Slow thaw

Little ones love you no matter what. They haven't been as wounded by life as teenagers have. They haven't said as many goodbyes as teens have. And all they really need is for you to see them and play a few games with them. They will love you forever.

As we minister to third culture kids (TCKs) they have lived through some pretty tough stuff, have most likely lost a best friend, and maybe had to say goodbye to a favorite mentor or teacher... trust doesn't exactly come easy. They want to be seen and known as badly as the pre-schoolers... but they also fear it because they have let people in before and then that person may have left the continent. And they are not impressed by the Christian mask. They know the real deal when they see it. Authenticity is huge.

I say all that to say, after three years the students are starting to thaw towards us. And I must believe that time isn't the only factor. Jesus did a radical work in me this spring. I am more real and more myself than I have ever been. I've been transformed. And they can tell. Praise the living God! He is alive and well in me and He is drawing them to Himself.

A couple things that have made my heart smile recently (in no particular order):

• A girl popped into my office to borrow a pencil for exams. She knew she was welcome and not a bother.
• A new student said hi to me for the first time after I proctored his math exam.
• A student going through a very tough season asked if we could meet to talk after lunch- and through her tears she confessed, she didn't have much to say... she just needed a hug.
• That same student asked "So, when can I share in chapel again?"
• We had a line of students waiting to help us inflate our 9' beach ball. 
• A girl was sitting at the back of the chapel one day, and seemed so happy to see me. She said she had a question about a sermon I gave more than a month ago. She had listened, was still processing and is hungry for more of Jesus. 
• Another girl came in to my office and asked me to pray for her exams. 

As I type this list I am reminded that my prayers are making a difference, that being open and real is the only way to build community, and that transformed people really do transform their communities... they can't help it... they are just clear channels for God to flow through! Whether you are loaning a pencil, praying with another person, inflating a beach ball, or just giving a hug. He can use you! Hallelujah! 

up to my neck...

dirt. pounding hammers. mess. the hum of a saw. a construction site is a hive of activity. the organized chaos overwhelms my senses.  especially when school starts in less than two weeks. this is the Early Years building that will house our youngest students this year!

this summer has been a slow simmer. we've had a few friends to play with. some activities planned, but no travel. lots of downtime. and the countless days of life on life- humanity scraping against humanity- have worn me down.

I am excited about the new school year- we've already fed some new teachers and we are going to be hosting one for the first month of school. I've got talks to plan, devotions to prepare, Sabbath stations to set up for retreat, dinners to cook, and very little margin left to work with- because I've spent so much time and energy meeting my kids' social needs this summer.

that sneaking feeling of overwhelm begins to rise in my chest. as I look at my to do list and compare it to the hours available in a given day... the columns don't balance. I'm up to my neck. and I take a deep breath.

O N E. This is my year of one. I can only love one person at a time. I can truly do only one thing at a time. Just the next right thing. It takes some pressure off. And then I realize He can show me which next thing- it is deeper relief still.

I haven't really been abiding well lately. I haven't strayed- I've just been depriving myself of all the power I have access to on the daily. "One thing is necessary, Mary has chosen that good part..." I've been walking in my own strength, missing that one thing. and it's catching up with me. so instead of writing a talk on Spiritual Health tonight- I'm gonna do my own diagnosis- take my own medicine and pray He uses me tomorrow.

How are you feeling at the start of a fresh school year?

Not All Fun and Games...

But sometimes it is!

We have some exciting news over on the kids' blog. 

As we are preparing for our first four-year term, we're trying to find creative ways to stay connected to family and friends in the states, and keep the memories alive.

Two great ideas I found on pinterest: Memory Lane Game and Guess Who!  A little time-consuming, but we have already had fun playing them!  I didn't follow the directions exactly, but tailored them to fit our family. Click here for a peek at our copy to inspire yours- the tough thing about recreating this game is that no two families are the same and you want it to be perfect for your family!

Something I read in this post has stayed with me:  Knowing we are a part of a larger family story is critical to our identity.


And so I want to be sure we are telling good stories - family stories- recounting memories - looking at photos.   These are just two ways we are doing that.  

Praying for MKs

our boys making a new friend at church

If you missed it in the latest edition of the Call magazine, they have a great list of How to Pray for Missionary Kids! 

Get it HERE! 

We are so grateful for the men, women, and children who pray for our kids!  It can be tough enough living out of suitcase as an adult, but the travel and people time also wears on our little people!  Thank you for your prayers for our kids!

Heritage Graduation TODAY

Would you join me in praying for the 2013 graduating class from Heritage {and their families}?  We've grown to love these kids, and it is exciting and hard to send them out into the world, literally!

And check out Kendra's blog post about graduating today.  Kendra is a graduating senior, and a true Third Culture Kid {she is Canadian, grew up in Greece, returned to Canada, and then moved to Uganda all before her high school graduation!}.  Her poem titled: Airport says it all.  These young people need our prayers!

Tuesdays with MKs

Some of the coolest kids I know are MKs (missionary kids) and TCKs (third culture kids).  they are well travelled, take crazy culture stuff in stride and have really cool stories.  oh, and they are funny.  we love working at Heritage where we interact with these awesome kids on a daily basis. 


Friday night we had a few MKs over for pizza, wii and a movie.  oh, when you have a movie night you don’t set up a screen and a projector?  we love that we have access to mission equipment in the name of “ministry”!  and these kids are a worthy cause.  it’s tough some days being in a strange culture, without all the comforts of home the states (fact: most MK's wouldn’t call their passport culture “home”)- and you just want to play wii and eat pizza and feel “normal”.  or maybe you’re going through some personal stuff and you just want someone to talk to.  that’s why we serve at Heritage.  and we love it.  I get to open up our house to youth, bake them snickerdoodles, and watch them play with my kids and just have fun!  we are so blessed! 

is there someone in your life that could use a safe place to hang out?  or a listening ear?  sometimes that is all it takes to be a “missionary”! or if you want to join us in blessing MKs sending iTunes gift cards is always a welcome gift.  or if you know some families with young MKs you could make this- it would be a huge blessing (it takes at least an hour before the food arrives at most restaurants!)!

Guess that movie- leave your guess in the comments section!

What's a TCK???

"Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!  Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?  You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.  The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost... so they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.  My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them..." -Ezekiel 34:2-6

Growing up far from "home".  No one to talk to about the struggles of living overseas.  Not knowing what's normal.  Just wanting to belong.  Experiencing loss that most of us can't relate to.  These are some of the struggles of Third Culture Kids (TCKs).  Like sheep without a shepherd.  This is what drives us to Uganda. 

Dr. David Pollock and Dr. Ruth Van Reken, authors of the seminal book on the subject, Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds define TCK's as the following:

 

“A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.”

And these kids are COOL.  There is such diversity.  Such beauty.  But no one was seeking or searching for them... Sure, Heritage International School exists to serve these kids, and the faculty and staff love them, and believe in them.  But there is no one there right now solely for the purpose of discipling these world changers for the Kingdom.  We can't wait to get to Uganda!

This is the heart of the kids we're going to serve-