We’re Going Home:

Reentry for Elementary Children

Ron & Bonnie Koteskey

Member Care Consultants

New Hope International Ministries

Copyright 2007

Ronald L. Koteskey

122 Lowry Lane

Wilmore, KY 40390

USA

ron@crossculturalworkers.com

bonnie@crossculturalworkers.com

www.crossculturalworkers.com

Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book it its entirety without charge.

Send it to anyone you believe may benefit from reading it.

Please do NOT post this book anywhere else on the Internet.

Contents

Introduction

1.   Home

2.   Family

3.   Friends

4.   Thanks

5.   Goodbye

6.   Packing

7.   Traveling

8.   “Home”

9.   Friends (new and old)

10. School

11. TCKs

Introduction

So you’re going to move.  And you’re going to a different country, the one where your parents grew up.  This book is about a family making just that kind of move.

Please use whatever parts of the book you like.  You may want to just read the story.  You may want to do only some of the activities at the end of each chapter.

We want you to have fun hearing about what other children think and how they feel about a move like you are making.

Do the activities you like.  We have scrambled words, crossword puzzles, word searches, mazes, and codes (answers are at the end of the book).  We wish you the best in your move.

Blessings,

Ron & Bonnie

Chapter 1

Home

Dad came in for lunch and said, “We’re going home!”

Six-year-old Ruth replied, “But I don’t want to go ‘home’!  I am home.  This is the only place I remember.”

As Dad joined them at the table, they all bowed their heads.  He thanked God for the food and their time together on the weekend.

After the “Amen” eight-year-old Paul said, “I don’t want to go ‘home’ either.  I kind of remember what it was like before we came here.  But that doesn’t seem like home any more.  You know what?  This place doesn’t seem like home either.  I don’t think anywhere is home to me.”

Picking up a slice of bread to make a sandwich, eleven-year-old Esther added, “I remember what it was like before.  But it’s like home to me there too.  I have two homes, one here and one there.”

Between bites Dan, Esther’s twin brother, said, “I know what you mean, Dad.  I want to go home, too.  It’s OK here, but home is even better.”

“Wow!” said Ruth.  “All of us kids have different homes.  The only home that’s the same as Dad’s is Dan’s.  What about you, Mom?  Where is home for you?”

“I grew up like you kids,” said Mom, pouring some milk into Paul’s glass.  “But I lived in three different countries instead of two.  For me home is where my family is.  Right now we’re here, so home is here.  When we go where Dad and Dan call home, that will be home then because we’ll all be there.

“When I said we were going home, I didn’t realize you would all think of different things,” Dad said.  “For me there is just one home.  That’s where I lived all my life until we came here.  You all are different.  What do you mean by home?  What does home feel like?”

Laying her sandwich on her plate, Esther spoke up, “When I am home, I feel safe, like nothing bad will happen.  I also feel at home when I know what will happen, when things are predictable.  I am not afraid here, and I’m not afraid where we lived before we came.”

“When Dad and Mom watch news on CNN, it seems like it’s really dangerous where we came from,” said Paul with a frown.  “There are always shootings and tornadoes—people dying.  I wouldn’t feel safe or at home there.”

“It just seems that way because reporters look for unusual things that will get people’s attention.  Those things don’t happen very often.  Things that happen every day don’t get people to watch,” explained Dad.

“Right,” said Mom pointing at the TV in the living room.  “Remember the times that the country we’re in has been mentioned on BBC World News.  There have been riots in the capital, earthquakes in the mountains, and some other things that, living in this town, we have never seen.”

“What about identity theft?” asked Ruth with a worried look on her face.  “I heard them say on CNN last week that millions and millions of people have had their identity stolen.  That happens every day all over the country.  I don’t want someone to steal my identity.  If they did, I wouldn’t know who I was!  Who would want to live there?”

“That’s silly!” said Esther laughing.

“OK, Esther.  That’s enough,” said Dad.  “Ruth just doesn’t understand what identity theft is.  Please explain it to her.”

“Sure,” said Esther as she picked up a brownie.  “Ruth, when someone steals your identity, they just pretend to be you.  You still know who you are.  It’s like when you play house and pretend to be Mom.  She still knows who she is.

“Now, getting back to feeling at home.  I feel at home when I know how to do things and know what to expect from other people.”

“I agree,” said Dan leaning back in his chair.  “Then I feel comfortable, and I relax.  Then I can just be myself and don’t have to pretend.  I don’t feel at home when Mom and Dad say to be careful how you act so that you don’t do anything that will offend people.  Sometime I just don’t feel like being ‘good.’  I just want to do silly stuff and have fun.  When I can do that, I feel at home.”

“Well,” said Dad as he put down his cup.  “We have had a good lunch.  We have different ways of thinking about home.  To make sure we understand each other let’s use the term ‘passport country’ for the place we came from and the term ‘host country’ for where we live now.  We’re guests here, and the people are our hosts.  Now I need to get out on the back porch and paint that table.  I’d love to have some company out there while I’m painting if some of you don’t have plans.”

Things to do and think about

1.  Mark on a world map where you are right now.

2.  Mark on the map where you are going.  If you don’t have a map, you (or your parents) can get one free online.  Go to http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/world_country.pdf .

3.  Label which country is your passport country.

4.  Label which one is your host country.

5.  Draw your route home on the map.  It may be just one straight line.  It may be several lines through different cities.

6.  Where is home? (Unscramble the boldface words.)

·       Ruth said her shot ______ country was home.

·       Dan and Dad said their tapsrops ____________ country was home.

·       Esther said both her tosh _______ country and her sapprots _____________ country were home.

·       Paul said therein __________ country was home.

·       Mom said home was not a country but wherever her maylif __________ was.

·       Where is home to you? ______________________________

7.  What is home like?

·       Esther said it was a place she felt fase ______ and was creditpaleb ______________ (she knew what would happen).

·       Dan said it was a place he could axelr ____________ and be slimefh ________________.

·       What is home like to you? _____________________________

(Remember that answers to the scrambled words are at the end of the book.)

Chapter 2

Family

That evening as they walked down the hall toward the bedrooms, Esther said, “Look.  There’s Uncle Mike’s picture.  When we go back to our passport country, we’ll see him again.”

Looking at the picture, Ruth said, “That’s not Uncle Mike.  That man doesn’t have hair on top.  Uncle Mike has lots of black hair all over his head.”

