Added to our Missionary Family
Judy Keith is mom of three grown daughters (Tif, Rachel, Margie) and grandma of Fiona (5). Her husband, Pastor Jim Keith, died in ’95. She now works with Mu Kappa, a ministry of Barnabas International -- an organization dedicated to the encouragement of missionaries.
To learn more about them, visit http://www.barnabas.org/. (Check out their Encouragement Online Magazine! http://barnabas.org/magazine.php)
Judy’s primary role with Barnabas is Regional Coordinator for Mu Kappa, their ministry to college-age Missionary Kids ("MKs"). She meets with MKs on university campuses throughout the South Central U.S. and New England, and is support staff for Re-entry Seminars, MK Retreats, and the Pastor-To-Missionary Conferences. In addition to encouraging MKs and their families, Judy’s passion includes raising awareness of MK transition issues as she visits churches and meets with university faculty connected to MK care. email judykeith@barnabas.org
For Archived New letters
MK Reentry - Who's it for?
A Dynamic and Practical Reentry Seminar for the Sons and Daughters of Missionaries
September 28 2011
Dear Friends,
I so appreciate your faithful prayers and partnership as opportunities arise to meet with MKs (Missionary Kids) and their families. Your involvement means many hearts are encouraged ~ a ripple effect of healing that will be felt worldwide. Thank you!
Connecting the Dots.(Or: “A day in the world of visiting MKs”) Attached to this email, you’ll [hopefully] find a picture of my visit with MKs in Lincoln, Nebraska. It is typical in “my world” to find the following types of webs
of relationships…stay with me while I try to “connect the dots” for you:
Left to right:Beth(Malaysia), Matt(Malaysia), Chris (India), Daniel(Taiwan/HongKong), Yours Truly.
Dot: I knew Chrisbecause he attended a Barnabas Reentry Seminar in Cedarville OHin 2010.
We connected last year because he attended school in the Kansas City area.
Dot: But Christransferred to UNL (Univ. of Nebraska at Lincolnfor my East Coast friends) and lives near there.
Dot: I met Danielat the Reentry Seminar in CAthis summer and learned that his parents were in Lincoln
for their furlough year, so I wanted him to meet Chrisbefore school started (Daniel’s school is in IL).
Dot: We (Chris, Daniel, and I) agreed to meet at a Chipotle in Lincolnfor lunch.
Dot: Chrisasked if he could invite Matt, whose parents are also on furlough in Lincoln. (Absolutely!)
Chrisand Mattmet at the Cedarville Reentry in 2010.
Dot: Mattbrought his sister, Beth,who attended Cedarville Reentryin 2011.
Dot: Danielgot a ride to Chipotle from his older sister, Carissa.
Dot: Carissaattends Crown College in MNand knows Matt,who also attends Crown!
Dot: Bethis now also attending Crown!
Dot: (Are you dizzy yet???)
Is it not just so cool the way God weaves lives in and out, with wonderfully orchestrated appointments?? I have since learned that there are four more MKs at UNL from Chris’s mission agency, so I am looking forward to
another Lincoln lunch before long! Stay tuned for more dots!!
Recent Road Trips:Besides the Lincoln trip, I was also able to head south to John Brown Univ. (AR), OK Baptist Univ. (Shawnee, OK), and OK Christian Univ. (Edmund, OK). Here are some highlights…
John Brown Univ.:Had a brief but very good connection with the current Missionaries in Residence, Mu Kappa president, and a couple of the International Student directors. I stayed with Emily (Guinea - many connections over
the last 4 years!) and saw Josh (Russia - Reentry 2010), Ross and Michael (Germany - Reentry 2011).
A story:I met Ross and Michael in CA this summer. Frankly, Ross was not an easy person to have in our session (this is very unusual!). He was not that friendly and very resistant to authority. Nevertheless, I told him that I would see him in AR this fall. When I saw Ross on this visit, he seemed surprised and glad to see me, giving me a warm welcome. Then he gave me a studied kind of look and said, “You saidyou would come.” Thank You, Lord, for nudges to “show up” at certain times. Thank you, friends, for praying for “sensitivity to God appointments.”Sometimes I don’t have much warning, and they just happen.
