Episode 34 – The Boarding School Dilemma – Balancing Mission and Family – Introduction – Part 1 of 5 – 3-29-25

About this episode

This episode introduces the challenges faced by families sending children to boarding school in a foreign country, particularly focusing on the Ubangi Academy in D.R. Congo.

Dorm view of Tennis court – Ubangi Academy, D.R. Congo View of soccer fields – Ubangi Academy, D.R. Congo     Aerial View of the Dorm and School     Many people feel God’s call to serve in missions. With that is the responsibility of raising their children and ensuring they are educated. This can prove challenging, depending on the foreign country one goes to. In my case, I was sent to the Ubangi Academy (UBAC) in Congo as an 8 year old. The school served grades 2 through 12, with a rigorous curriculum. Normally there were 40-50 in total attendance, with most living in the dormitory, adjacent to the school. How did parents rationalize sending their kids away, starting as young as 7 years old, for 8 to 10 weeks at a time? How did the children fare? Many struggled, and have residual trauma into adulthood. I sent surveys to parents and kids alike and determined that very few kids and parents have discussed the experience. Furthermore, many kids don’t want to revisit that part of their childhood. This is part 1 of a 5 part series, to introduce the topic and lay out the challenges for parents and kids alike. It will discuss the elephant in the room…

People in this episode

Host: Congo Kid

Topics covered

• boarding school
• missions
• parenting
• child education
• trauma

Keywords

• boarding school
• Ubangi Academy
• missions
• parenting
• child trauma
• education
• D.R. Congo

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ubangi Academy

Places: D.R. Congo

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• Episode 44 – Trials and Triumphs in Congo – A 100 Year Mission Journey – Part 6 of 7 – 6-5-26 · June 5, 2026 · 1h 20m
• Episode 43 – Trials and Triumphs in Congo – A 100 Year Mission Journey – Part 5 of 7 – 5-22-26 · May 22, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Episode 42 – Trials and Triumphs In Congo – A 100 Year Mission Journey – Part 4 of 7 – 5-8-26 · May 8, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Episode 41 – Trials and Triumphs in Congo – A 100 Year Mission Journey – Part 3 of 7 – 4-24-26 · April 24, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Episode 40 – Trials & Triumphs in Congo – A 100 Year Mission Journey – Part 2 of 7 – 4-10-26 · April 10, 2026 · 1h 11m
• Episode 39 – Trials & Triumphs in Congo – A 100 Year Mission Journey – Part 1 of 7 – 3-28-26 · March 29, 2026 · 1h 6m