks forming garages and cars and transporters, and many little hot wheels racing down those orange roads.
Jay is becoming an expert builder since this summer when his boy cousins really expanded his ability to create new things. We’ve even figured out a way to use the orange hot wheels roads to be the downhill start for the little wooden trains that can then go through all sorts of crazy courses.
This last weekend friends of ours gave us a swing set for our backyard. This morning I was so blessed listening to our kids laughing and playing together outside. Our time at home in Canada truly has been awesome for our whole family. So here are some quick updates on the kids:
Cassie- lost her two front teeth this weekend, 2 days after she turned 6! She had a party with a bunch of her friends all around the theme ‘Frozen- the movie.’ My two cousins Teresa and Soumela were there and helped me lots, along with my nieces Suzanna and Elly.
Jay- Loves playing soccer on a team here in Winnipeg. He wants to wear his jersey to bed every night and of course leave it on all day! He still loves zooming cars down slides and race tracks. He does great on his reading lessons and remembers sounds really easily!
Kai- His vocabulary has really been expanding since he has turned two. ‘Lello’ is his favorite colour and he has to point out every yellow thing he sees. He sweetly says ‘soyee’ when he does something wrong, and ‘tank-oo’ when someone gives him something or helps him. But one difference with our other two children, he does NOT like bed time.
Jay’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks. After asking him what he would like for his birthday he replied, “I only want remote control cars!” So I replied, “Really Jay? Only that? You can only play with one remote control car at a time, are you sure?” His response? “Well, I can tie them all together in a big line and drive them all together!” Well, at least he is creative, but I think we may ignore his request and perhaps get a few things that are not remote controlled :)
Jay is really into helping right now. If we need to have someone take out the compost, he will jump up and offer. In fact, right now he is dusting the window sills and the tables. Let’s just hope that this can last until he turns… well, let’s just hope this can last!
Just over a year ago Jay was introduced to the bike with no pedals! Just the right size, he would scoot along with his legs, and then when he was going fast enough pick them up and glide. Well, a few weeks ago we put the pedals back on and when he picked up his legs to glide…he started pedaling! Riding a bike with no training wheels at age 3! Way to go Jay! And thanks Hopcrafts for the idea and the bike!
Teaching Adventures 