Cruise trip gives training, graduate credits and awareness of needs.

USA (MNN) — Around 30-thousand children of missionaries live on the mission field with their parents. Educating these missionary kids is a huge need, says Wycliffe Bible Translators’ Jamie Farr, and that’s why they’re recruiting teachers. Wycliffe is inviting teachers to be part of a special cruise trip to help train and equip teachers for the mission field, but especially, to provide awareness.

“The real reason for the cruise is that we would like to get out to teachers the need that there is all over the globe. Currently, there are, probably right around a thousand positions that are required to meet the (needs of) families of missionaries all over the world to help them stay in the field.”

That’s a crucial need, says Farr, because it’s a key to keeping missionaries on the field continuing their work. “The number one need across mission organizations and the number one reason that families actually leave the field is because of the education of their children. If we have a thousand positions and 600 of them are not being filled with teachers, that means that a great number of these families’ needs are not being served. And it’s a critical need, and it’s not just within Wycliffe but across many of the large organizations. This is a real challenge.”

The cruise combines seminars, entertainment, speakers, worship and fun. Farr says it’s a good combination to provide teachers with open doors to the field, “We have tried different avenues to get teachers involved, and one of the things that every teacher needs is that they need to continue getting credits to keep their certification. So we combined getting their certification and an opportunity for the family to be able to get away and Seattle Pacific was very gracious in partnering with us in this (to provide graduate credits). And we’re hoping that we can bless the missionary community all over the world and help teachers see how they can be used in the Great Commission at the same time.”

Farr says it’s about using your passions to meet a very real need, “We have never done a cruise for teachers, and we are looking for all different sorts of people with talents and a passion to serve God, who want to use their gifts as a teacher. We’re not looking for them to do other things. We’re looking for them to just follow the passion that God has put in their heart and to go serve missionary families and their kids all over the world.”

For registration information, contact MTS Travel at 405-905-2820 or 1-877-699-3987. Or contact Wycliffe Bible Translators through their information listed below.