The Third Culture Kid (TCK) Experience

Letter to the Editor

I was glad to see your [Jan/Feb 2025] issue that dealt with the migration issue and the expansion of the Christian movement.

I have long felt this was an area overlooked by missiologists. I would like to add that internal migration within a people group or country is often very important to the expansion of the Christian movement. I would like to

share about this in Thailand. I served in Thailand with OMF International from 1985 until 2017. When I arrived, it seemed to me that most missionaries were very concerned that the overall Christian movement was not growing in Thailand. In fact, it was growing but hard to see.

Being an MK Wasn’t My Job…But Now It’s My Joy

JESSI BULLIS

Growing up overseas as a missionary kid (MK) has become one of my greatest joys—deeply touching nearly every part of my adult life in profound ways. But like every coin, there’s a flipside. Getting to joy didn’t come quickly or easily. While I loved the adventures and the uniqueness of my globally mobile experiences, more often than not, being an MK felt like a job—one for which I was constantly receiving a poor performance review.

Nowhere and Everywhere: A TCK’s Journey of Embracing Paradox

ABIGAIL EID

Don’t ask me (or most TCKs) where I’m from unless you want a very long-winded answer in English or Arabic. I have managed to get my answer down to “I’m Lebanese American, but I grew up in Jordan.” If the person looks surprised or confused, I add, “My dad is from Lebanon, my mom is from America, but I lived most of my life in Jordan.” Nowadays I must remember to add, “My family recently moved to Spain” somewhere in there.

I Was NOT Prepared for College

HAYDEN DILLARD

I was not prepared for college.
I certainly thought I was. I arrived in America two weeks before the first day of school, ready to buy dorm supplies and start my new life. In my head, I was more than adequately prepared in every area that mattered. Academically, I had a banger SAT score. Financially, I wasn’t going to be hungry. Socially, I had the confident friendliness of an outgoing homeschooler who doesn’t realize he’s coming off as awkward instead of eccentric. Spiritually, I naively felt confident in my faith, and even though I didn’t engage with God much through reading the Word or praying, I felt that I was doing good enough.

Lessons Learned Growing Up as an MK in Apartheid-Era South Africa

BRANDON D. HILL, PhD

Growing up as a Free Methodist missionary kid in the Republic of South Africa between 1975 and 1988 was an experience that shaped my worldview in profound ways. My childhood unfolded during the height of apartheid, a period defined by systemic racial segregation and social injustice. While my upbringing came with unique privileges and opportunities, it also exposed me to the harsh realities of inequality, instilling in me a deep sense of purpose and a lifelong commitment to education and inclusion.

Quijote’s Sons & Daughters

WILLIAM TAYLOR

I am a TCK, born in 1940 of missionary parents in Costa Rica, as are my three children, born in Guatemala to missionary parents. In truth, we TCKs are a “multitude,” born or raised in countries different from our parents' origin. We have studied in other cultures, learned other languages, been misunderstood and confused, experienced culture shock, and cross-cultural, international life. We are “global nomads,” a category including children of diplomats and military, international businesspeople, wandering hippies, and a host of others who share parallel lives. I very recently captured a new insight: Refugees, migrants, and immigrants are also TCKs. Their first generation will battle more with these issues, but it will have a long-term impact on these family systems.

To Settle or Not to Settle?

JAMEY LEWIS

As a child and teen, I wanted to be a pilot when I grew up. Like most TCKs, I traveled a lot, and airports and airplanes fascinated me! I was raised in Bali, Indonesia. At one end of the runway of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport was a public road. I remember my dad parking the car at the side of that road. Stepping outside the car, I watched as jets passed directly over us just moments before touching down on the runway. It felt like I could reach up and touch the massive fuselage underbelly as these planes swooped down from the sky, engines roaring. Later in my adult life, I realized that I didn’t really want to be a pilot. But international travel still brings a surge of excitement and anticipation.