“It is too Uncle Mike.” Esther said.  “The one with lots of black hair isn’t really your uncle.”

“He is too!  Everyone in our agency calls him Uncle Mike.  He’s everyone’s uncle,” said Ruth.

Esther replied, “No, he’s not anyone’s uncle.”

Listening as he walked down the hall behind them, Paul said, “I’m confused.  If he’s not anyone’s uncle, why do all the kids call him Uncle Mike?  How can he be both everyone’s uncle and nobody’s uncle?”

Dan said, “We need to talk about what uncles and aunts are.  All of dad’s brothers and all of mom’s brothers are our uncles.  All of dad’s sisters and all of mom’s sisters are our aunts.”

“And don’t forget that all of the women who married dad’s brothers and mom’s brothers are our aunts too.  And all of the men who married dad’s and mom’s sisters are our uncle’s,” added Esther.

“Oh, I see,” said Paul.  “All of mom’s and dad’s brothers and sisters are our uncles and aunts.  And so are all the people who married them.”

“Right!” said Paul and Esther together.

“Then why do we and all the other kids call the Mike with black hair all over his head ‘Uncle’?” asked Ruth.

“I’m not sure,” said Dan.

Esther agreed, “Let’s ask Mom and Dad.”

Ruth ran down the hall and told Mom and Dad that they were confused about Uncle Mike.  The other three waited in the girl’s room until Mom and Dad got there with Ruth.  Dan and Esther told Mom and Dad what they had talked about.  They ended with, “Why do we call that Mike ‘Uncle Mike’?”

Dad began, “Well, I wasn’t around when people began doing that.  But I think it’s because our agency is like one big family, so we call them by family names. We call them uncle and aunt.”

“That’s right,” continued Mom.  “Just calling him ‘Mike’ doesn’t seem to show respect for him.  Calling him ‘Mr. Brown’ seems too formal.  So we call him ‘Uncle Mike.’”

Dan said, “Mom, isn’t Aunt Susie our aunt since she married your brother?”

“She is.  Why do you ask?”

“Well, I remember her before we left our passport country.  I can’t stand her hugs and sloppy kisses.” said Dan.

Mom said, “She just wants you to know that she loves you, Dan.”

“OK, but I still don’t like it.  And then she wants us to kiss her!  I’ll be in middle school by the time we get back.”

“That doesn’t sound good to me either,” said Paul.  “And I’m just in third grade.”

“I don’t mind it,” said Esther.  “Besides, she always gives us candy.”

“That sounds good,” said Paul.

“It’s not worth it to me,” added Dan.  “I’d rather do without the candy.”

Ruth hadn’t said anything for a long time, “I know all of our aunts and uncles who live here.  But I don’t remember the people you’re talking about.  People like Uncle Mike and Aunt Susie.

“Granny visited us last year.  I liked her hugs and kisses.  And Grandpa and Grandma visited too.  I liked her kisses.”

“But they’re different,” said Dan.  They’re Mom’s and Dad’s mothers.  They’re really part of the family.  Aunt Susie isn’t.  She’s just our aunt because she married Mom’s brother.”

“Wait a minute,” said Dad.  “We’re not going to treat everyone in the family alike.  Those who married our brother’s and sisters are part of the family.”

“Well, OK,” said Dan.  “But I still don’t like some of their kisses.”

“I understand,” said Mom.  “I’ll try to tell them how you feel, but I am sure some of them will still kiss.  Please try to be nice.”

Paul spoke up.  “Another thing I don’t understand is about cousins.  I have heard about our cousins, Bill, Ann, Liz, and Rob.  But some of the kids at school talk about first cousins, second cousins, and third cousins.  Is Bill my first cousin because he was born first, because he’s the oldest?”

“Cousins are confusing,” replied Dad.  “Let’s not worry about any cousins except what people call ‘first cousins.’  Those cousins are the children of your aunts and uncles.  All of Uncle Mike and Aunt Mary’s children are your cousins.  All of Uncle Bob and Aunt Susie’s children are your cousins.”

“When we get back to our passport country, you’ll meet most of your cousins.  Mom and I will help you connect your cousins with your aunts and uncles so that you know who’s who.  We’ll email them and ask them to send us a picture of themselves as an attachment so that you’ll know what they look like.”

Below is a chart showing how people in Mom’s family are related.  The arrows show which people are children of other people.  For example, Uncle Bob and Mom are the children of Grandma and Grandpa.

Mom’s Family

Below is another chart showing how people in Dad’s family are related.  The arrows show which people are children of other people.  For example,  Uncle Mike and Dad are the children of Granny and Granddaddy.

Dad’s Family

Things to do and think about

1.  Make a list of all of your mother’s brothers and your father’s brothers.  These are your clensu ____________ .

2.  Make a list of all the women these brothers married.  These are your tunas  ________.

3.  Make a list of all of your father’s sisters and you mother’s sisters.  These are also your sanut  ___________.

4.  Make a list of all of the men these sisters married.  These are also your sunlec __________.

5.  Make a list of all of the children the people in the first four lists have.  These are your sunisco ___________ .

7.  Fill in the following charts to show how the people in your family are related.  Draw more boxes if you have more aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and cousins.  Of course, make fewer boxes if you have less.  Make one chart for your father and one chart for your mother.

Your Family (Dad’s side)

Your Family (Mom’s side)

Chapter 3

Friends

Esther was spending the night with her friend, Susan.  She looked across the table as they played dominos and said, “We’re going ‘home’ in about three months.  I’ll really miss you and my other friends here, but I am really excited about going.”

Susan replied, “Wow!  I knew that you would probably be moving, but I didn’t think it would be that soon.  I’ll miss you too.  But you know what?  We’re going back to visit our passport country at Christmas time.  Maybe we can get together while I’m there.”

Esther put down a domino, “That sounds great!  But how can we stay in touch until then?”

“We can use a chat room on the Internet.  There are some just for TCKs.  We could even get web cams so that we can see at each other too.  They don’t cost very much,” answered Susan as she reached for a domino.

“We’re going back to the same town.  I am so excited about getting to see my old friends.  We can just begin right where we left off four years ago.”

“I’m so happy for you too,” said Susan.

*        *        *

Tossing the ball to his friend, Dan said, “Dave, we’re going ‘home’ in about three months.  Just thinking about it makes me sad.  I didn’t want to move here when we did.  Now I want to go back even less.”

