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 fun book that summarizes what being a TCK is all about using hilarious anecdotes from the author’s adventures and crazy life. I laughed out loud a lot reading this book and that isn’t normal for me!”Arrivals and Departures” would be a great introductory book for teens and young adults learning about what it means to be an TCK. It’s easy to read because of all the stories and hits important issues for TCKs like dealing with grief, navigating new friendships, the difficulties of reentry and finding your identity.
O’Shaughnessy grew up as a military brat between England and the USA and most of his stories are drawn from travel in Europe, so this book would be best for European MKs. It seems like he assumes most MKs live in tight-knit communities with lots of friends and travel adventures, but I know plenty of MKs who feel lonely and disconnected, especially those in more remote parts of the world or those who do home-schooling or online school. This book may set up unrealistic expectations of community living and life-long TCK bonds that not all TCKs get to experience, but otherwise it’s a great read.
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.
Starting from when a kid is preparing to move until they’re settled in their new home, this colorful workbook gives kids a chance to process the whole moving experience. A little migratory bird named Nor guides the process with colorful pages and chances to draw pictures and write out answers to questions. There are five chapters to this book:
- Where and how you are right now
- The place you are moving to
- The move is on the horizon
- Get ready for moving day
- You have arrived
I think this is one of the best workbooks for kids who are moving internationally, whether it’s their first or fifth move. It asks great questions and it’s wonderfully illustrated and engaging.
This workbook was originally written in Swedish and available in both English and Swedish.
Reading level: age 6 – 12 years
This is a fantastic book for professional counselors (from psychologists to pastoral counselors) to better understand their TCK clients and how to treat them effectively. It covers the basics of what a TCK is and then goes deep into treatment methods, common struggles TCKs face and even how to say goodbye well at the end of therapy. I really loved Bushong’s creative therapeutic techniques, like making an identity model with your client showing who you look like to others and how you feel on the inside by using a collage on int he inside and outside of a paper bag.
Another valuable aspect of this book is addressing how to diagnose TCKs, and recognizing that some thing that look pathological in TCKs may actually be a form of grief or a cultural difference. I highly recommend this book to anyone who counsels TCKs or works with them in TCK care.
This compilation of essays, poems and letters from adult MKs from around the world shows the heart of missionary kids. The book is divided into 3 sections, all with about the same number of entries:
- Adjusting (with entries like “Furlough,” “Can I Come Home,” and “Alien Planet USA”
- Anecdotes and Adventures (with “To Catch a Plane” and “Lessons from Amazonas”
- Identity ( with “Belonging,” “Pieces of My Heart” and “My Homeland”
This book is difficult to find and I could only locate one seller, in Canada. However, it is a great collection from a broad selection of MK that other MKs can relate to.
