We were a small group but the fellowship and sharing was rich...and relationships were built. Alan Wise, an MK from South Africa who now is involved in ministry in Canada, presented a few sessions on responding to the call of God on your life. It was great to be able to sit around and discuss how the Lord is impacting our lives and share the areas where we struggle.

Taconic Retreat Center is a beautiful camp about 2 hours north of New Your City. There were MKs from Nyack College, Eastern Nazarene College, Gordon College and Gordon Conwell.

Plans are already on the way for next years retreat, the dates are February 8-10, we'll be meeting at the same place.

The purpose of this Northeast Regional retreat is to facilitate a gathering of MKs to come together to encourage one another. One of the goals of Mu Kappa Int'l is to provide regional retreats around the country, this is an attempt to meet the needs of MKs on the East Coast. If you want more information, check out our website.

"For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones."

These are some great promises that I trust you will cling to as you move into the next phase of your life. There may be a number of "unknowns" that lie ahead for you. My encouragement to you is to stay close to the Lord and walk blameless before Him and remain faithful to His calling on your life. You may face so difficult decisions, yet the Lord will guide you and give you the wisdom that you need. He will provide you with understanding, He will shield and protect you. I leave you with a blessing that was given to the children of Israel.

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

During my fall college tour I met with a number of schools in Indiana (Bethel, Grace, Taylor, Indiana Wesleyan, Anderson and Huntington College). Each of these school requested that Mu Kappa Int'l try to assist them in putting together a special event that would draw all the MKs in Indian together for a time of fellowship and mutual encouragement. After some initial planning and talking with the presidents of the various chapters and brainstorming some ideas, the Mu Kappa leadership at Bethel took control and organized a one-day event. As far as I know this is the first type of event where Mu Kappa chapters from the same state made an effort to get together for a one-day event. Communication was made with all the chapters, a date and venue were set.

The idea behind the event was to organize something what would be inexpensive yet meaningful to all those who attended. The purpose of the day was to get together for mutual support and work at building relationships across college boundaries.

The day began informally with MKs arriving at various time in the morning…(there was a major ice storm the night before). We all sat around and talked and shared stories together...we then ate lunch together and continued our fellowship. After lunch we moved to the gymnasium where we played a rather "active" game of indoor soccer. It was a blast! We took a break and headed over to a nice classroom area where we had a time of worship and the Mu Kappa faculty advisor from Bethel College brought a brief talk. We then broke up into smaller discussion groups...it was good time of bonding together in the Lord.

The day ended with the chapters participating in an International Dinner...foods from all over the world were served and everyone ate until they were filled.

Not all the schools in Indiana were represented but the event was well attended and it was the beginning of many new relationships. I'm sure that the schools in Indiana will continue this event on a regular basis each year.

If you are interested in organizing a one-day retreat for the schools in your area, please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to help you get things started. If I can work it into my schedule, I'd love to attend as well. Hope to hear from you!

Crown College (formerly known as St. Paul Bible College) is the newest of our members. Crown is a small college just outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I was privileged to meet with their chapter on March 26th to discuss ideas and to formalize the relationship. Crown has a strong student leadership team and they are already planning a school reentry retreat for their incoming freshman MKs for August of the 2001 school year.

Earlier this year I had lunch with the MKs at Mount Vernon Nazarene College. I was very impressed with the warm, friendly atmosphere at MVNC. They too have a strong group of student leaders and they also have some quality support from the school administration. Two MKs from Papua New Guinea are heading up the leadership team. Mount Vernon is located just northeast of Columbus, OH.

It is exciting to see these new schools join the nationwide network of Mu Kappa chapters. Pray that God would give these new chapters a strong start.

"Hi. I hear your parents are missionaries."

"Yea, they're in the Philippines with Overseas Crusaders…"

"Really? My parents are in Taiwan with TEAM. Where are your parents now?"

"They're on furlough this year in Kansa."

"Great. It's nice to be able to call them with out paying a dollar a minute, isn't it?"

So the conversation often goes when college students meet other students who, like them, have missionaries for parents.

Many Christian and secular colleges across North America have clusters of such students. They wear the tag, "MK", short for "missionary kid".

The embryo stage of Mu Kappa was spawned at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. When I began my freshman year there in 1984, I discovered quite a few others like me, an MK. Because we had ties with a foreign culture, the school expected us to integrate into the international students' organization.

Sure, we shared with those students the experience of having been raised in another culture. Like them, we were a long way from family, friends, and the familiar. But some of us MKs didn't feel at home in their club. Our desire was not to be distinctively foreign, but to integrate as Americans.

We had special needs…practical needs…different even from our North American classmates. Just for us to call home meant finding a phone outside our rooms because our phones were not equipped to handle overseas calls.

A group of MKs, including myself and two other TEAM MKs…Don Smith and Kris Georgia…met with former missionaries on Taylor's staff to brainstorm the idea of starting our own organization on campus. That's how Mu Kappa International…the Greek letters for "M" and "K" was born.

Mu Kappa is run by students, a key factor in its success. The group operates under the principle that MKs relate best to other MKs.

At Taylor, one of Mu Kappa's main goals is to help MKs face adjustments to college life. In addition to planning social activities, Mu Kappa members help each other obtain driver's licenses, make travel arrangements, and find places to store belongings for the summer.

Freshman year can be especially difficult. Until an MK has shared some experiences with his or her classmates, it is sometimes hard just to carry on a friendly conversation. An MK who grew up in Peru may not be familiar with the latest box office hit or the hottest sports team.

Mu Kappa aims to provide an atmosphere where an MK will be accepted as he or she is. Sometimes just having a circle of friends to talk to can give an MK the sounding board he or she need to iron out wrinkles that come along.

(This is an excerpt from an article written by Nate Peterson, early in the history of Mu Kappa International. Nate was one of the MKs that helped start Mu Kappa at Taylor University. What this article communicates is still the primary focus of Mu Kappa International. Some chapters have integrated with international student ministries yet the goals of Mu Kappa remain the same.)

"Take me," cried the gold one, "I'm shiny and bright. I'm of great value and I do things just right. My beauty and luster will outshine the rest, and for someone like You, Master, Gold would be best."

The Master passed on with no word at all, and looked at a silver urn narrow and tall. "I'll serve You, dear Master, I'll pour out Your wine; I'll be on Your table whenever You dine. My lines are so graceful, My carvings so true, and silver will always complement You."

Unheeding, the Master passed on to the brass, wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass. "Here! Here!" cried the vessel, "I know I will do; Place me on Your table for all men to view."

"Look at me," called the goblet of crystal so clear. "My transparency show my contents so clear. Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride, And I'm sure I'll be happy in Your house to abide."

The Master came next to a vessel of wood, polished and carved, it solidly stood. "You may use me, dear Master," The wooden bowl said, "But I'd rather You use me for fruit, and not for bread."

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay, empty and broken it helplessly lay. No hope had the vessel---that the Master might choose, to cleanse, and make whole, to fill, and to use.

"Ah! This is the vessel I've been looking to find, I'll mend it and use it and make it all mine.

I need not the vessel with pride of itself, nor one that is narrow to sit on the shelf, nor one that is big-mouthed and shallow and loud, nor one that displays its contents so proud. Not the one that thinks he can do all things just right, but this plain, earthly vessel, filled with power and might."

Then he gently lifted the vessel of clay, mended and cleansed it, and filled it that day;

Spoke to it kindly, "There's work you must do--just pour out to others, as I pour into you."