Throwing the ball back, Dave said, “I know what you mean.  I went back ‘home’ two years ago, and I didn’t like it at all.  I found it really hard to make friends there.  The other kids all knew I was going to leave in a year, and none of them became real friends.”

“We’re going back to the same place, but my two best friends have moved away, so I don’t even have any old friends to see,” Dan added.

Dave quickly replied, “It probably wouldn’t make any difference anyway.  When I went back home, the guys I thought were my friends had new friends.  I just couldn’t break into their group.”

“You’re my friend,” said Dan.  “How can we keep in touch?  Would email work for us?”

“Sure,” said Dave.  “We can even send pictures as attachments.  I’m not very good about writing, but they say that one picture is worth a thousand words!”

*        *        *

Paul and his friend Pete loved their little cars, cars small enough to keep a couple in their pockets all the time.  Pushing his car toward Pete, Paul said, “We’re going ‘home’ in about three months.”

Pete asked, “Are you happy or sad about going, Paul?”

Paul replied, “It really doesn’t make much difference to me.  I like it here.  I don’t remember much about it there, but I think it will be fun to see it again.”

“Do you have any friends there?” asked Pete as his little car passed Paul’s.

“Not that I can remember, but I know I can make some friends when we get there.  I like meeting new kids,” said Paul.

“You do,” said Pete.  “It’s easy for you to make friends.  I want to stay your friend too.  How can we keep on being friends?”

“My dad says that there are several ways to call each other on the phone.  Some of them cost only pennies a minute. Others are even free through the computer,” said Paul putting a car in his pocket.

“Good,” said Pete.  “I hate writing, so I would probably never send you a letter.  I do like to talk with you on the phone.”

*        *        *

Staying overnight at Rachel’s house, Ruth said, “We’re going ‘home’ in about three months.  The rest of my family might be going home, but not me.  They said I was born there, but I don’t remember anything about it.”

“Oh!” said Rachel as she tossed a pillow.  “That sounds scary to me.”

“It is!” said Ruth.  “I am really afraid.  I worry about being able to make new friends.  I have never had to do that.”

“Me either,” said Rachel.  We have always been friends.  As long as I can remember we have played together.  I’ll really miss you.”

“How do you make new friends?  Do you just say, ‘I need a friend.  Will you be one?’” asked Ruth.

“I don’t know Ruth.  But I do know that I want to keep being your friend even if we don’t live near each other.  Let’s write letters to each other.  We can send each other birthday cards too.”

“That sounds good to me.  A least I’ll have a friend through the mail,” said Ruth.

Things to do and think about

Find the words in Numbers 1 and 2 below in this word search.

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1.  The children all felt different about moving, from happy to sad, from excited to afraid.

EXCITED

SAD

NO DIFFERENCE

AFRAID

How do you feel about moving? ________

__________________________________

2.  The children all thought of different ways to keep in touch with their friends.

CHATROOM

WEBCAM

EMAIL

ATTACHMENTS

PICTURES

PHONE

LETTERS

CARDS

How will you keep in touch with your friends? __________________________

_________________________________

3.  The children’s friends all reacted differently.  How did your friends react to hearing you were moving?

4.  The children all had different thoughts about making new friends.  What do you think about making friends?

5.  Fill in the information below for the friends you want to be able to contact when you arrive back in your passport country.  Make as many copies of this page as you need.

Name    __________________________

Address__________________________

Address__________________________

Email   __________________________

Telephone  _______________________

Other    __________________________

Name    __________________________

Address__________________________

Address__________________________

Email   __________________________

Telephone  _______________________

Other    __________________________

Name    __________________________

Address__________________________

Address__________________________

Email   __________________________

Telephone  _______________________

Other    __________________________

Chapter 4

Thanks

One evening Mom put a piece in the puzzle the family was working on.  Ruth said, “Thanks, Mom.  Now I see where this piece I have in my hand goes.  It’s right next to the one you just put in.”

“I’m glad I could help,” said Mom.  Then she went on.  “I’ve been thinking about saying ‘thank you’ to some people myself.”

“Who, Mom?” asked Ruth.

“Just some people here who have been so kind to us.  Do you remember near the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as Dorothy was about to leave Oz and return to Kansas?”

“I do,” said Esther.  “It seemed like everyone was saying ‘thank you.’”

“Right,” Mom added.  “Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion all thanked Glinda for being so kind.  Then the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion thanked Dorothy for their brains, heart, and courage.”

Putting another piece in the puzzle, Dad added, “Thanking special people is a good thing to do when you’re leaving.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Esther.  “My teacher at school has been such a help to me this year.  I know she likes little gold necklaces with a heart or something like that on them.  I think I’ll get her one at the market.”

“Uncle Mike took me fishing lots of times,” said Paul just as he saw where the puzzle piece he was holding went.  “That was lots of fun.  And I couldn’t have gone without him.  I’m not going to buy him anything, but I am going to draw a picture of a fish for him.”

“Rachel has been my best friend,” said Ruth. “I’m not going to give her anything.  I’ll just tell her how much I love her.”

Mom said, “Giving something nice is a great idea.  It’s even more important to tell them how much they mean to us.  Or write them a note or an email.”

“This is getting too mushy for me,” said Dan.  “Fifth grade boys, almost in sixth grade, just don’t do things like that.  Besides, I can’t think of anyone so special.  Most people have been nice to me, but not so much that I would do something like that.”

“That’s fine,” said Dad.  “No one needs to feel like they have to get mushy or give a gift.  It’s just something good to do if someone has been special.”

“It’s good to thank people who are special.  It’s also good to say ‘I’m sorry’ to people we have hurt,” said Mom.

“I ran into Marcy so that she fell and scratched her arm,” said Ruth.  “I said I was sorry when I did it.  Do I have to say so again?”

“Of course not,” said Dad.  “We’re talking about things you haven’t apologized for.  Also, we were thinking of hurting their feelings, not just injuring them.”

“I can’t think of anything like that,” said Ruth.

“You mean like last week when Martha and I were arguing about which lipstick looked best.  I said her sweater was ugly,” asked Esther.

“That sounds like something that could use an ‘I’m sorry,’” said Mom.  “If you feel like you might have hurt someone, it’s always good to apologize.”

Waving a piece over the puzzle, Paul said, “I’ve been kind of a pain in Sunday school lately.  I make funny noises.  Everyone laughs.  But Aunt Edna just gives me one of her looks.”

