TCKs/MKs

Photo of a HOPAC classroom.

What's that?!

TCKs/MKs are the kids I will teach and minister to in Tanzania. TCK stands for Third Culture Kid. A TCK is "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture." (Pollock, David, The TCK Profile) MK stands for Missionary Kid, the child of a missionary.

I don't know the specific backgrounds of my students-to-be, but TCKs/MKs generally (according to Pollock again):

• Transition frequently between cultures
• Are surrounded by others who also come and go
• Live among people who look/act/believe differently... and are often more privileged
• Expect to eventually repatriate
• Have an awareness that they represent their parents and their parents' organization

I'm excited to meet my students and hear about life through their eyes. The mix of cultures and backgrounds will be interesting to have in a classroom.

If you're praying for my students and me, two areas I have heard my students might need help with are dealing with transitions and change and having a healthy connection to their parents' work. Please pray that I would teach them well in all areas, academic and spiritual, and that I would minister to their unique needs that arise from being TCKs/MKs.