When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they respond with a wide variety of answers: police officer, firefighter, princess, superhero. For me, the answer was missionary. Ever since I was a little kid, I knew I wanted to be a missionary. I grew up on the mission field and never knew any other life, but I also knew it was the life I wanted.
Growing up in Spain wasn’t too different from growing up in the United States in many ways. I had friends, went to school, watched cartoons, and even went to church every Sunday (first an established church and then the one my parents helped plant). However, one major difference from many kids — both in the States and in Spain — was the time I spent with my parents.
As missionaries, their schedules were much more flexible than many other parents I knew. They did not have a 9-to-5 job every day. Plus, their work involved being at home, many times hosting others. Therefore, I was able to enjoy spending time with both my mom and dad throughout the week, when I was home from school. This showed me firsthand what their work involved, and it also allowed me to learn from them in their spiritual walks with the Lord and in their service to Him.
Ordinary Discipleship
My parents always took my sister and me to church, along with every other outreach activity they could. Though many people who grow up in church (especially ministry kids) joke about being at church “every time the doors were open,” I consider this a great blessing of growing up in a Christian household. It is the duty of parents to raise their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4), and parents must embrace every opportunity to instruct their children about who God is and what He has done for them (Deuteronomy 6). By taking us to church at every opportunity, we received the blessing of hearing God’s Word read, preached, sung, prayed, and lived out constantly.
This “ordinary discipleship” formed the basis for future personal relationships with the Lord and decisions to follow Christ. When I was seven, my father prayed with me at my bedside to receive Christ as my Lord and Savior. At 13, he baptized me at the new location of the original church they attended in Spain. They instructed me on how to read the Bible and led my sister and me in family prayers and devotions.
My parents and their faithfulness are a major part of why I follow the Lord today. Growing up in a Christian household was one of God’s greatest blessings. He used my parents to impart His truth to my life.
Extraordinary Ministry
Beyond raising me in a Christian home, my parents taught me what it was like to serve faithfully in full-time ministry overseas. I saw firsthand how they planted a church, raised and discipled new believers, and reached out through evangelism to the community. Theirs was a family ministry, not theirs alone.
My sister Ana and I became an integral part of making connections with others, so people would hear the message of the gospel. We saw both the joys and sorrows of the ministry: people coming to Christ and people leaving the church; successful events and lonely get-togethers. We experienced God’s faithfulness through it all. We were made to fellowship in the pleasure of service to the King and be coworkers in the ministry for which they had been sent out. When God leads missionaries into the ministry, He equips entire families for the challenges they face.
Our family was committed entirely to the work in Spain. Whether hosting an outreach event, inviting people over for a meal, or leading worship in church, my parents demonstrated what ministry among everyday people in another culture looked like.
Even though I did not know where I wanted to live out my desire to be a missionary, my parents encouraged me to continue growing in Christ and praying for His wisdom. Once I decided to serve the Lord in France, my parents were overjoyed I was following the ministry they had led, even if it was in another country. They were excited to help me prepare further to serve the Lord overseas.
Continuing Service
My wife and I now serve with IM, Inc. One of our main ministries will be training new leaders in Free Will Baptist churches in France. We have a desire to disciple, teach, and train them for the ministry, just as my parents modeled in their own church plant and in our family.
While preparing for the field, my parents were some of our biggest supporters, helping us with everything from fundraising to packing. We are so thankful for the legacy of the Johnsons in cross-cultural ministry and are excited to continue that legacy in France. The Lord has been faithful to me my whole life, giving me parents who set the example for me. I pray He will continue to be faithful to me and to my family going forward.
From raising me in a Christian household, to giving me an excellent example for missionary service, to demonstrating what it looks like to raise up new leaders in the church, my parents discipled me toward godliness. This led me to choose the same career, serving the Lord in a country where I did not grow up. Their love for me and for others showed me God’s love for all the nations. They taught me to truly love Him is to obey His command to disciple the nations, teaching them all Jesus commanded, and baptizing them into local churches, for the glory of God.
Discipleship begun in my family now continues in several different countries.
This discipleship is the calling of every believer!
About the Writer: Alejandro and his wife Breanna were appointed to serve in France in
December 2023. Learn more: IMinc.org.
