What Fireworks Taught Me About the Temporary
I continued to watch and film and take the occasional picture. I wanted to capture the memory, to be able to share it with others precisely how it was, to never forget this moment. But as I did so, I found my mind wandering…
Dear TCK, Your Grief is Valid
Jesus understands our humanity. He understands our grief. He understands our pain. And instead of chastising us, He weeps with us for the brokenness of this world.
The Romance of Unreciprocated Love
I dance around and around. I do a handstand. I stand on a chair. I jump off a chair. I make a paper airplane coated with love poetry and send it sailing. I recite Browning’s How Do I Love Thee? loudly…
6 Tips for Staying in Touch Over Long Distance
It took time to wrap my mind around that one. Doesn’t everyone else have nightmares at least once a week about getting a huge pile of letters but not being able to read them?
4 Tips to Avoid Becoming a Self-Centered TCK
At that moment, you realize you’re torn. You feel their unease because you’ve been there. You know you should reach out. But there’s another part of you that hesitates. You’re comfortable. You’re occupied. You’ve got friends…
4 Tips for Staying Grounded When Your Heart Longs for Elsewhere
I never expected the parting to be so hard. I never expected to still feel homesick every day three months later. I never expected my heart to feel as though it were trapped in another continent, another country, another home.
Cultural Grace: A Cure to Deadly Patriotism
God grants us His grace to not only sustain us and enable us to journey well but for us to also extend that grace to others. Grace lights us up so that we can be the light of the world and share His love with even the most undeserving.
Why I Struggle to Return Home
Although our emotions sometimes overwhelm us like a storm, they are a passing storm – not permanent – and they do not change the reality that we are loved by God and precious to Him.
3 Reasons You Should Reach out to Foreigners
As TCKs, we have a unique advantage for reaching out to foreigners. We know what it’s like to be a cultural misfit, to not quite fit in anywhere. God has given us the incredible gift of understanding what it’s like to be a sojourner. Likewise, He can develop in us the gift of compassion.
“Who, Me?” When God Calls You to Do the Impossible
You may feel too young, untalented, inexperienced, timid, ill-equipped, underqualified, untrained, needy, or sinful to do whatever it is you think God wants you to do….But we serve a God who is so much bigger than you or me.
Dealing With Grief During Christmas
Out of all the emotions a person could feel during Christmas, why was mine grief? The feeling stemmed from being away from my “extended family,” and I don’t mean my blood relations.
What We Can Learn from Jesus’ Life as A Global Nomad
As TCKs, we often call ourselves global nomads. It’s a popular phrase used for international wanderers, adventurers, or travelers. But while that term may make it sound like our lives are full of exotic adventure and fun, the reality of a nomad is anything but.
TCK, You’re Not Alone: Encourage and Be Encouraged
For the longest time, I thought I was alone in my TCK struggles. (Back then, I didn’t even have a name for it.) Over the last few years, I have discovered that this is far from the truth.
3 Ways the “Devil” of Change Works for Your Good
I fell headlong into the trap of making a “devil” of any change – whether good or bad. I fought tooth and nail to keep things within reasonable parameters of “normal,” whatever “normal” meant for me.
“The Worst Country” – Putting Aside TCK Biases
“America is the best country.” I looked at Alexander with a mixture of skepticism and incredulity. I couldn’t believe my ears …
Let the Pain of Today Be the Promise for Tomorrow
Friend, it doesn’t end with today’s pain. It ends with tomorrow’s promise. One day, we will be in that lasting city. Instead of dwelling on the problems of today, let’s see them as promises for tomorrow. These promises for tomorrow can start today.
How to Enjoy God’s Gifts Without Bitterness
The Bible tells us that all good gifts are from the Father (James 1:17). But when we lose those gifts, it begs the question: if God is truly good, then how can He take away good gifts?
Finding Stability While Adapting to People
“A fraud.” Why was this word continually plaguing my mind? As I met people and interacted with different cultures, I realized how easily I changed myself to try to be more accepted and liked …
Water Your Roots With the Gospel
To lay our roots – our foundations – on any other ideology or belief, save in the risen Lord, is to die in times of drought …
3 Ways Love Casts Out Fear
Are you sick of living in fear? I know I am. The TCK life can introduce a myriad of fears – fear of interacting with people who may stereotype you, fear of not knowing what will happen in the next country, fear of committing social faux pas … you name it …
When the Unanswerable Questions Make You Feel Less-Than
“Where are you from?” a six-year-old girl asked, leaning close. The question made me gulp, as it always does. Even though it was “just” a child asking, I could feel insecurity rising. Simplifying my answer a lot, I named two countries…
The Key to Embracing Your Differentness
Dear TCK, I get it. I truly do. But no matter how hard we try, we can’t get away from our differentness. The nature of our lives as TCKs and Christians is that God has called us to stand out. He has called us to be a light on a hill. He has called us to go…
To the Non-Missionary Kid: You Have a Mission
I’m not a missionary kid. People often assume that I am and are confused when I try to clarify: Yes, I’m a Christian. Yes, my family lives in a “foreign” country. But no, we’re not missionaries in the technical sense of the word. Somehow, admitting to the fact produces a sense of inferiority. Where’s the purpose in…
How My TCK Life Revealed Whom I was Actually Serving
One day, everything came crashing down. My dad was attacked and almost died while we were on the field, and we had to return to the US for advanced medical care. I felt lost, broken, and aimless. I realized then that I was not serving God; I was living only to serve myself …
3 Reasons We Should Regularly Remind Ourselves of Our Weakness
“What’s it like to be a missionary?” It’s a question I’ve gotten many times before, especially on furlough. I’m often tempted to reply with a quick, “Oh, it’s great!” but that’s not the full truth …
The Gift of Stepping Into the Unknown
This is the story of a man who lost home and found home. A man who trusted, even when he didn’t know where that trust would lead him. A man who took one step at a time, believing that the One who called him would be faithful …
3 (More) Things I’ve Learned From Repatriation
The unexpected situation – no matter how surprising and undesirable it is – is expected by God.
