I have been blessed to grow up here at First Baptist Church of Milford and Milford Christian Academy. My family came to this church in 1977. I started school at Milford Christian in 1978 when I was in the first grade. As I continued in elementary, I began noticing certain students that were only in my class about every four years. I learned that these students were missionary children home on furlough. During my fifth and sixth grade years, I had a teacher by the name of Dr. Prinzing. Dr. Prinzing brought the philosophy of world-wide missions with him every day in the classroom. As I look back, those two years helped me develop a love for missions. I saw a man who loved the Word of God and desired to get it into the hands of those who have never heard the gospel.
As an MCA student, I had teachers that went on to the mission field; men and women such as Bob Ford, Ron Todd, Kathy Prinzing, Jim Roe, Sandy Christensen, and Doug and Jill Van Meter. A student could not help but be influenced by the hearts of these dear people. Now, as the Administrator of Milford Christian Academy, it is my desire to have missionaries visit and involved in our school. Our teachers talk often about our missionaries in the classroom. This past year, we had each grade adopt a missionary that attended MCA and are serving on the foreign field. Our students often write letters and send care packages to them throughout the school year.
This year I had the opportunity to see the mission field first-hand. A trip to Juarez, Mexico opened my eyes as never before. Lamentations 3:51, “Mine eye affecteth mine heart…,” comes to mind as we passed out John and Romans outside a school in Juarez. I saw little school children by the scores coming out of the school yard and wanting the Word of God. I did not have one student turn away a copy of the Bible. They eagerly took it and went on their way. As we finished our distribution, we walked by the school again on our way back to where we were going to have our service for the evening. This time there were no students, and the school was empty. I could clearly see the school yard through the padlocked gates. I saw school buildings that had bars on the windows and each door was chained and padlocked. This broke my heart as I thought of the hold that Satan has on the Mexican people even at the school-age level.
I am so glad that we have the opportunity every day to share with our students the need to evangelize the world. Our students are involved every year in our annual Missions Conference. Their involvement at the earliest age allows the Holy Spirit to begin a wonderful work in their lives regarding the great commission. We have our missionaries come to the school and visit the individual classes and share exactly what God has called them to do. We also have our students involved in our Scripture Work Week every February. Our students help put together thousands of Bibles during this week that will go to a missionary that will distribute them on their field.
In closing, Pastor Duttry preaches the need not only for the message, but the need of a messenger. At Milford Christian Academy, I am thankful that we have many alumni that are serving the Lord on the foreign field. I cannot help but think that the seeds that were planted here at the school helped their calling in some way. What an influence the past and present teachers have been here at Milford Christian Academy.
