Articles

Mountains and Valleys: A Letter to the Suffering Soul

I have grown to find much comfort and solace in the beauty of mountains and nature. Perhaps, I think, there are other souls like me who are in awe of mountains and find happiness in birdsong and laughter. Perhaps there are other kindred spirits who are distressed at the world and know what it means to be…

TCK, Do You Make Time for Christ?

As a college student, I am well acquainted with anxiety. Assignments, studying, time with friends, working out, working a job, and thinking about the future are all capable of making even the strongest man anxious.  In the professional world, there are work assignments and projects, emails and zoom calls, all needing immediate attention. Our families require conflict…

3 Essentials for Long-Distance Dating

I sit down to write this article and glance at my calendar: Twelve more days till we see each other again. Twenty-two more days till we say “I do.” This past year of being 4,500 kilometers away from the man I love has been anything but easy. I never realized the power of physical contact until I…

Misunderstood: Use Your Differentness to Love Others Better

“South Africa is really a country?” I resisted the urge to sigh in frustration as I explained once again that yes, South Africa is a country, not a region of Africa. “Wow, I had no idea,” the lady said after I finished. This was just one of many interactions I’ve had with people in my passport country…

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…

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…

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.

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.

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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…

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…

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 …

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 …