“That also sounds like it needs an ‘I’m sorry,’” said Dad.  “Making things right makes it easier to leave.  It also makes it easier to get on with life back ‘home.’”

Dan wasn’t saying anything.  But he couldn’t help thinking of what he had done when the babysitter was there last week.  She was really upset with him for making a mess.

He had dropped spaghetti on the floor on purpose.  Then he “accidentally” knocked over his milk on her when she was cleaning it up.

She hadn’t said anything to Mom and Dad.  But the babysitter knew that neither thing was really an accident.

He felt bad about it now.  Still, he really didn’t want to apologize.  He needed to think this one over before doing anything.

“Well, it’s about bedtime,” said Mom.  “We can work more on this puzzle tomorrow.  Everyone upstairs.”

Things to do and think about

1.  Below are seven kinds of people you may want to thank or apologize to.  Find and circle all seven in the word search below.  Then write people’s names in the list below the box.

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1. Aunts __________________________

2. Classmates ______________________

3. Friends _________________________

4. Neighbors _______________________

5. Pastor __________________________

6. Teachers ________________________

7. Uncles __________________________

2. Looking at the list in 1, write below the names of special people you want to thank.

3.  Looking at the list in 1, write below the names of people you need to apologize to.

4.  Unscramble these ways to thank people.

Yub  a  fitg.         _ _ _   _   _ _ _ _ .

Kame  a  tifg.      _ _ _ _   _   _ _ _ _ .

Nophe meth        _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ .

Twire a tone        _ _ _ _ _   _   _ _ _ _ .

Neds na lamei     _ _ _ _   _ _   _ _ _ _ _ .

5.  List more ways to thank people.

Chapter 5

Goodbye

As he pulled out of the church parking lot, Dad said, “We’re going to be leaving soon.  We need to begin saying our goodbyes.”

“That’s right,” said Mom.  “An important part of leaving our host country is saying goodbye.  That makes it easier to begin life in our passport country.”

“We need to say goodbye to our pastor and Sunday school teachers,” said Dan.

“Yes, and goodbye to our teachers at school too,” added Esther.

“What about our aunts and uncles in our agency?” asked Paul.

“And our friends too?” asked Ruth.  “Those are going to be the hardest ones for me.  What about saying goodbye to the church?”

“Don’t you mean the people in the church?” asked Esther.

“No, I mean the building,” answered Ruth.

“That’s doesn’t make any sense,” said Paul.  “You can’t say goodbye to a building.  It can’t hear you—and it wouldn’t care anyway.”

“It does make sense,” said Mom.  “Buildings can’t hear us, but we need to say goodbye to places as well as to people.”

“You mean like goodbye to our school?” asked Paul.

“And our house, and our room?” asked Dan.

“What about our neighborhood—the store, the restaurant, and places like that?” asked Esther.

“All of those,” said Dad as he pulled up to the gate at their house.  “It’s just a part of leaving to say those goodbyes.”

Champ came running up to the gate, barking as he came.  “You’ll also want to tell Champ goodbye,” said Mom.

You mean we can’t take Champ with us?” asked Paul.  “I thought he was a part of our family and we could take him with us.”

“We do say that Champ is like one of the family, but he’s a guard dog trained to bark and keep people away.  He’s too big to take with us on the plane.  Even if we did take him, he would not be a good dog for where we’ll be living,” said Dad.

“I love Champ, and I want to take him,” said Ruth.  “We can’t leave him behind.”

“People often have to leave pets behind,” said Mom as they walked toward the house.  Seeing Dan’s and Esther’s bicycles, she added, “And we’ll have to leave the bikes here too.  There just isn’t room to take all our things.”

“I didn’t think we would take those,” said Dan.  “But do you mean we’re going to have to leave other things too?”

“Probably so,” said Dad.  “We have only so much room on the plane and we can buy many things back home at much less cost than it would be to ship them.”

“Most of the goodbyes are to things that begin with ‘P’,” noted Esther.  “People, places, pets, and things.”

“If you call things ‘possessions,’ they all begin with ‘P’,” said Mom.  “That is a good way to remember them.  People, places, pets, and possessions.”

“Do you mean I might have to leave my doll?” asked Ruth.  “I don’t want to leave her.  She’s my friend.”

“I’m sure we can take your doll,” said Mom.  “But we can’t take everything.  We have only so much room.  All of us will have to leave some possessions behind, some things we want to take.”

“We have already shipped some trunks,” said Dad.  Don’t you remember when we packed those—and put some of your things in?”

“Yes, but I thought we could take everything else when we went,” said Paul.

“We can’t take everything, just like we can’t take people and places,” said Dad.  “But we can take things that will remind us of them.”

“Sure,” said Dan.  “We can take pictures of everything we want to remember.  We can burn thousands of pictures on a CD and take it on the plane with us.”

“That’s right.” said Mom.  “And you can take souvenirs too.  Remember how people who have visited us bought souvenirs at the market.  You don’t need to buy things, just take something special.”

“Do you mean like a piece of chalk from school and a craft from church?” asked Paul.

“Exactly,” said Mom.  “Just so you take something small and light.  We don’t have a lot of room, and the airlines have weight limits.”

“Saying goodbye makes me sad,” said Ruth.  “Remember when Dorothy left Oz in The Wizard of Oz?  I feel that way now.”

“She threw her arms around the lion’s neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly.  Then she kissed the Tin Woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints.  But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow in her arms instead of kissing his painted face and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades.”

Things to do and think about

Esther and Mom noted that it’s good to say goodbye to several things that begin with the letter “P.”  Unscramble the words in the sentences below and make your lists.

1. Make a list of eplope ____________ you want to tell goodbye.  Here are several suggestions. After you unscramble the following, write specific names.

·       nutsa _____________________

·       sametalcss _________________

·       sendifr ____________________

·       reignsobh __________________

·       ratspo ____________________

·       cheaters ___________________

·       celnsu ____________________

2.  Make a list of slapec ____________  you want to tell goodbye.

3.  Make a list of step _____________ you want to tell goodbye.

4.  Make a list of the ssssspoonie ________  _____________that you’ll have to leave behind.  Then begin to sort them out.  Give some of them to your friends.  Donate others to nationals who live in your host country.

5.  Make a list of things you’ll be glad to leave behind (like the barking dog next door, the trash burning next door, and so forth).