OK Baptist University: Praise the Lord for the MK advisor there who pulled together an MK meeting with not much notice. It was great to see a familiar face and meet new some new girls. My heart especially went out to Karrington, a freshman who had just said good-bye to her parents as they were returning to Madagascar! Our meeting was a timely encouragement to her!! Again, those significant God-appointments!!
OK Christian Univ.:Wish I could’ve hung out here longer! My main purpose on this visit was to touch base and pick the brain of the MK advisor, but I did get to meet a couple of the MKs too. I so appreciate the ministry of “Global Reunion” (www.oc.edu/tckglobalreunion)! This is a Reentry week for Third Culture Kids and Missionary Kids ages 13 and up, and it also includes sessions for parents. So often this younger age group “falls through the cracks” because most transition/ reentry seminars are for 18 yr. olds preparing for college.
Missions Conference: Sept. 3, 4at my home church in Overland Park, KS. What a privilege to have sessions with George Verwer and Dale Rohton, the founders of Operation Mobilization! We were truly blessed to have both these men, and to be challenged on many levels of missions involvement.
“If you come, maybe I will find out who I am.”This was part of an invitation to join MKs at JBU (AR) for Homecoming Weekend! Joy, the Mu Kappa president at JBU, has a lot of questions about who she is as a TCK
(Third Culture Kid). Hopefully we will get in some good talk time (prayer, please)as I join the MKs in providing Chai and snacks for the fans at the rugby game, in support of the MK guys on the team. (Oct. 8)
Upcoming Travel:
Sept. 28-Oct.4: Family Matters:) Will see all three girls (and Fiona!) in Denton, Austin, Houston.
Oct. 5: Meeting at LeTourneau Univ. (Longview, TX) with the faculty advisors and available MKs
Oct. 6-7: Not sure yet…God has it figured out, though! Working my way up from TX to AR
Oct. 8: John Brown Univ., AR
Oct. 9: Homeward bound.
Thanks for praying for travel mercies! Please pray that I will be a blessing to others and be used by God to point others to the One who can fulfill their deepest needs.
(Third Culture Kid) TCK TRAINING SEMINAR!Are you a: missionary? A counselor? A lay caregiver of missionaries? A relative of a missionary? A local church volunteer? A Christian educator? Led by Janet Blomberg,
Executive Director of Interaction International ~ this is a terrific opportunity for only $35! Saturday, November 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.This is hosted by Calvary Church in Lancaster, PA, so if you are anywhere near there or just want to take a road trip to beautiful Lancaster County PA, this is the time! I can send you more details, or you can contact Terri Sherman in the Missions Office of Calvary Church: 717.560.2341.
Serving Him with you,
Judy
Mu Kappa Regional Coordinator
Olathe, KS 913-768-1315
cell: 631-766-7609
www.mukappa.org
www.barnabas.org
June 21 2011
SHASTA!!! Looks like…a grayish-silver 2006 Toyota Corolla!! WOW! God had a Cattle Drive with some of His “cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10)! He “sold” some of them (through many gifts of many people) and found just the car for my continued journeys in MK ministry. Thanks to the generosity of so many of you, the Shasta fund grew to nearly $11,000, enabling me to invest in a better car than originally anticipated. THANK YOU!!!!! Shasta’s “older cousin” Toodles was a ’99 Corolla with 104,000 miles when we started ministry together. At 85,600 miles, Shasta is just getting started! This is perfect timing for the upcoming trip to Lake Geneva, WI, for our annual business meeting (June 24-29).
Barnabas International is celebrating 25 years of ministry!! (I’ve been involved for the last six of those.) These meetings are always filled with encouragement from our leadership and Board of Directors, challenging teaching from God’s Word, spiritual renewal opportunities, and wonderful conversations with fellow missionary caregivers. I’m attaching the latest Barnabas Bulletin, which gives you a better idea of who we are.