Turning Sorrow Into Dancing: God Can Redeem Your TCK Grief
I remember, years down the road, realizing that I forgot one detail out of one of my memories. That led to several nights of recounting everything that I remembered about my experiences there…
My Journey to Finding Home
Eleven-year-old me thought she was betraying the other places if she called one “home.” And calling several places home? That didn’t sound right…
3 Things I’ve Learned From Repatriation
Many TCKs are not aware of certain unresolved grief because there are many hidden and unknown losses they’ve accumulated throughout their life…
Changing Our Perspective on Change
Change creates so much upheaval. It can leave you feeling lonely and out of place as the “new kid.” It can leave you feeling frustrated and angry because your life seems to be spinning out of control.
What Being Different Taught Me About Purpose
Being a foreigner seemed to have many downsides to it, and I felt different and useless. I wanted to find a purpose in being different, something about being different that made me useful in a special way, but I never did find that…
3 Tips for Interacting With People in Your Passport Country
It can often be hard to stop ourselves from feeling bitter toward the people who have wrong assumptions about places we’ve lived…
Everyone’s Story is Different
You will never find two people who share exactly the same story. But let’s say that many TCKs do have one thing in common: Their stories can’t be compared. They’re too different.
How the TCK Life is Like a Chameleon’s Egg
“If it doesn’t struggle now, it won’t get stronger because of it. Then later, it might die of something small that it would have managed.” The infant reptile struggled with its confinements for what seemed like an eternity, but it eventually persevered and broke free….
Embracing Our TCK Gifts With Fearless Humility
Do you hesitate to use your TCK gifts, fearing other people’s opinions? Or do you feel superior because of your experiences? I think we’ve all fallen on both sides at some point. Somehow, we need to balance confidence and selflessness. But how do we achieve this balance?
The Struggle of Fitting Into My Passport Country
“Everyone knew everyone and no one knew me.” That was exactly how I felt when I moved to Singapore, my passport country. Being born there, I felt the expectations of society and myself that I needed to fit in because I was born a local, but I couldn’t …
3 Tips for Interacting With Others When Moving Overseas
“It must feel so exciting to be here.” I heard that phrase so many times when my family moved to Scotland, and I often felt angry at the people who said it. Could they imagine the pain that comes from tearing yourself away from your homeland? …
How to Respond to Frustrating Questions
I’m sure you’ve been asked many questions that frustrate you. In those situations, it is so easy for me to let irritation or even anger rise. But that’s not the way God wants us to react …
TCK is Not Your Identity
Why identify yourself with something that doesn’t last? It has no value…Sometimes, when I catch myself putting my identity in something other than Him, I remind myself of who I am…
6 Ways to Deal With Grief From Moving
Moving. You’d think it would get easier after the third, fourth, and perhaps, fifth time. I mean, I should be used to it. As a TCK, it’s a normal part of my life. …
In the Midst of a Changing World
We live in a world of changes. A move to another house is a shift in our physical home and neighbourhood. Whereas, a move to another country is a shift in more than just a physical home and neighbourhood. …
The Identity of Home
Have you ever struggled with the idea of “home”? I know I have. As TCKs, we often battle this relentless onslaught of insecurity about our legitimate home. Throughout my entire life, the only insecurity I battled was found within a question…
Painful Goodbyes Are Beautiful
The word goodbye has always been a part of my life. Over the years, I’ve switched schools five times. I’ve had different friends at different schools, and every time I leave, I have to say goodbye …
We Are Citizens of Heaven
When someone asks you where you are from, what do you say? My answer looks something like this: Well, ethnically I’m from X country, and both my parents are from there. But actually …
Where Are You Rooted?
I was scrolling through my Instagram feed and saw a post asking TCKs what music helped them cope with the challenges of TCK life. As I read the comments, one title caught my eye. The song was about having no roots. …
A Gift Can be a Cup of Water
When you read the word gift, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? And what do you think of when you put it in the TCK context? There are “typical” gifts many of us think TCKs possess. They include but are not limited to fluency in multiple languages, people skills, and cultural understanding. We…
Overcoming Fear of the Unknown
Sorting out clothes and belongings, getting rid of those that I don’t need, keeping a few to remind myself of a country, and seeing cardboard waiting to be taped and formed into boxes. It is an all too familiar process I go through many times …