Why Missionary Kids Need Missionaries, Too

Bethany DuVal • Sep 12, 2017

When it comes to reaching the lost, few people think of missionary kids. After all, their parents are the ultimate Christians, right?

But according to TEAM missionaries Seth and Laura O’Day, the MK status as super Christian offspring can be exactly what hinders them from becoming devout believers themselves.

“They’ve gotten used to burying things … because it looks bad for their family if they’re obviously having a problem with something,” says Seth.

And what could look worse than an MK having doubts about God?

When MKs struggle with their faith, many would rather pretend than reach out for help. But at Faith Academy in Manila, Philippines , teachers like Seth and Laura are working to change that.

Faking the Faith


discipling missionary kids

The majority of students at Faith Academy come from Christian families. But sometimes, being surrounded by Christians makes it tempting to fake faith rather than openly wrestle with doubts. Photo courtesy of Laura O’Day


Faith Academy was founded as an MK school and has grown to include children of ambassadors, international business people, and local Filipinos.

MK or not, most students have some kind of Christian background, but Laura says their responses to that background vary widely.

“Have they made it their own? Or are they running away from it at full speed, or just plodding along and ignoring things, or what?” Laura says.

In a school culture where everything revolves around Christianity, it’s easy to fake at least a lukewarm faith. That’s why true relationships with students are vital to discovering what’s really happening inside.

Opening Doors through Friendship

Laura and Seth have both taught in the States, so they were surprised at the vast opportunities to build relationships with students at Faith Academy.

“It would be unthinkable for an American teacher to friend a student on Facebook,” Seth says. “Yet, that is rather common at Faith Academy because the teachers are all friends with your parents, and you might hang out with them after school, or … they might come to your house for dinner.”

The O’Days have made a point of taking on extracurricular roles within the school.

Laura teaches French but has also coached the school’s academic bowl team on the side. In addition to teaching science, Seth has served as a class advisor, helping students elect class governments, hold fundraisers and organize special events.

“[Students] would often come to me if they had things … they needed to talk about,” Seth says. “They knew that they could talk to me because I care about them and their class.”

discipling missionary kids

In and out of the science classroom, Seth is thinking about how he can point students to Christ. Photo courtesy of Laura O’Day


When bullying broke out in one class, Laura and other teachers used their relationships to guide students through exercises of restoration and healing.

Through the process, it came out that one of the bully ringleaders was going through a difficult transition with her family. She didn’t know how to handle it and was taking it out on her classmate.

With their teachers’ help, the students not only welcomed the victim back into the fold but also extended grace to the bullies.

“As those students … moved into high school, the community in that class was pretty remarkable because they had walked through that together,” Laura says.

Building True Faith

As the O’Days build relationships with students, God continues to open doors for discipleship. Ultimately, they hope students will develop a faith that lasts outside Faith Academy.

“I know how easy it is for them to fall away from the faith,” Seth says. “I’ve seen the statistics. … So that’s the thing I pray most, … that they’ll be rooted and established and be able to weather the storms that are coming without giving up their faith.

So, when students are excited about their faith, Seth and Laura teach them how to live that out. When students are lukewarm, the O’Days show them how to heat up their faith.

And when students are struggling with their faith — or running away at full speed — the O’Days don’t let them pretend. Day by day, these missionaries invite students into the light, where they can know the healing grace of God.

The students may not become missionaries or be known for impressive piety, but with openness and honest discipleship, they can live full lives of faith that influence the world for Christ.

By Suzanne Pearson 19 Mar, 2024
Previously on the TEAM blog, we sat down with Justin Burkholder (pictured above at left, with TEAM's Executive Director of Communications, Aaron Catlin). Justin will become TEAM’s next International Director on July 1, 2024. Justin shared about his background, family, and the journey that led him to TEAM. Check out that interview here . Today, we pick up the conversation as Justin shares how God called him to the role of International Director, and what he sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church. Q: How and when did you first consider applying for the position of International Director? How did the Lord reveal Himself to you as this opportunity presented itself? A: For some time, I have been evaluating how God wants me to use the gifts He has given me. Jenny and I have had a fruitful ministry in church planting in Guatemala and would happily continue doing so as God leads. However, as God blessed my efforts in TEAM leadership, there were friends and family who expressed that I should consider using my gifts in the International Director role. I don’t believe that everything necessarily rises and falls on leadership, but I do believe that it is a core component in the body of Christ. Using the gifts God has given me is a way that I want to bless the body of Christ in TEAM, making my contribution to the global purposes of God’s mission. Jenny and I spent a lot of time praying about this and decided that I should put my name in for consideration, trusting God’s guidance. We had a tremendous amount of peace throughout the entire process and were blessed by the prayer-filled process that the board undertook. Q: This is a key role in a large and complex organization, and I’m sure this was a big decision for you and your family. What were your fears or concerns? Why did you ultimately decide to accept the position? A: You say “were” like the fears have passed! I still am quite aware of my youth and inexperience - of the responsibility and weight of this role. Mostly, I’m afraid of leading an organization like TEAM in the flesh. Many of the fears that I have faced have been fears rooted in fleshly desires and concerns. I have no desire to succeed in the world’s eyes and fail in the Kingdom of Jesus. Why did I ultimately decide to accept the position? I’m convinced that the Good News about Jesus is true. The tomb is empty, Jesus is King, and the world needs to know, because Jesus is coming back. He will put things in order. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice for all mankind, and He has commissioned His Church to proclaim and demonstrate His rule and reign. I want to use my gifts to do whatever I can to amplify the proclamation of this message and the multiplication of His Church around the world. Q: What are your goals and vision for the future of TEAM? A: This is something that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. I’m certainly not ready to present a fully-shaped vision and goals for TEAM’s future without the input of other people in different contexts in TEAM. But, I will share a few things that I think are important: First, we need to model God-Dependence . I am hopeful that as leaders in TEAM, we can continue to model God-Dependence. As Hudson Taylor said years ago “…God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” I am hopeful that we can increase our sense of faith in God, prayer, and seeking direction from the Spirit. Secondly, we must strengthen our relational fabric . Due to the changes that we have experienced by decentralizing our home office functions, and the challenges from the pandemic, we have experienced a loss of relationships. It is imperative that we intentionally prioritize the building of relationships with one another. I plan to visit our workers and staff, and I am expectant that other key leaders and staff will be doing the same. Third, we must pursue the greater presence of the global Church. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ doesn’t look like any single geopolitical, ethnic, or racial culture. If we want to truly see the Kingdom of Jesus come on earth as it is in heaven, then we as citizens of this Kingdom must learn from one another, submit to one another, and grow with one another. The missional potential of the global Church has been unleashed by God’s Spirit since Acts 1, and we have an opportunity to learn from many brothers and sisters in Christ who can help us to better model and proclaim the Kingdom of Jesus to those who have yet to believe. Lastly, we must increase our Gospel boldness . There are still many places of great spiritual blindness and spiritual brokenness around the world. The apostolic impulse of cross-cultural organizations should call us to the to the edges of where the Kingdom of Jesus is not penetrating. Whether spiritual blindness and brokenness exists because of lack of access, idolatry, injustice, or any other myriad of reasons, I prayerfully hope to see more and more TEAM workers continue to move into spaces of great Gospel need.
By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
Share by: