Jan Fiebrantz grew up as a missionary kid in Vietnam. Now, together with his wife Sarah, he is preparing for missionary service in the Philippines — following in footsteps his father Jochen first laid down 28 years ago. Their joint reflection, published by Allianz-Mission in its August–October 2026 move magazine, captures the perspective of two generations of one family navigating the call to cross-cultural mission.
Jan's father Jochen and his wife first departed for Tanzania in 1992, later serving in Vietnam with three children. Allianz-Mission, the international mission arm of Germany's Bund Freier evangelischer Gemeinden (FeG), supports missionaries across multiple continents. The Philippines, where Jan and Sarah are headed, is home to CAMACOP — the largest member church of the Alliance World Fellowship in Asia — and represents a growing centre of evangelical mission in the region.
Jan describes his missionary upbringing as formative, giving him "deep insights into the realities of poverty, inequality, and suffering." Yet he admits the idea of becoming a missionary himself "was rather distant for a long time," until he met Sarah, who shared his sense of calling. He speaks of a desire to have "real, meaningful impact" on others' lives. For Jochen, the prospect of his son leaving for the field brings mixed emotions. He recalls telling God early on that he did not want to pursue mission "at the expense of our children," and now confesses that letting go is "an unexpected, new adventure of faith." He adds simply: "Mission is mostly just everyday life."
(Originally published in German. Summary translated by CC / Connexion.)
Source: Allianz-Mission / Bund FeG — allianzmission.de
