Third Culture Kids help lead woman to Christ

“Sometimes when kids think about witnessing, they think they have to be superheroes… The small things are really what make a difference.”

Her face radiated joy as Preston Magalhaes, age 15, spoke these words. Sitting beside her on the couch were her brother, Peyton, age 12, and Miss Ausra, who works at their school in Vilnius, Lithuania. Preston and Peyton are the children of IMB missionaries Milton and Lara Magalhaes. The two children were instrumental in Ausra coming to know Christ just a few weeks ago.

Ausra has worked in the performing arts school for several years. She recalls the first day she saw Preston and Peyton four years ago. She was first struck by their dark hair and tan complexion. They did not look Lithuanian, but they spoke the language beautifully.

After introducing herself and learning that the children were from the United States, Ausra asked Preston and Peyton if they would be willing to exchange English conversation whenever they crossed paths at school. Little did Preston and Peyton know that their kindness would radically change Ausra’s life.

Over the next few years, Ausra encountered hardships in her personal life. Grappling with the suicide of a friend, she recalled, “I knew I needed God’s help.” Ausra was intrigued by what she described as a light around the Magalhaes children. They were different– kinder, happier than any other children she had met. Milton said, “She became very interested in knowing what was different about our kids and how she could have it.”

So Ausra contacted Lara, asking if she could attend their church. “I felt like God was calling me,” said Ausra, “Like I needed Him to be in my heart.” So that week, after Milton and Lara shared the Gospel with her, Ausra accepted Christ.

“I’m glad I know a family that is also human, that also has problems just like everybody else,” Ausra said of the Magalhaes family. “But they have a stronghold on Jesus Christ.”

Ausra’s friends and family have already noticed a change in her life. Where Ausra used to be a pessimist, family members now see her express joy she didn’t have before. “They’ve been seeing me change little by little,” Ausra said.

Preston and Peyton were thrilled when they heard that Ausra had become a Christian.

“I never realized that sometimes the little things can count,” Preston said. She always thought sharing her faith meant preaching on street corners or sitting down for a serious conversation. “But with Miss Ausra I realized that, just… saying hello to a person or interacting with them can lead them to Christ, help them see Christ in you.”

Milton said, “I think it’s very important for the children to know in their heart that they are not on the field just because their parents are, but they are also missionaries.”

While preparing to live on the mission field, Third Culture Kids (TCKs) like Preston and Peyton undergo similar training to that of their parents on an age-appropriate level. Children study their host countries, learn how to be servant leaders in their host cultures, and learn how to share the Gospel using illustrations like colors or Bible stories.

TCKs are given their name because they embrace three cultures: their home culture, their host country’s culture, and a third unique culture that comes from blending the first two. Amelia Travis,* a TCK teacher in Richmond, Va., said, “TCKs are just ordinary kids that God has placed into extraordinary places. Unlike many typical American kids, they are used to befriending those who are not just like themselves.” Travis says this makes TCKs uniquely equipped to share Christ with others.

Lara said of her children, “They really help us understand [the culture] in a different way because they grew up here.”

Preston joined in, “So we can help our parents understand what people think and how they think…”

“And why they think it,” Lara added. “They help everything make sense for us.”

Preston and Peyton described the opportunities they have in school to tell their friends and teachers about Christ. “I use every opportunity that I can get,” Peyton said. “Sometimes we have topics about what… you believe in, so I got to talk about Jesus during class.” Peyton also spoke of times when he had the opportunity to quote scripture and share Baptist history with his peers.

Preston added, “I also think that kids shouldn’t think of [sharing their faith] as a chore. They should just have fun with it. I mean, just think about, ‘What if a friend of mine became a Christian?’ That would be so awesome– I’d have somebody else to talk to about my faith, and that would be so cool!”

Lara and Milton noted that, as parents, they have many opportunities to share the Gospel through the school. Lara has given out Bibles to teachers and families and has taught English to the school’s third graders.

“God has used [our children] to be a bridge between us and people we would not meet otherwise if they had not been in public school,” Milton said.

“Like Miss Ausra!” Preston chimed in.

Milton smiled. “Like Miss Ausra.”

Readers can pray for Ausra as she seeks to share Christ with her family and friends. Pray also for the Magalhaes family as they seek to establish twelve churches in twelve years in Lithuania. For news and prayer requests, visit their website at www.lightforlithuania.com.

*Name Changed

Posted by Megan Finger on Jun 17, 2010

Similar: Calypso North Cluster, Lithuania, Missionary Kids, TCK, Third Culture Kids, Vilnius