Oh don't worry ~ I KNOW who I am! LOL But I was thinking yesterday that the few of you who stop by here regularly might want to know what makes me tick and what has happened in my life to make me the person I am today!
I was born in Queensland while my Dad was working there doing his National Service. But essentially I label myself an MK. A Missionary Kid. After having a fairly ordinary start in life and gaining two brothers (I'm the oldest in my family) we moved to Papua New Guinea, the year I turned nine. My Dad was/is an aircraft engineer with Mission Aviation Fellowship.
We spent one year in Mt Hagen. We had a fairly easy transition. On the road we lived on, two houses up was a family that were from our church in Melbourne, who had been with MAF for as long as I could remember. Six houses down, there was another family from our church who were doing a 6 month relieving job, also with MAF. So I knew other kids and other grown up's. After a year we moved to Wewak. I know my parents didn't want to go there, but that was the best 5 years we ever had I think. And even they would admit that too!
All things considered, life for us was pretty normal. Dad went to work and fixed planes. Mum was a SAHM and we kids went to school. I LOVED living in PNG and I hold very clear and strong memories from that time.
I was 14 (nearly 15) when we returned to Australia. That was devastating. None of us wanted to come back, but when God says it's time, it's time. We spent a good three years not coping with 're-entry'. And it happened at a time when Reverse Culture Shock was only *just* being talked about. Certainly there was no understanding of the need for de-briefing or needing help to re-settle. All I know is that the kids that had been my best friends before leaving felt very shallow to me and valued all sorts of things that I considered quite trivial. None of my church friends appeared to have a faith that led their lives ~ it appeared to me to be a side issue. Had I known then what I know now I would've chose to continue doing correspondence at home (I'd done it at school for three years in high school in PNG). But I didn't know ~ none of us did.
Not long after coming home, I started going out with my now-husband. He was my rock. I don't know how I would've gotten through those years without him. I don't know why he married me ~ or maybe he figured he'd seen the worst and it wasn't that bad really LOL. We married when I was nearly 20yo, after a 5 year relationship.
So here I am 21 years later. I have all my childhood dreams fulfilled: a husband, a home, my own children and I'm a SAHM. My life is as I love it. I have a heart for mission, but don't necessarily see us moving overseas. However, being an MK in PNG has made me who I am, and I am so grateful that I was born into a family that has lived a life of faith in action.
4 comments:
Tracy, It really is a small world. I was saved when I was 30 years old through a start-up work of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Denomination. I attended a church that was stong on Missions. We had lots of Missionaries and MK's who came to our church to share about their work. One such family-Bill & Gracie Cutts were Missionaries to Irian Jaya. Another family the Maxey's also worked in that same area. The moms name was Shirley-I forget the name of the Dad but they had a son named Michael E. "Buzz" who is serving the Lord there right now and last I knew, he was involved in building airstrips so people in remote areas could be reached. He's married to a girl named Myrna. You may have crossed their paths. Anyhow, I have a great love for Missions, too. It stired my heart to read your blog today. That's why I say it's a small world.
Oh the world gets smaller as I get older. I can't tell you have often I have come across people who are off on mission with MAF or to places I've been, or where my parents have been etc.
Thanks for sharing Tracy, that was fascinating to read!
Love, Tina :)
Thanks for sharing your background. The deputy principal at my son's school spent time in PNG and now runs a program sending donated school supplies back there. It would have been quite a culture shock coming back to Australia after your time in PNG.
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