dear diary... Thoughts From a 12-Year-Old Missionary by Michaela McReynolds   Find out more about Free Will Baptist Home Missions at www.homemissions.net.

My dad pastors Beacon Free Will Baptist Church in Exeter, Rhode Island. It is a mission church that began six years ago. Before that, he was the associate pastor of Bethel Free Will Baptist Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. I loved my friends at Bethel, and I miss them a lot. When Beacon started, there was only one girl my age, but she moved too far away to come to Beacon anymore.

I really miss having friends at church who are my age, but watching God work in the lives of all the people at Beacon is amazing. I love getting to help with the younger children, and it’s cool that I get to attend the adult Sunday School class. Luke Gedeon is the teacher, and I like the way he explains things.

Life with my siblings is never boring. Billy, eight, is a boy of few words, but he can make his truck and helicopter motors start. His stuffed animals and action figures can also talk. Sarah, five, likes to compose songs. Sometimes, however, she likes to perform her songs to get out of things like eating salad or doing her chores, but it usually doesn’t work.

Cocoa’s favorite thing to do is jumping on a lap and licking a face until her chosen victim scratches her neck. (Have you guessed that this “sibling” is a Chocolate Lab?) Hannah, eleven, likes to scream when she’s having fun. She claims she doesn’t like to be tickled, but she always keeps laughing when I tickle her.

I love to cook. Once, when I was nine-years-old, my friend Laurenne came over, and we wanted to make chocolate chip cookies. Because we had just enough eggs and butter for one double batch, Mommy told us that we could each make one batch. When the time came to add the eggs and butter, we realized something—we had each doubled the recipe. Laurenne said that the eggs and butter weren’t important, so we didn’t tell my mother until the first batch of cookies came out of the oven. Then we showed them to her. They looked like flat caramel candy with little brown dots, but never mind that—they were crisp, yummy, and crumbly.

Occasionally I cook dinner, and sometimes in the morning, when mommy is goes for a walk, I make breakfast. The best part of cooking is watching other people enjoy something you made.

I like to baby-sit, but Daddy says that I’m not allowed to help in the church nursery until I’m 18. Sometimes, Mommy asks me to be in charge at home so she can visit with someone or run an errand. She is teaching me to play the piano, and sometimes I play specials in church. But I get very nervous when I play in front of people. My fingers get really sweaty and slip off the keys.

When I’m practicing, I love to hear the correct notes under my finger tips. My favorite songs are Christmas carols, and I love to listen to Handel’s Messiah. Reading a book under a sunlit window is my favorite thing to do. I love the old Nancy Drew mysteries and books by Beverly Cleary.

We are home-schooled, and school is only a few steps away. Being so close to school does have some disadvantages. When it snows, we still study! Siblings can be distracting, but as the oldest, sometimes I help my younger “classmates” understand a concept they are having trouble with. Another advantage is that I get to do yard work for a couple in our church while the weather is nice.

In a nutshell, I am a happy, home-schooled, 12-year-old missionary kid, and I am thankful for all the opportunities that the Lord has provided for me!

A note from Mom…Christy writes:

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who prays for our family and the ministry to which God has called us. To say Bill and I are proud of Michaela would be a severe understatement. She has blossomed into a beautiful young lady who is invaluable to our ministry.

Recently, I was struck by the fact that we only have six years until she graduates and moves to college. The years have flown by like a whirlwind, and I know they will not slow down one bit. We are thankful for every moment God has chosen to give us—not only with Michaela, but with each of our children. Sometimes when life becomes busy, the Holy Spirit gently reminds me that because I’m just a temporary steward of these four beautiful lives, I need to stop now and enjoy the treasures He has given me.

About the Author: Michaela is a 12-year-old missionary whose family serves in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Read more about her church at www.beaconfreewillbaptist.com.