Chapter 6

Packing

One evening Dad got out the suitcases and said, “It’s time to begin packing.  Weeks ago we shipped some trunks home.  Now we pack what we take on the plane.”

“You each have a suitcase and your backpack,” added Mom.  “Of course, you need to pack your clothes.  Then you can add whatever else you want to take, up to 20 kilograms.  That’s all the airline will let you take.”

“I’ll never get everything in,” sighed Esther.  “I already sent books in the trunks we shipped, but I know that I can’t get everything I want in a suitcase.  Even if I could, it would be too heavy.”

“That’s true for all of us,” said Dad.  “I would suggest sorting things into four piles.

“First pile: Things here that you want to take with you.

“Second pile: Things you want to put in storage to have when we come back.

“Third pile: Things you want to give to friends.

“Fourth pile: Things you want to sell or to donate to nationals who live here.

“You might even need a fifth pile for things you borrowed from friends and haven’t returned yet.”

Dan said, “That sounds like a good idea.  What if the first pile has too much to get in our suitcase?”

“Then you sort it again and put more things in the other piles.  Keep sorting until you’re able to get everything in your suitcase and backpack,” said Dad.

Mom added, “You may have to do that for the second pile as well.  We do have storage here, but it won’t hold everything.”

“OK,” said Esther.  “When Ruth and I get eight or ten piles around our room there won’t even be room to walk.”

Everyone began sorting.  Dan noticed that Paul had put his ragged old teddy bear in the pile to take, “Why are you taking that, Paul?  It takes up a lot of room.  Throw it away and get a new one when we get back to our passport country if you still want one.”

“I don’t want a new one,” said Paul.  “I like this one.  I’ve had it a long time, and it’s like an old friend.”

“You sound like a baby,” said Dan.

Mom was walking by just then.  She stuck her head in the door.  “That’s enough of that, Dan.  Paul’s not acting like a baby.  Each person has things that mean a lot to him or her.  Just because you don’t want a teddy bear doesn’t mean Paul shouldn’t.”

“But it’s faded, and one eye is missing,” said Dan.  “A new one would be a lot nicer.”

“Paul, a new one would just be a teddy bear,” said Mom.  “It wouldn’t have all of the memories with it that this one has.”

“OK,” said Dan.  “He can take what he wants.”

“Of course, he can,” said Mom.  “And you can take what you want.  Paul may think your old scarred softball isn’t worth taking, but you can take it if you want.”

“But it’s the one I hit for the home run that won the tournament,” said Dan.

“Exactly,” said Mom.  “It has value for you—the memories.”

Over in their room Esther and Ruth were talking about packing their backpacks.  Ruth asked, “How do you know what to put in your backpack and what to put in your suitcase?”

“In your backpack be sure you put things you’ll need on the way home.  Like your toothbrush and a snack,” said Esther.

“I’ll need something to do on the plane,” said Ruth.  “Can I take a toy too?”

“Sure,” said Esther.  “Just be sure that you take one that’s small enough to leave room for other things.  And take one that’s light.  A backpack can get really heavy carrying it around the airport on a long layover.”

“What else should I put in my backpack?” asked Ruth.

“Take things that are really special to you,” Esther replied.  “Things that you do not ever want to lose, like the picture of you and Grandma when she visited here.  Sometimes the airline loses suitcases.  They usually come in a day or two later, but sometimes they are lost forever.”

Ruth said, “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Oh, yes,” said Esther.  “Also take things you don’t want dropped or crushed.  Dad always carries his computer in his backpack.  It’s big and heavy, but he doesn’t want it in suitcases that are tossed around and piled on each other.”

“OK,” said Ruth.  “I think I understand now.  I’ll take all I can.  But I’ll remember that I have to carry it myself.”

Things to do and think about

1.  Sort out things you are going to throw away, and throw them away now.

2.  Sort out things that you are going to give to friends and give them away now if they are things you will not need anymore.  Remember that when you give them away, you can’t take them back—ever.

3.  If you have things you have borrowed from other people, return them now if you won’t need them before you leave.

4.  If you and others in your family have things you want to sell, you may want to sell them now.  That will save you time when you are packing.
5.  In the word search below are 20 things you may want to include in your backpack on the way home.  Circle the items and list the ones you want to pack.  See if you can find two additional items not listed.

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BOOK                           LOTION

CARDS                        PAPER

COMB                          PENCIL

CRAYONS                  SNACK

CROSSWORD            SOAP

DOLL                            TAPE

GAME                          TOOTHBRUSH

GAMEBOY                 TOY

GUM                             TRUCK

HAIRBRUSH              WORDSEARCH

Chapter 7

Traveling

Mom and Dad got everyone together the afternoon before they were to leave.  Dad said, “We need to have a few rules to keep everyone safe as we travel tomorrow.

“First, always stay with other family members, with either Mom or me in the group.”

“What if I have to go to the bathroom?” asked Ruth.

“Tell me, and I’ll go with you,” said Mom.

“Second, always keep your things with you.  If you leave your backpack anywhere, someone may steal it.  If security finds it in the airport, they may destroy it,” Dad continued.

“Third, keep this card with you all the time.  It has your name and Uncle Mike’s phone number here. It also has our flight number and Grandpa’s phone number back home.  When we check in tomorrow, we’ll add our gate number and give the card to you.  If you get separated from us, you would have someone to call and know where to go to find us.”

“Why does it have two phone numbers?” asked Ruth.

“So that you have someone here to call before we leave.  And you have someone there after we get home,” said Mom.

“Fourth, the final rule is: If you need help, ask a policeman in uniform or an airline person in uniform.  Don’t talk to other strangers,” finished Dad.

Early the next morning they left for the airport.  When they got to the terminal, they went right to check-in. They got their boarding passes and checked their suitcases as baggage.

Dad gave their tickets and passports to the airline agent.  As she entered information into the computer, Paul asked, “Why do we need passports?”

Mom said, “Those are documents that prove we’re citizens of our host country.  Whenever you travel to another country, you have to have them.  They prove who you are and where you’re from.”

Dad soon returned with the boarding passes.  He said, “We leave from Gate 14 on Concourse B.”

Mom quickly wrote “Gate 14, Concourse B” on the cards.  Then she handed one to each child.

“What is a concourse?” asked Ruth.

“It’s just a large hallway that leads to the gates where the planes are waiting,” said Mom.  Watch as we walk down it to Gate 14.  You’ll see waiting areas and planes on both sides.

