Third Culture Kids

“Why do airports seem like home to me?”

This is a typical question asked by a “Third Culture Kid”. TCKs certainly have a story to tell to the nations. These photos represent TCKs of a few of the different nationalities serving the Lord alongside their parents. Besides living in areas that may be hostile to the Gospel, their lives are filled with changing languages as they change time zones. They’ve grown accustomed to a diversity of culture, customs, and currency.

This one-year-old is strolling through an airport “as if it were home to her.” She is swinging a lanyard with a thumb drive full of photos that I had taken of her time in America; she lives in Turkey.

In the pool are a couple of TCKs who are best friends. One is Brazilian/American and lives in Brazil; the other El Salvadorian and lives in Turkey.

This little girl isn’t playing with dolls, she’s debriefing while in America visiting our office. I challenged her, “Use these little people to tell me about your life in Turkey.” She scooped them up and ran to far corner of the room; cupping her hands she shouted over to me about her life overseas. She understands distance.

The little boy will remember me as the lady who gave him a Star Wars coloring book from America. His first language is Russian. I told him about my kids growing up in Africa with different languages, schools and countries. He said, “Wait here!” as he ran up to his room in the Moldovan guest house and came back with a little motorcycle from his country of Kyrgyzstan. He asked me to give it to my son, a grown-up TCK serving in East Asia. (picture below)

The kind of connection they share can only be understood by other TCKs. They seem to find ways of reassuring one another that they are not alone in the unique call on their life.

What an honor to walk alongside our workers, not only to invest in their children, but to participate with them in the work of providing access to the gospel.

“I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.” 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

Pray for God’s unique little servants…and the grown up TCKs who continue the journey.