Born Into Mission

“She was curious about the Bible, and since the Bible I had was new, I gave it to her as a remembrance."

Jazlyn “Jaz” Martin recalled the days she spent with her best friend in Myanmar when they were about 7. Her friend was a Buddhist, but that did not stop her from sharing the gospel. With a child’s innocence and honesty, she even told her friend, “Buddha is not real!”

Thinking about it now, Jaz hopes that, miles away, the girl she may never meet again will pick up that Bible and remember her.

Born to missionary parents who work as Bible translators, Jaz grew up immersed in a life of service and faith. Her family is currently reaching out to the Teduray tribe and has been translating the Old Testament for the past eight years. 

Jaz’s life is inspiring and could even seem idyllic—traveling, learning new cultures, and living out God’s calling. However, behind all this is a quieter, more personal reality that consists of the emotional weight of constantly adapting, impermanence, and the pressure to live up to expectations.

Born in Davao City, Jaz spent parts of her childhood in Manila and Myanmar. Most of her adolescence was spent in Nuro Upi, Maguindanao, surrounded by creeks, mountains, and quiet village life. From this, she recently transitioned to the quick paces of the city, from one culture to another.

“We move around—no permanent address,” she shared. Each move meant new friends, new schools, and new adjustments.

“I also reach the point of asking, ‘why can’t we be permanent?’ and ‘I’m happy here, then we’ll move again?’” Jaz said. 

Alongside these changes was something heavier: the pressure placed on being a missionary kid. A 2023 report by the Gospel Coalition revealed that being under pressure is one of the lesser-known aspects of missionary kids’ experiences. 

"Unlike other kids who can do whatever they want, we cannot," she said.

She described how being the child of missionaries meant always being careful with her actions and resisting sin, especially with the fear of affecting her family’s name.

“We’re not perfect, but we feel like other people will judge us for even one mistake. Like thoughts of, ‘She’s the child of a missionary, right? Why did she…?’ It’s that kind of pressure.”

Although Jaz experiences frustrations and restrictions, she is also grateful that these pressures keep her on the right path. Each time she falls short and gives in to temptation, the consequences linger in her mind, serving as a lesson and reminder to stay true to herself and her faith.

A Barna Group study found that 40% of pastors’ kids aged 15 and above have experienced doubts about their faith. Jaz shared that she can sometimes relate to the 40% as she ponders her future and spiritual walk.

She faces challenges with her faith when comparing herself to other believers—especially those who seem more God-centered and God-fearing, despite not coming from missionary families. These comparisons often cause her to reflect on her own perceived shortcomings.

“It makes me ashamed,” she said. “I think to myself, ‘are you really a Christian? Compare yourself to those other people’.”

She also shared how she felt about how her parents often respond to her problems:

“Sometimes it's frustrating, like, I have these kinds of problems and my parents always just say, ‘pray to God.’ But sometimes, I want a concrete or logical answer.”

Despite everything, Jaz continues to choose faith, using it as both shield and sword in times of trial. Her life isn’t flawless, and she admits her imperfections openly, but she believes in God’s presence and purpose in her life.

“If I think about it, I can really say that God is always with us,” she said. “That’s how I get motivated to do His work,”

Amid real-life and spiritual challenges, Jaz is also learning to understand herself and others like her more deeply. “A missionary kid is also a kid,” she said. “Sometimes, others forget that we also enjoy kid things—just like normal people.” 

Aside from her identity as a missionary kid, Jaz is also her own person—someone who finds peace and joy in solitude, and who loves spending time with her dogs, watching movies, and drawing.

Despite the challenges and pressures, Jaz is grateful, feeling nothing was missing from her childhood and believing she experienced it fully—just not in the usual way.

“Early on, I realized I can’t compare my life to others, because we have different lives,” she said.

While her parents serve in the frontlines of ministry, Jaz’s mission field is in her everyday life, as she reaches out to those around her—classmates and friends—and presents herself as a living testimony. Though not perfect, she strives to be a good example, living a life set apart.

Although Jaz experiences moments of doubt—questioning God’s presence, her faith, and facing worldly influences—she has come to a powerful realization: missionary kids, despite their struggles, have the unique privilege of truly experiencing and witnessing firsthand how God provides, touches, and transforms lives, and are given powerful evidence—often stronger than the doubts they wrestle with.

Jaz offers her life as a pleasing sacrifice to God, allowing Him to lead her according to His will. She surrenders herself to Him, with all her strengths and weaknesses, trusting that He will guide her. 

“If I think about it, I can really say that God is always with us. That’s how I get motivated to do His work,” she said. “Just trust God. You will not lose anything.”

Her story is one of courage and strength that comes from God Himself, encouraging all of us to shine for Christ in our own mission fields. In serving Him, we are not called to be flawless or free from struggles. Rather, by acknowledging our weaknesses and challenges, we allow Christ to be magnified. 

Our imperfect stories can still inspire others as we live to be salt and light, sharing God’s message with those we encounter, just as Jaz did with that little girl in Myanmar all those years ago.