I was sitting in my kitchen the other night in Cambodia, staring at my bathroom door, and it occurred to me: the bathroom, of course, has a three-inch threshold. You have to step over that to get in. This detail of architecture is so ubiquitous I never stopped to think […]
Guiding Young MKs: Adventuring Out of the Fortress
It’s a unique thing, growing up in a country where you look different. In the previous post, “Looking Different,” I explained what it’s like for many missionary kids who live in countries where they are in the extreme ethnic minority. It can be hard to deal with the realities of […]
Guiding Young MKs: Looking Different
Many missionaries in my circles serve in countries where their family is ethnically different from the nationals of that country. A lot of these missionaries are citizens of Western nations where the population is a lot more multi-ethnic than the country in which they serve. What does this mean for […]
His Hour Had Come to Depart
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17 In our little Sunday School class we recently covered the weeks […]
It’s Baffling Being Bilingual
I grew up with two languages, Khmer and English. My first word in Khmer was the word for “banana,” ចេក, and my first word in English was “cup.” I think of being bilingual as having two language trees growing in my heart. One tree is English. It is a strong, […]
Home Away from Home
I recently returned to the United States after a year on the mission field. I grew up on that mission field, so it is coming to the U.S.A. that is always a bit of an adjustment. When people say, “Welcome home!” it usually doesn’t compute. However, when I was standing […]
Forever a Foreigner?
It was the day of opening ceremonies for the new school year. Every student stood in the dusty school yard, dressed in white shirts and black or blue pants/skirts. The late morning sun beat down hot on the branches of the huge, spreading tamarind trees that overshadowed us. Several speakers […]