Global MK Day- Buck & A Stamp ~ July 1, 2011 Just a quick reminder of a few more days left for the official “Global MK Day” on July 1! How to: One Buck ($1) in One envelope (addressed to: “Buck & a Stamp, c/o Barnabas Int’l, P.O. Box 11211, Rockford, IL 61126); One stamp; Send; Eternal Rewards! Praise the Lord for over $1200 that has come in to help with Reentry Seminars this summer! Please do pray for the remaining funds to come in. Our cost to provide three seminars for nearly 100 MKs: $60,000. Need another Cattle Drive!! =)
Reentry Seminars: July10-22! CA: Biola Univ.; WA: Seattle Pacific Univ.; OH: Cedarville Univ. Please let me know if you would like more details of these two weeks so you can be praying daily and /or more specifically for us and the MKs as we are in the thick of it. I will get the info to you after the WI trip.
June 22-July1: My travel dates to/from/during Barnabas meetings.
Thanks again for your prayers and support ~ so glad to be on the journey together!
~ Judy
Febuary 18 2011
Your prayers at work! God abundantly answered your prayers for my recent trip to the Southeast! It really encouraged me to learn how you were praying. Here are a few ways I was blessed as you let me know you were praying for me…
>I will print out your schedule and keep it at hand to pray for you.
>I'll pray for safe travels - for NO SNOW or ice! And that you'll see Him working in what you're doing!
>God's blessings as you travel and make some important decisions.
>…safety and travel needs and good weather.
>How reassuring to know that our Protector and giver-of wisdom and everything else will be right there with you.
>Praying that the many storms that have been in the south will not get in your way and that God will bless every
encounter He has planned for you along the way. May He meet your every need and bless you as you serve.
>I was praying with you all the way
>(Others of you let me know you’d be praying for the trip)
THANK YOU!! It was pretty astounding that with all the weather “out there,” the only close encounter was when I drove into my friends’ driveway for the night just as a snowstorm dumped (Nashville). I did have to cancel the trip to Union Univ. in Jackson, TN, the next day, because they got it worse than Nashville, but that was the only hiccup. Still in awe at God’s provision in this, and in every other aspect of the trip. I was blessed to be able to visit about 14 sets of friends, and 3 MKs! Caleb (Asia) and Jeremy (Indonesia) are students at N. Carolina State in Raleigh ~ we met last summer at Reentry. Jen (Senegal) and I have known each other for 3 years now. She’s graduated and is working in Atlanta! I especially appreciate the on-going, deepening relationships with these young people!
The Child Safety & Protection Network Conference was sobering, as expected. It was also really helpful in offering resources for organizations and churches in training their staff and volunteers in recognizing and dealing with child abuse situations. (Sadly, it does also happen in Christian settings.) It was clear to me, though, that I am not qualified to be involved with the heavy-duty aspects of investigations, etc. This must be done by well-trained individuals familiar with these situations (not something you can pick up by attending a couple of workshops). I did volunteer to help with the Membership Committee, which is a lighter task of reading over applications from organizations who wish to participate in the Network.
UPCOMING: MC2 (Midwest Conference on Missionary Care) in Minneapolis. I leave tomorrow for this,
so again would appreciate continued prayers for travel safety as I drive north this time! I’m anticipating gaining helpful information for opportunities God brings along. Larrie Gardner (SIL, keynote speaker) is speaking on “Key Tools for Missionary Care.” Some workshops that look interesting: “There Is No Therapist ~ I’m All They’ve Got!” and “Missionary Transition: How to Help in Challenging Times.”
MK CONNECTION: I get to treat an MK (from Africa, studying at Bethel) to dinner on Saturday! OK, this touched my heart: when I asked her where she wanted to eat, she said, “I honestly don't have a preference where we eat! I haven't eaten out much since coming to college and I'm not picky!” Wow. What a privilege to be able to do this, thanks to some special gifts earmarked “Treat MKs as the Spirit leads.” How cool is that???
Thanks again for being a really important part of my journey in MK ministry!!
Feb. 18: Drive to Minneapolis. MC2 starts at 6 p.m.
Feb. 19: MC2 continued; MK connection in evening
Feb. 20: Omaha, NE
Feb. 21: Lincoln, NE and Fairfax, MO
Feb. 22: Home!
Feb. 23: Checking out a potential Retreat facility (Prayer please: a decision needs to be made soon whether to host an MK Retreat this spring or wait until fall. Our traditional venue at College of the Ozarks can no longer host us.)
Thanks!! ~Judy
