Aaron and Becky, part of a missionary family in Paraguay with SIM USA, fulfill distinct roles. Rebecca dedicates her time as the English coordinator at a local school and as the personnel coordinator for the SIM team. Aaron focuses on serving and equipping church leaders.
Their missionary journey began in Paraguay six years ago, when they moved to the country with their five children. For Aaron and Becky, going to the mission field as a big family has been a defining part of their journey and has presented unique mission field challenges.
“We came to the field with five kids. That frames some of our needs that were unique compared to somebody who came single, or married, or with one child,” Becky said.
At the time of their move, the children were 11, 8, 3, and a pair of twins just over a year old. Adjusting to mission field life at these ages presented special challenges, particularly with finding peers with whom their children could connect.
Thinking back on their experience entering the mission field as a big family, Aaron encourages new missionary families to connect with other SIM USA families that began their missionary service with a large family, even if they are serving in a different country. The key is finding those with shared experiences who can understand what you are experiencing. Although many missionary families eventually have children while serving; beginning as a large family is unique.
“There really wasn’t somebody on the Paraguay field that had experienced what we were going to experience when we entered,” Aaron said, reflecting on the importance of having a support network and missionary community who have shared hardships. “I really encourage new missionaries to connect with families from anywhere—it wouldn’t have to be their country where they’re being sent, or even their region— families anywhere in the world.”
Ultimately, this need for other missionaries who understand the hardships of navigating missionary life as a large family points to the need for godly friends carrying each other’s burdens and abiding in the law of Christ
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
Their experience underscores the importance of community and shared experiences in navigating the challenges and joys of missionary life.
In another similar experience, Scott and Beth, who served for over 20 years with SIM USA on the mission field in Nigeria, also understand the importance of community support and familial relationships on the mission field. Their journey was marked by raising three children in West Africa before eventually returning to the United States.
“I would find it really hard to raise children in the United States,” Scott said, reflecting on his children growing up in West Africa.
Scott and Beth said their children’s mission field upbringing strengthened family bonds and nurtured unique parent-child relationships. Beth emphasized prioritizing their children’s sense of importance amidst the mission work.
“I think parents need to help the kids know they are important. The work is important, yes, but when the kids need them, they are important,” Beth said, noting the balance between missionary commitments and family needs.
“Christ is first and we follow Him—W\e all follow him as a family. But there are times when our kids need to know how valued they are,” Scott agreed, emphasizing the importance of balancing mission work and family.
Ultimately, cross-cultural living and raising children abroad deepened their relationships with their children and gave them opportunities for growth they may not have had growing up in the U.S.
Their cross-cultural lifestyle ultimately enriched their children’s lives profoundly, offering them unique opportunities for growth and adaptability made possible through multicultural experiences.
“I’m afraid a lot of kids that grow up just in one culture and don’t know anything else don’t have the opportunity to travel or live in a different society and culture. Our kids are very culturally fluent and can work in other cultures very well and be with people from other cultures,” Scott said. “In fact, they’re actually drawn to groups that are more diverse in their cultural expression than mono-cultural situations.”
Scott and Beth’s story exemplifies how embracing cross-cultural experiences can profoundly shape family dynamics and individual growth, fostering global understanding among children raised on the mission field.
Scott and Beth also said their kids had a very positive childhood experience in Nigeria because they were surrounded by supportive teachers and a missionary community who deeply cared for them. As they look back on their time in Nigeria, they are thankful for the support they received from SIM USA. From educational opportunities to a Christian environment, their children thrived under the care of dedicated teachers and mentors. Their experience echoes the biblical community described in Romans 12.
“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5
“They had close friendships, quality education with teachers who really cared, and a real Christian atmosphere as well … We’re so grateful for those teachers and coaches,” Scott said. “It’s the idea that they had so many uncles and aunts—our fellow missionaries. They really cared about our kids, and influenced them, and built into them.”
Looking back on their time in Nigeria, Scott and Beth express gratitude for SIM USA and its invaluable support. They attribute much of their children’s positive missionary experience to the educational opportunities and Christian environment facilitated by SIM.
“That’s one thing we really appreciate about SIM—the flexibility in education they offered to us in raising our families on the mission field. They would support us in whatever educational choices that we made,” Scott said, reflecting on SIM USA support.
Scott and Beth’s experience underscores the importance of community and missionary life support, echoing Aaron and Becky’s sentiments. Each family’s story is different, spanning years and geographic locations. However, they both express the importance of connecting with other missionary families who have shared experiences and caring for the needs of missionary kids through the SIM USA community.