They got through security fine except for Dan.  The metal detector beeped as he walked through.  Dad said, “I thought you might have trouble with that big belt buckle.”

Dan went back and took off the belt.  Then he walked through without a problem.

The family boarded the plane and took off only 15 minutes late.  The flight was long, but they read books, played with toys, and wrote with things they had in their backpacks.  They especially liked getting drinks from the flight attendants.  They watched the movie, and everyone but Dad fell asleep for part of the flight.

After they landed, they got off the plane.  They headed for Immigration.  Looking at their passports, the man said, “Welcome back.  You’ve been gone a long time.”

Dad said, “It’s good to be home.”

Ruth thought, “I’m not back.  And it’s not home to me.”

Then they headed for the baggage claim to get their suitcases.  As suitcases came around the carousel, it seemed like theirs would never come.  Just as Esther said, “Do you think they lost ours?” one popped out.

They finally got all their baggage and headed for Customs.  Paul asked, “What is customs?”

Esther answered, “It’s where they inspect baggage.  They want to make sure you aren’t bringing anything into the country that you shouldn’t.  For example, they don’t want you bringing in any fruit with insects.  Insects could eat the fruit trees here.”

Right after customs they went through a door.  Grandma and Grandpa were there.  So was the other Uncle Mike.  Some of their cousins were there too.  The cousins had really changed.  They looked so different that Esther and Dan hardly knew who they were.

There were hugs and kisses and lots of greetings.  Then they went out to the parking garage and headed for Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

In the van Dad said, “It surely is good to be back.  We’re really looking forward to this week with you all.  It will be so good to see everyone at the church again.

“We have a cabin reserved up in the mountains next week.  We need a week alone to get some rest after this busy time of moving.”

Things to do and think about

1.  What were the four rules for traveling?

Chapter 8

“Home”

“Mom, I’m sure glad that we brought the things on my walls.  And I’m glad we got them up on the walls in my room right away, “said Esther.  “It really makes my room feel like home.

“The rest of the house feels a little bit like home too.  Nothing else feels like home.  I feel like a visitor at school, at church, and in the city.”

“That’s normal,” said Mom.  “I feel the same way, and I lived here ten years before we went overseas.”

“How long before it really feels like home?” asked Esther.

“Well, it will feel more and more like home every day,” answered Mom.  “But it often takes about a year before it really feels like home.”

“That’s too long,” said Esther.  “By then we’ll be moving back to our host country.”

“You’re right,” said Mom.  “People who change cultures every few years feel like visitors much of the time.”

Just then Ruth came down the hall. “I don’t understand.  Paul and I were just at the corner store.  I bought a pen that cost 99 cents.  I handed the lady a dollar, and she said I needed four more cents.  What is tax?”

“I’m sorry, Ruth.  I forgot to tell you.  We didn’t have sales tax where we were.  But here at home you have to pay the government every time you buy something.  It’s called a sales tax.  In our state it’s about five cents on every dollar,” said Mom.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” said Ruth.

“It doesn’t,” said Mom.  “But that’s just the way it is here.  Every culture has some way of raising money for the government, and here they have a sales tax.”

Dan poked his head out of his room.  “I went with Dad when he got his hair cut.  I went next door to the barber shop to the place where I used to get ice cream.  Now it’s a hardware store.  What a bummer!”

“It is,” said Mom.  “Things have changed since we left.”

“So much has changed, sometimes I’m not even sure who I am,” said Dan.

“You sound like Alice in Wonderland when the Caterpillar asked her who she was,” said Mom.

Alice replied, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning. But I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

Paul came around the corner, “That sounds like how I feel.  I’m not sure who I am.  I’m not sure what to do.  If we’re ‘home,’ why do I feel homesick for where we were?”

“Paul, you and Ruth are too young to remember.  But when we first went to our host country four years ago, we all felt the same way there,” said Mom.  “We weren’t sure who we were.  We weren’t used to bargaining for things.  We felt unsure when we crossed streets—cars didn’t stop for us in crosswalks.

“We called it culture shock.  The same thing happens when we come back.  Lots of things have changed here.  Dad didn’t know how to put gas in the car.  I didn’t know how to ‘swipe’ my credit card.  It’s a reverse culture shock.  It takes most people by surprise.”

“People here don’t seem to really care about what we did or what it was like where we were,” said Dan.  “Sometimes I haven’t even finished what I was saying, and they want to do something else.  It’s like I was keeping them from what they want to do.”

“That sounds just like Alice in Wonderland again,” said Mom.  “When she returned, Alice was telling her sister all about her adventures.  Then her sister kissed her and said, ‘It was a curious dream, dear, certainly; but now run in to your tea: it’s getting late.’”

Esther said, “People are different here too.  It seems like things are more important than people.  They say that they like you, but they don’t have time for you.  Instead of playing games with each other, kids have their own Play Stations.”

“Yes,” said Mom.  “People are different, things are done differently, and stores have changed.  Your feelings are very normal for anyone changing cultures.

“Don’t be surprised if you find yourselves not liking it here—that is normal too.  As time goes along, you adjust to life here.  Then it will feel normal, and you’ll know where you fit and who you are.

“Until then, I want you to carry these little cards.  On them I have several important telephone numbers.  These are our numbers here at home, my cell number, Dad’s cell number, our work number, and Pastor Bob’s number.

“Also, remember that if it’s an emergency call 911 from any phone.”

Paul said, “Doesn’t that have something to do with that movie we watched and the airplanes hit the buildings?  People sometimes say, ‘Remember 9-11.’

Mom said, “That wasn’t a movie, Paul.  Those were news stories of a terrorist attack in 2001.  It happened on September 11, which is 9-11.  That’s a good way to remember the emergency number.”

Things to do and think about

1.  Use the following code to find the way many people feel about being “home”.

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3.  In the word search above, find the following differences people often notice between cultures.

CHURCH           CLOTHING

FOOD                 FRIENDS

HOUSES            LANGUAGE

MONEY             MUSIC

PEOPLE             PETS

SCHOOL            TRANSPORTATION

WEATHER

4.  What differences do YOU notice between your passport culture and your host culture?

5.  What changes do you see in your passport culture from what it was before you went and what it is now that you have returned?  (This assumes you are old enough to remember what it was like before you went.)

