There are no big yellow school buses in the jungle.
Instead, children come pouring in from the distant tribal locations where their parents work in a variety of ways – and for lengthy stays. Some arrive by helicopter or plane, some by canoe, and still others by jostling cattle truck. And they all need something very important – someone there to welcome them.
From the second-grader who’s grasping her pink, floppy-eared bunny and has never been away from home before, to the seemingly disinterested 16-year-old with his iPod plugged into his ears, each will need care and nurturing and teaching until the next vacation time rolls around.
But what kind of person can do that for other people’s children?
A very special kind.
Lynae Poulson, who attended the school for missionaries’ children in Brazil from second-grade until graduation, is extremely grateful that this kind of person exists.
“I have to admit that it was hard for me to leave my parents after every vacation, and be separated from them for more than half of every year,” said Lynae, “but the staff here at [school] makes everything bearable.”
“They’ve given their lives for us. I listen to the teachers in school, and eat the food the cooks make for us, and I realize that they could be doing a lot of other things with their lives; but they’ve chosen to live here and give of themselves so that they can lovingly care for and teach missionary kids and keep their parents working in the tribes.”
And Lynae would wholeheartedly agree that this is what it’s all about – the tribes.
When she and her four younger sisters were home onbreaks and working side-by-side as a family, they came to appreciate what their parents, Philip and Valeree Poulson, are giving their lives for. Lynae herself grew to love the Yanomami children as she helped at the tribal school.
“These little kids are 7 years old and have never held a pencil before, or seen a book. They are so cute with their intense expressions of concentration – tongues sticking out of the side of their mouths, eyebrows furrowed.”
But knowing the 30-year struggle to plant a tribal church in this very difficult culture, Lynae is able to see beyond the “cute.”
“In all their adorableness though, I am struck again and again as I am with them, of how terrified they are. From infancy their parents tell them stories of the evil spirits and monsters, and they grow up from being terrified children into hard-hearted, frightened adults.”
In the age of technology, people are still running around the jungles of our world, with spears, loincloths, and painted bodies, living and dying in relentless fear and appeasement of the spirits they believe rule their lives. And missionaries like Lynae’s parents come equipped to change that terror into hope and peace. But often the battle for truth lasts many years.
In the meantime, what about their offspring? Most missionaries can’t wage spiritual combat deep in remote jungle regions and effectively educate their children for the 21st century. In order for both important jobs to get done, parents need some help – from teachers.
Lynae not only found that help, but so much more. She found an unforgettable childhood.
“I have so many happy memories of growing up here,” Lynae said of her school in the Brazilian jungle.
“After my friend, Sarah, and I came to school, [in the next years] about ten other little girls quickly followed, my sisters among them. As the oldest, I became their unspoken leader.”
When they weren’t studying, the little band of missionary daughters “built tree forts, ground forts, underground forts, hill forts, forts with running water and vine swings, and forts with only trails,” Lynae remembers. “We never finished one, but we delighted in building great things until our interest ran out.”
But swimming in the mighty Amazon never grew old. When the water level fell, the children splashed around in the rapids. When it rose, they raced down mud slides to see who could get the dirtiest.
“I remember afternoons when almost the entire school trekked out to a flooded lake in the jungle where we played tag among the trees, made swings, and dared each other to jump [into the water] from higher and higher limbs.”
And teachers were among those trekkers. Teachers who care about children not their own, teachers with a sense of adventure and a love of fun, teachers who are willing to teach so that spiritually lost tribal people can be found.
This coming fall and every other fall, missionaries’ children from all around the world will be arriving at school. And they’ll need someone there to hug their pink bunny, make them forget they even have an iPod, and take long afternoon journeys to play tag among the trees.
They’ll need someone there to help them be able to say, like Lynae, “I love being a missionary kid and I love my parents for being strong enough to send their kids away to where they would thrive.”
As Lynae flies off to college, another little missionary daughter will take her place. Perhaps you could be the one to help her thrive.
Disclaimer: This personal ministry website is provided by New Tribes Mission (NTM) as a courtesy to its members. NTM makes no warranty regarding the accuracy of the information on these pages. Opinions expressed are provided by members in good faith, but are entirely those of the member and do not necessarily represent policy, doctrinal position, or opinions of NTM. If you encounter information that you consider questionable, please e-mail the NTM web team.
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