I loved growing up overseas. I loved that I knew how to traverse the globe at a young age, that I grew up on curry and hot pakoras, that I could see some of the highest mountains in the world from the grounds of my boarding school. I loved the colorful stamps in my passport – […]
{ 0 comments }
by Beth Watkins It’s been a little more than a year since my husband, a new immigrant, and I relocated back to the U.S. after I’d been away for more than 6 years. It’s hard being back. They call it re-entry shock – the special kind of culture shock that happens when you’re back in […]
{ 0 comments }
In my last post, I talked about the cultural mistakes we often make when we move overseas—mistakes that can make us laugh or cringe or even wince in pain or regret. Below is one of my own that I enjoy laughing about. I invite you to laugh with me . . . and maybe cringe a […]
{ 0 comments }
by Tanya Crossman In part one of this series, I explained the lesson “Everyone leaves.” This is something most TCKs “learn” through their experiences growing up internationally. I chose to leave space at the end of the piece to reflect on how this “lesson” affects TCKs, rather than jump straight to solutions. When we skip straight […]
{ 0 comments }
by Tanya Crossman The experience of living overseas as a child is very different to the experience of living overseas as an adult. The impact of childhood experiences last a lifetime. They are formative experiences – they teach us how the world works. We all internalise ‘lessons’ from our childhood experiences. TCKs grow up between […]
{ 0 comments }
#metoo Kavanaugh vs. Blasey Ford Running while Female (aka, living while female) Its time to talk about sexual harassment again. I am not coming at this from a political angle. But recent US political events highlighted, again, that sexual harassment is a very real and present danger and can have long-term consequences, sometimes leading to […]
{ 0 comments }
Much of the time living in Cambodia, I don’t feel like I am making huge sacrifices for God. In fact, I’ve found many things to love about living here. I am so settled here that I sometimes forget that other people have made sacrifices for me to be here. Reminders come in the form of my children, when […]
{ 0 comments }
It’s tempting. I get it. It sounds motivating and inspirational. I get that too. But I’ve come to believe that the good-intentioned, hopefully inspiring practice of talking about children as “world-changers” is, in most cases, damaging. You can cover it with a spiritual veneer, you can call it “speaking truth over them,” you can call […]
{ 0 comments }
by Krista Horn When we moved overseas we knew certain things would be laid on the altar. Things like consistent electricity and wifi. The freedom for me to wear pants outside the home. Having someone else teach our kids. Trips to the library. Cherry Coke. The list goes on, big and small. We also knew […]
{ 0 comments }
(I wrote this a long time ago but never hit “publish.” Two of my three kids are now adults, which slightly changes my personal context. But, the essay still stands, a little encouragement for expats as we face life in sometimes challenging locations.) “You’re Much More Likely to Be Killed By Brain-Eating Parasites, Texting While […]
{ 0 comments }
by Kris Gnuse She strode up to our prayer gathering, her gray curls beautiful. The group stopped for greetings and her update on the situation across the border. Backpacking alone across Central America, helping out at missions along the way, Nicaragua’s political unrest had sent her doubling back to the children’s home where our family […]
{ 0 comments }
By Aneurin Howorth Moving abroad is a wonderful privilege filled with blessings. Those of us who grew up internationally are able to experience the richness of the world in a way which we couldn’t have otherwise. In short, it is great. Yet there is a price to pay. Life is often filled with death, loss, […]
{ 0 comments }