6.  Get the following telephone numbers and carry them with you everywhere you go until you know them by heart.

Important Telephone Numbers

Emergency  911

Home__________________________

Dad’s Cell ______________________

Mom’s Cell______________________

Work___________________________

Trusted Friend____________________

Chapter 9

Friends (new and old)

“I’m really disappointed,” said Dan.  “I haven’t heard a word from Dave since we came back.  He agreed to email me, and he hasn’t sent even one email.”

“Have you emailed him?” asked Esther.

“Of course,” said Dan.  “I sent him one just a week after we arrived.  He never replied.”

“Just one?” asked Esther.  “That one may have never gotten to him, or his reply may not have gotten to you.  I’d try again.  But that may not work either.  Boys don’t write as much as girls do.”

“You can say that again,” said Dan.  “Do you and Susan use a chat room?”

“That didn’t work out either,” said Esther.  “With the time differences we have between the continents, it was just too hard for us to both be online at the same time.  We do email each other every week or two, and that’s good.”

Paul said, “Pete and I thought we would talk on the phone.  That hasn’t happened either.  I haven’t tried to call him.  I don’t know if he has tried to call me or not.”

Ruth added, “Rachel and I haven’t written any letters either.  She did send me a birthday card last week, so I did hear something from her.

Mom said, “Some people are able to keep a relationship going when they are far apart.  But most people don’t.  It’s just too hard when you don’t see each other often.

“It isn’t that you don’t like each other.  It’s just that when you’re apart, you begin to become better friends of the people who are right there with you.  Dave, Susan, Pete, and Rachel are probably making closer friends with people there in our host country.”

“I wish that was happening here,” said Dan.  “I say ‘Hi’ to a couple of guys here on the street, but I don’t have any real friends.  I miss Dave.”

“Didn’t I see you talking with Pat who lives in the next block?” asked Esther.

“Yes, I was,” said Dan.  “He doesn’t seem to have any friends, and he acted like he would like to be my friend.”

“He’s just weird!” said Esther.  “He always dresses in black, paints his fingernails black, and has tattoos all over.  I’m kind of afraid of him myself.”

“But he seems so alone,” said Dan.  “Shouldn’t we be friends with people who don’t have friends?”

Mom broke in, “That’s very kind of you, Dan.  But Esther has a point.  You want to be friendly to him, but probably not his close friend.  If others don’t like him, they may not like you either.  Being his friend may make it very hard for you to make other friends.”

“I met a boy named John in Sunday school last week in church,” said Paul.  “I’d like to get to know him better.”

“Well, I met John’s parents while we were there,” said Mom.  “Would you like to have John over to play some evening?”

“That sounds good to me,” answered Paul.  “How about Thursday?”

“I’ll call his mother this afternoon,” said Mom.

“I like emails from Susan, but it just isn’t the same as talking to someone.  Lydia who lives three houses down the street asked if I could come to a sleep-over next week.  Can I go, Mom?”

“Dad and I need to meet Lydia’s family before you do that,” said Mom.  We’ll try to get over to see them in the next day or two.”

Ruth said, “I just haven’t found anyone to be a friend at all.  There is no one on our block my age, and everyone at church has their own best friends.  Where can I find friends?”

Mom said, “When school starts in a few weeks, you’ll meet lots of kids your age.  Then it won’t be a problem.

“Until then, we’ll make it a point to go to the park a couple days each week to see if we can meet some girls your age,” said Mom.

Dad said, “There are other places to meet children too.  You can go to Girl Scouts, Girls Clubs, and 4-H.”

Paul said, “I don’t want to go to those girl things.”

“Of course, there are Boy Scouts and Boys Clubs,” said Dad.

Esther said, “Sometimes I feel like I’m different from the kids here.  It’s like I don’t think the way they do.”

“You’re right.  You don’t,” said Dad.  “People who have grown up in two or more cultures don’t think like those who have lived in only one.  Those who have grown up in only one don’t understand.”

“How will I know who will understand?” asked Esther.

Mom said, “Remember at the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe of The Chronicles of Narnia.  When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy returned from Narnia, the professor told them not to talk about it too much.  He said, ‘And don’t mention it to anyone else unless you find that they’ve had adventures of the same sort themselves.  What’s that?  How will you know? Oh, you’ll know all right.  Odd things they say—even their looks—will let the secret out.  Keep your eyes open.’

“People who have grown up between cultures just know others who are also TCKs by the way they think and talk.”

Things to do and think about

1.  Each column in the following word find has a place you can find a friend.  For example, reading from the bottom, the first column is Sunday school.  Find the other ten.

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Chapter 10

School

Coming in from the bus, Esther said, “This was a great day at school.  In band I met three girls who sit near me.  They were really friendly and asked where I was from.  They asked if we lived in a grass hut!  I told them we lived in a house, just like we do here.  The only bad part of the day is riding the bus home.  Some of those boys are real jerks.”

From the table where he was eating a snack after getting home from school, Dan said, “Isn’t it funny what people think?  Even though I am in a Christian school with only fifteen in my room and three of us are TCKs, the people from around here seem to think we lived like savages.  I’m glad I come home in a car and don’t have to ride the bus.”

I like my school,” said Esther.  “It’s big and exciting to be with 200 other sixth graders and get to meet so many kids.”

“I would much rather be in a small class, more like we had in our host country,” said Dan.  “Besides I have a good friend—one of the other TCKs.  He really understands how I feel.  He came to the school just last year.”

“The only thing I don’t like about school is feeling stupid,” said Esther.

“What do you mean by ‘feeling stupid’?” asked Mom.

“When the other kids talk about movies they saw last year.  Or who was President during the Korean War, and things like that, I don’t have a clue,” said Esther.

“That doesn’t mean you’re stupid, Esther,” said Mom.  “It just means that you weren’t here to see those movies and study that part of our country’s history.  I can teach you and Dan some of that history, and we can see some of those movies on DVDs from the library.  You’re at least as smart as the other students are.  But you have learned other things, things in our host country.”

“What I don’t like is feeling out of place,” said Dan.  “I am not sure what clothes to wear.  I have trouble crossing the street because people here drive on the wrong side of the street.”

“You’ll soon get used to where people drive,” said Mom.  “Ask your new TCK friend about what clothes to wear.  He can give you much better advice than any of us.  And he will understand since he went through that just last year.”

Just then Paul walked in from his cooperative home school just down the street.  “I like all five kids in my class.  But I don’t like Mrs. Brown who teaches English.”

“What’s the problem with Mrs. Brown?” asked Dan.

