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Why Would I Want to Take MKs on a Missions Trip?

When I was 13, I went to my very first MK conference. It was only about 3 days long, but on the third morning, I was pushed beyond what I had known up until that point. We did initiative evangelism in the city we were in. We weren't sent out empty-handed, for we had been trained on how to share our faith in a quick, simple and genuine way. It was so daunting. I was supposed to walk up to strangers and hold a conversation about my faith with them. This was craziness - as an extreme extrovert, I'd never been at a loss for words. But, I did it. It was hard. It was rewarding - even though no one wanted to pray to receive Christ with me. I had done something that was expected of me as a follower of Jesus, and I was proud of it. Shortly after that, I was approached by some friends about going on a summer missions trip with the same folks who had hosted that conference. But instead of a 1-hour training on sharing my faith, the front 3 or 4 days of the trip were training on how
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What do MK conferences look like and why are they important?

As previously stated, kids who grow up cross-culturally often end up having an additional set of emotional issues added to normal growth and development patterns. TCKs (Third Culture Kids), as they're often referred to as, end up moving anywhere from 8-12 times before they turn 18. With this amount of moving, kids can tend to develop an unhealthy perception of loss and grief. Something that sets MK conferences apart  is that we like to focus on these hard things - but we focus on them from a perspective on how this is normal in an MK's life and how the Lord can use that this type of experience to bring glory to His name. Normalizing is controversial because want everyone to feel validated in their experiences, but we also want to paint a picture that MKs/TCKs are having a shared experience. In this, these conferences foster a sense of community that promotes safety, sharing and begin potential healing. These spaces will also act as a debrief from cross-cultural experien
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What does Missionary Kid Care look like?

There are a variety of areas where my team will be serving the MKs and their families... 1.) Conferences. ABWE hosts a dozen conferences a year around the world and they're continually having to look for individuals and churches to come and serve the MKs. These conferences are a time of rest and care for the parents, so people who are responsible and reliable to pour into and provide care for the MKs is invaluable. The MK Care Team will be the ones heading the middle school and high school programs at these conferences. The primary reason for this is that, just like kids in church Stateside, leader consistency is key when it comes to who is pouring into them. The dream is that we have a team of people who are able to support the conferences, who've had a significant amount of cross-cultural experience who can relate to and care for the MKs time-after-time. 2.) Care Trips. Everyone loves to be known. Even as a corporate employee, I enjoyed it when leadership would come f
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Interested in Receiving Ministry Updates?

Missionary Kid/Third Culture Kid Care is important and needed and I am thankful, humbled and excited to be one of those who have been issued the challenge of caring for these kids. If you're interested in hearing more about the ministry I am going to be involved in at ABWE , please fill out this form . You have my word that I will not bombard you with spam emails, only content pertaining to ministry (prayer requests/needs/updates/so on). I am looking for monthly donors at this time as well. If you're interested in supporting the ministry, you can follow this link to give. As more specific prayer requests and needs arise, I'll be sharing them with you all.
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What Kind of Difference Do I Want to Make?

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“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” - Jane Goodall Me and Jane Goodall in Uganda circa 2006. When I was in high school, I went to Uganda on my first missions trip. While I was at the briefing at the front end of the trip I happened to be in the right place at the right time and got to ride on an elevator with Jane Goodall. As an aspiring conservationist, it was a dream come true.  Since then, I've followed her work and learned a lot from what she's offered the world through her thoughts on conservation and environmental education. The quote above has been somewhat motivating to me when I think about things I am doing in life.  We all make a difference and sometimes I need to be more aware of what kind of difference I am making.  Am I listening to the Lord?  Am I caring for others well?  Am I honoring my gifts? As a TCK, I have seen a lot. I've been a lot of places. I've gotten to do a lo
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A TCK's Reflection; Brene Brown's Call to Courage

Back in January, I was preparing to present at a conference for TCKs. The topic I was asked to speak on with was living with anxiety. Shortly before that, my therapist and I had talked about vulnerability being a huge part in reducing anxiety. Amid these conversations and my research for my presentation, I also read Brene Brown's book,  The Power of Vulnerability . If you don't know me well, one thing you'll learn quickly is that I hate to read - so the fact I read something longer than a Buzzfeed article, is huge. Since that time, I've been pretty obsessed with Brene Brown's work. Just this week, the good people over at Netflix released the Brene Brown special "A Call to Courage." If you haven't seen it, you need to take the hour and 15 to learn from this incredible communicator. She is a storyteller and a straight-talker. She is intelligent, but presents in a relatable way. And what she has to say is vital for today's culture. While I w
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Thinking about Belonging and Being Known

The content below is written by my friend Lauren.  Lauren and I were talking one day about my international upbringing when she realized that we shared very similar experiences. I mentioned the term "TCK" to her and she had no idea what I was talking about.  It was an honor for me to explain to her about our unique community of people who've lived in various places around the world but have an almost immediate bond.  Over the last couple of years, Lauren has been learning about being a TCK and how it has played into who she is as an adult. Below are Lauren's thoughts on being known in your current context. Last year I moved for the 14th time in my 27 years of life. Every move has taken me to another place. Another state (sometimes another country). Another house. Another job. Another school. Another set of friends. As a result of this transient upbringing, every 2-3 years I feel the clock ticking. I wonder how long it is until I can escape the dreaded normalcy th
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