SHANNON’S CORNER
Connect. Nurture. Grow.
BELONGING. What does belonging mean to you? It was the focus of our Chai Chat with students in TCK Connect this month, and the conversation was powerful. Here’s a little glimpse into what came up in my group.
What are the places that you think about, when talking about belonging?
My house. – boy student
America and where she is living in her host country. – girl student
Not sure. – girl student
What helps you feel like you belong in an environment or place?
My family’s support and my cat. – girl student
Routine, more specifically school routine. – boy student
Consistency and having an item that I’ve crocheted. – girl student
How do you engage or not engage with the culture you are living in?
My family and I participate in some of the cultural festivals, one is where you go from house to house and you eat and there are so many people that it is overwhelming and overstimulating and I’m so full and not sure how I can eat another bite of food, but you have to at each house. – girl student
I am the only foreigner in my village. I have national friends, but they do not get me, and we really do not have the same interests when we do hang out. – boy student
There are 70 countries represented on the ship I live on, and my peers say things from their cultural context that in my cultural context is mean and hurtful. – girl student
What does being yourself look like when you are linked to different places?
I am most myself when I’m with family and less of myself with friends. – girl student
As our leadership team debriefed the Chai Chat call, we realized many groups were hearing the same thing from their students. One leader put words to it: our students feel isolated—from the culture around them, from their peers, and even from themselves. This is why TCKs so often say they look forward to TCK Connect. Here, they are seen and heard. They feel connected to peers who “get it,” and they experience acceptance and belonging without having to explain who they are. What a gift.
THE PARENT TREE VS. THE TCK TREE:
For most parents, the deepest roots grow in their passport country. When they move overseas, they develop new roots in their host culture, but those tend to be shorter than the ones formed at home. For Third Culture Kids (TCKs), it’s often the opposite. Their longest, strongest roots grow in their host culture(s). Their passport-country roots—shaped by their parents, occasional visits, and eventual returns—are usually shorter and feel less familiar.
A TCK is anyone who has lived outside their passport country for a year or more during their formative years (birth to age 25). And woven into all of this is a beautiful reminder for our TCKs: Jesus Himself understands their story. He was born in Israel, lived in Egypt for a season, and then returned to Israel. In many ways, He lived a TCK childhood. He gets their experience—and in Him, they can find true belonging. The greatest gift of all: Jesus.
I recently worked with three young TCK siblings—ages 7, 4, and 3—while their grandparents cared for their baby brother. These kids have grown up in West Africa, so the U.S. feels more foreign to them. We built “emotion boxes” to help them name their feelings and practice regulation skills, and we talked about loss and grief. Their favorite activity was the “swamp of sadness,” where they tried crossing a velcro board with velcro shoes and quickly learned they needed each other’s help. We ended with the transition bridge – a game that even pulled their grandpa in. Their grandparents, former missionaries in Southeast Asia, told me how meaningful it was to watch and participate—and how grateful they were that their grandkids now have tools they can use for life. This was my first-time having grandparents present during a TCK debrief, and honestly, it was such a gift—to me, to the kids, and to their adult children.
“…He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart…”
Isaiah 40:11
PRAYER REQUESTS
Praise the Lord for the opportunity to speak and share at St. Mark’s Church! Reconnecting with some folks and meeting the new Pastor and his family!
Praise the Lord for how Jesus met the three kids during our time of debrief through play, games, activities, and books.
Praise the Lord for providing me with a new car that is reliable to get me safely to my destinations!
Praise the Lord for His glorious riches to supply over and beyond what I needed. His faithfulness is astounding and familiar!
Praise the Lord for meeting and reconnecting with Daniel Su, with Chinese Outreach Ministries.
Pray for TCK family debrief Nov. 20th-23rd serving in Ukraine but in Canada on furlough.
Pray for a couple debrief Dec. 1st-3rd, serving in South Asia.
Pray for an individual debrief Dec. 10th-12th living in TX but serves globally.
Pray for an individual debrief Dec. 10th, 12th, and 15th, serving in India.
Pray for students of TCK Connect to feel seen, heard, and connected.
Contact Information:
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Mail Checks: World Outreach Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box B Marietta, GA 30061 (Make a check out to WOM & in memo or in a note write Shannon Eaton #783)
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Shannon Eaton
107 Old York Rd Apt 5
New Cumberland, PA 17070
(724) 967-1437
Email: shannon.eaton76@gmail.com
Coaching: lifetransitioncoaching.shannon@gmail.com
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