“She expects me to know a lot more than I do about where to use commas, and she can’t explain it very well,” said Paul.

Dad just walked in.  “I don’t know where commas go either.  I would just like to put three or four at the end of each paragraph and tell the teacher to put them wherever they should go.”

Mom said, “People follow different rules when it comes to commas.  Soon you’ll learn which ones Mrs. Brown uses, and you won’t have any problem.”

“I really like it when you teach French, Mom,” said Paul.  “You explain things really well.”

“You may think so, Paul.  But probably the other kids in your class feel the same way about me that you do about Mrs. Brown.  It’s just that you already know something about French.”

Dad looked at Ruth as she came in from her home school room right there at home.  “How was your day in first grade today?”

Ruth replied, “It went pretty well.  I am glad that I can just be here with Mom all day.  The only problem is that I am having trouble with subtraction.”

“Just use your fingers,” said Dad.

“Oh, no you don’t.” said Mom.  You need to learn your math facts.  You can’t be counting on your fingers all your life.  Dad, be careful what you tell her to do.”

“Sorry,” said Dad.  “I counted on my fingers all the way through school.  And I use a calculator now when I need to subtract.”

“Well, we don’t want Ruth to have to do that.  She needs to know her facts,” said Mom.

She went on, “It sounds like you all are about as happy as you can be in the schools you go to.  Esther in a large public middle school.  Dan in a smaller private Christian school.  Paul in a cooperative home school where several mothers teach.  And Ruth right here at home.”

Dad added, “I’m glad it has worked out so well.  I am also thankful that the church is paying part of Dan’s tuition.  And that we have been able to car pool, ride the bus, or walk to places you go.

He went on.  “I was thinking the other day that I ought to suggest something.  I know you all really liked our host country.  And it’s great to talk about it, maybe even give a report on it some time.

“However, you need to be careful not to compare it too much with life here.  Others may think you’re bragging or that you’re running down the country they live in.  Be sure to talk about this country, and not too much about our host country.  Others may not understand.  Of course, other TCKs would—and they would probably begin telling you about their host countries.”

Things to do and think about

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Chapter 11

TCKs

As she came through the front door, Esther said, “I don’t understand.  I look like most of the other kids in my class and speak the same language without an accent.  But when I talk seriously with them I find that I don’t think the way they do.  Some things I believe are important they don’t care about at all.  Some of the things they think are important I think are silly.

“Then there’s Chung.  She’s from the other side of the world and looks very different from the other kids.  When she talks, she’s hard to understand because of her accent.  But she and I both think the same way and believe the same things are important.”

“That’s not hard to explain,” said Mom.  “That is because you’re a TCK, a Third Culture Kid.  We have mentioned TCKs a few times but not really talked about them.”

“Well, let’s talk about them now,” said Esther.

“Good idea,” said Mom.  “When everyone gets in from school, let’s get the whole family together and talk about TCKs.”

After everyone got there, Mom said, “Esther has noticed that she’s different from many of the kids in school.  Let’s talk about that.”

“Right,” said Paul. “I have noticed that I am too.  But I haven’t said anything about it.”

“Well,” said Mom, “it’s because you all are Third Culture Kids, TCKs.  So am I.”

“What’s a TKC?” asked Ruth.

“TCKs are people who have grown up in more than one culture,” Mom answered.  “They become part of all the cultures they have lived in, not just one of the cultures.  You have lived in your passport culture and your host culture.”

“Yes, but when we were in our host culture, the kids who spoke our language and looked like us thought like us,” said Dan.  “It’s not that way here.”

“That’s right,” said Dad.  “Those kids who looked like you and spoke your language were all TCKs.  The ones who look like you and speak your language here have lived in just this one culture.  They’re not TCKs.”

“I get it now,” said Esther.  “Chung is a TCK too.  She has lived in two cultures.  Even though she’s from the other side of the world, looks different, and speaks with a different accent, she’s like me.  She’s a TCK.”

“That’s right,” said Mom.  “It doesn’t make any difference which cultures one has lived in.  Just living in two or more cultures makes you a TCK.  All TCKs have similar ways of thinking and believe that many of the same things are important.”

“Is it bad to be a TCK?” asked Paul.  “Sometimes I see things different from the other kids.  Then I feel stupid.”

“You’re not stupid or bad,” said Mom.  “You’re just different.  You have different strong and weak points.”

“Can you give me an example, Mom?” asked Esther.

“Sure,” said Mom.  “You probably have better cross-cultural skills, so you know how to get along in another culture.  But your social skills here in your passport culture may not be as good.  You can speak two languages, but you do not know the grammar of the language here as well as those who have lived here all their lives and speak only one.”

“Many TCKs were really great people,” said Dad.  “In fact, we named all of you after important people who were TCKs or married TCKs.  Three of your names are the titles of books in the Bible.  The other is named after a TCK who wrote several books in the Bible.”

“The Esther in the Bible became queen and saved the lives of all her people,” said Esther.

“The Daniel in the Bible refused to bow to anyone but God,” said Dan.  “Then he lived through being thrown into the lions’ den and became the ruler of much of the world.”

“What did the Paul in the Bible do?” asked Paul.

“He told many people in other cultures about Jesus,” said Dad.  “Then he wrote several books in the New Testament.”

“Was the Ruth in the Bible a TCK?” asked Ruth.

“No,” said Mom.  “But she married a TCK when he was in her country.  After he died, she went to his passport country with his mother—and became great-grandmother of King David.  She’s listed in the first chapter of the New Testament as an ancestor of Jesus.”

“There are lots of other important TCKs in the Bible too,” said Dad.  “Joseph became ruler of Egypt and saved his family from starving.  Moses led his people out of slavery in Egypt and made them into a great nation.  Joshua led his people into the land God had promised them.

“Not all TCKs in the Bible were good or great people, but many of them were.  The same is true today.  TCKs may be good or bad.”

“Well, I’m glad I’m a TCK.” said Esther.  “I like both of my cultures.”

Dan, Paul, and Ruth all agreed.

Things to do and think about

Have a great reentry into your passport culture and use your TCK strengths in it.  Blessings on you.  We wish you the best!

Table of Contents

Introduction

1.   Home

2.   Family

3.   Friends

4.   Thanks

5.   Goodbye

6.   Packing

7.   Traveling

8.   “Home”

9.   Friends (new and old)

10. School

11. TCKs