1951: Auf einem Flugplatz in Nigeria klettert die kleine Ruth in ein Flugzeug, das sie in ein Internat bringen wird – weit, weit weg von Papa und Mama, die als Missionare für Gott arbeiten. Und sie weint. Das ist der Auftakt eines verbissenen Kampfes, mit dem sie einen Schmerz niederzukämpfen versucht, der mit jedem Abschied von ihren Lieben tiefer geht und doch so gar nicht zu einem Gotteskind passen will. Jahre später: Ruth führt ein Bilderbuchleben als Missionarsfrau und Mutter. Dennoch leidet sie unter Depressionen, Wutanfällen und bohrender Kritiksucht, so sehr, dass ihr Glaube eines Tages Bankrott anmeldet. Doch dann: „Irgendwie beugte sich Gott zu mir herunter und sagte freundlich: Ruth, ich habe die ganze Zeit darauf gewartet, dass du endlich aufhörst zu kämpfen. Ich möchte dich in die Vergangenheit zurückführen, um dir zu zeigen, wo du Verletzungen erlebt hast. Ich hielt mich an Christus fest und erlebte im Rückblick all die Gefühle, die ich mir nie eingestanden hatte. Und so schrieb ich sie auf, diese Briefe, die ich niemals schrieb.“ Briefe einer Reise hinter den Schmerz, wo Ruth van Reken Heilung fand. Und eine Hoffnung, die allen Menschen gilt, egal unter welcher Art von Verlust oder Verletzung sie leiden.
This is the German edition of “Letters Never Sent” by Ruth Van Reken
Joshua is from the U.S. but he lives in Ghana. His second best friend (after his dad) is his pet parrot named Johnny . But to his dismay, he has to leave Johnny behind when he and his dad move to Korea to be with his mom.
When he arrives in Korea, everything is very different. Joshua notices that everyone in Korea is staring at him and his parents! Most Koreans haven’t seen someone his color before and they want to touch his hair and take pictures with him. His mom keeps politely telling people not to touch him but Joshua feels like a star! Everyone wants to talk to him.
At the end of the story, Joshua confides in his parents that he still misses his parrot Johnny. They encourage him to take his soccer ball and meet new friends, which he does. He even meets a beautiful Korean crane who he asks to be his new best friend.
Besides covering themes of moving to a new country and settling in, this fantastic little picture book addresses the difficulty of having to leave much-loved pets behind. And it stands out among TCK children’s books because it features an African-American family, and one that moves because of the mom’s job.
Reading level: age 4-8
A memoir of a missionary kid processing her experience of growing up abroad, and especially of going to boarding school as a young child, “Letters Never Sent” takes the reader through a process of healing and seeking closeness with God. Written in the form of letters to her parents (the original title is more apt: “Letters I Never Wrote”), this is her story from early childhood through adulthood as the discovery that pain and purpose can co-exist begins to bring comfort & healing.
While unmasking some of the darker sides of missions and especially the family separations that often go along with it, Van Reken still honors the good in her experiences and how much she loves her and parents and loves God. She doesn’t look at her experiences in black and white but still gives helpful advice to those who are on a similar journey towards recovery and to parents of TCKs who don’t want to repeat her parents’ mistakes.
This is a strange story of Valentine’s Day love set in an International School. Cupid & Dove visit an elementary school seeking to bring love but instead creating confusion. Written by an 11 year old TCK in the form of a (very) long poem, it’s a sweet book but the cadence of the poem changes a lot and can be difficult to follow. The author includes his own tips for TCKs and parents of TCKs who are moving at the end. There’s also an odd bonus poem about fish dying.
Reading level: age 10-12
A series of hand-drawn cartoons chronicles the real-life experiences of 3 boys whose dad works for the U.S. State Department. We meet them as small children when the family sets out for their first assignment in Mauritania, and the book follows them through postings in France, Cote d’Ivoire, the U.S., and Turkey where the last two boys graduate from high school. The simple, kid-friendly text, and nicely-drawn pictures describe the boys’ everyday lives (where/what they like to play, what type of school they attend, etc.) as well as sharing some of their adventures visiting interesting places in each of the countries. Though perhaps more enjoyable for expat kids who have plenty of similar adventures, the book does not assume that readers have prior knowledge of diplomacy, and starts by explaining diplomats & embassies. That makes it something that any kid could read to learn more about the lives of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) from the diplomatic sector.
Reading level: age 6-9
This small autobiography is about a missionary kid who grew up in Swaziland in the mid-1900s. It describes her relationship with her distant father, a doctor, her elementary school days in the local missionary school and going away to boarding school for high school. Her closeness to God is steady throughout her childhood and she talks about how He was with her through it all.
