TCK VOF

Bonus Episode 3: A Voice in God's Silence

*** Please note that this episode contains depictions of violence that some people may find disturbing In this episode, we discuss with Mokoto Fujimura his book Beauty and Silence, a part memoir, part art exploration, and part reflection on the book Silence. Silence is set in the 17th century about two Portuguese Jesuit priests who traveled to Japan, a country hostile to their faith. The priests were captured and eventually forced to witness unimaginable cruelties that tested their own faith. Th...

3.12 TCKs from Families who Fled Wars

*** Please note that this episode contains depictions of violence that some people may find disturbing As we wrap up Season Three, we are moving to harder topics in the walk as a Christ-follower. In this episode, we sat down and talked to three TCKs from families who fled wars. How has involuntary migration in the past affected them and their family? Is the country that their parents are originally from still at war? How does their faith help them build resilience? Panelists: Pawku Ju, Nindeba E...

3.11 TCK and Spirituality

In this episode, we invited three TCKs of three spiritual believes (Hindu, Muslim, and Christ follower) on the impact of global mobility in their own personal lives. How do they feel like being a TCK has affected the way they understand the world? What is their spiritual belief and do they feel like it has influenced the way they understand their TCKness? How do they feel like their spirituality has influenced the way they view the world? Panelist: Shorya, Mouayad, Anna Li with Elizabeth Norvell...

3.10 TCKs as missionaries: Overseas

Our TCKs and Careers series ends with this episode talking to three TCKs who chose to become missionaries overseas. What led them to become missionaries? What effect does growing up cross-culturally have on their ministry in both a positive and negative way? In what ways have their organization/themselves helped them grow their spiritual walk while on the mission field? Panelist: Erica Kienzle, Meghan Posey, Tami Gaddis with Jonathan Walthour as your interviewer. Visit our blog for more details ...

3.9 TCKs as missionaries: in Passport Country

We continue our TCKs and Careers series by talking to three people who chose to become missionaries in their passport countries. What led them to become a missionary out of college? What effect did growing up cross-culturally have on their ministry in both a positive and negative way? What have they done to ensure that they ministry stays ministry and fought burnout? Panelists: Elizabeth Norvell, Rachel McCarthy, and Lizzy Sullivan with Jonathan Walthour as your interviewer. Visit our blog for m...

3.8 Alternative Career Path Other Than College After High School

After talking to three TCKs on their careers after 30, we invited another group of TCKs in their 30s. They have taken a road less traveled and chosen an alternative career path other than college after they graduated from high school. This episode is dedicated to those in their late teens or early 20s who are thinking or chose that route for their journeys. That life stage can be confusing in general while making some big life decisions so we hope this episode could be of use. Panelists: Joe Dav...

3.7 TCK Careers After 30

We continue to explore TCK's and work as we interview a panel of TCK's who have been working in their careers for longer than Jonathan, the host. Our panel guests talk about their journey in defining work and calling, the paths that they took to get where they are now, and how they have sought to hear God's voice within their careers. Visit our blog for more details on the interviewer and interviewees at https://tckvof.wordpress.com/ Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/tck_vof/ Music: Blue...

3.6 TCKs as Working Millennials

As we continue our min-series on TCKs and Work, we talk to a panel of guests who are in the beginnings of their careers. They talk about the various twists and turns that their career took them through college and the time afterward, how they have tried to establish God's will in their lives, and the relationship between God's will and their jobs. Visit our blog for more details on the interviewer and interviewees at https://tckvof.wordpress.com/ Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/tck_vof...

3.5 TCK and Work

Megan Norton is an Adult TCK (who has lived in 10 countries and 5 U.S. states), writer, podcast host, and speaker who designs and delivers socio-emotional programming tailored to globally mobile families and youth. Megan hosts workshops and webinars for TCK teens and TCK university students. In this episode, we interviewed Megan on her observations and recommendations for TCKs in the workforce. Megan has a forthcoming book for TCKs called “Belonging Beyond Borders” which focuses on the TCK profi...

3.4 Finding Belonging as a Celibate Christian

Our interview with Greg Coles discussing his second book No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation where he shares about finding belonging as a celibate Christian. Greg Coles spent fifteen childhood years as a TCK in Indonesia, on the island of Java. He moved back to the United States for college, where he studied communication, literature, and music, and recently finished a Ph.D. in English. He now works as an author, speaker, and worship leader at his church in central Pe...

3.2 Multigenerational Minorities' "In Between"

Today Elizabeth talks to three multigenerational minorities whose families have called the US home for at least three generations now. How have they felt they were culturally not ethnic enough amongst first and second generations? How have they felt they have been seen as different by European multi-generational? What have they learned with faith as their compass about how to live in this "in-between"? Panelists: Adrian Reyna-Gonzales, Daniel Sasaki, and Michael Wade with Elizabeth Norvell as yo...

3.1 Third Culture Adults as International Students

Third Culture Adult (TCA) is an adult who has lived outside his passport country but only as an adult. In this episode, Elizabeth interviews three TCAs who specifically went overseas as international students. What was the funniest experience they had due to cross-cultural miscommunication? What was the hardest adjustment they had when first moving to a new culture? What was MOST helpful to them in transitioning into their new culture? How did their faith help them navigate the challenges they f...

Bonus Episode 2: Discussing the TCK/CCK Concept with Ruth Van Reken

For our podcast, we have been using the Third Culture Kids term for all Cross-Cultural Kids. Is that okay for the experts in the TCK world? What would someone like Ruth Van Reken, the author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds think? Let us get back down to basics to terminologies with Ruth and hear what she has to say about it as well as her hope for the future of the TCK term! Ruth Van Reken is a second-generation Third Culture Kid* (TCK) and mother of three now-adult TCKs. She is c...

Bonus Episode 1: Looking Back at Season Two

BONUS episode: Elizabeth, Jonathan, and Anna sat down together sharing what they thought about doing TCK VOF Season Two. P.S. Be prepared for a style change! Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

2.12 TCK as Parents

What are some differences in culture that you navigated with your spouse in parenting and how did you approach them? How did you strive to maintain a close relationship with your kids when you know that they will grow up and leave the house eventually? How has your faith shaped and challenged your understanding of being a parent? Panelists: Caleb Cook, Marcia Smith, and Yvonne Bridgeman with Elizabeth Norvell as your interviewer. Visit our blog for more details on the interviewer and interviewee...

2.11 TCK and Marriage

What is a cultural misunderstanding you had with your spouse and how did you walk through it? What has helped you understand each other's cultural worlds? Based on your own experience what is some advice would you give someone who is in a relationship or married with a TCK or non-TCK? And, how did your faith help you navigate the cultural challenges of marriage? Panelists: Jonathan and Purity Walthour, as well as Abbie and Jason Keel with Elizabeth Norvell as your interviewer. Visit our blog for...

2.10 Effects on Future Families

Jonathan sits down and talks with Steven Black, the host of TCK Care. Steven is getting his master's in clinical psychology and has worked as both a missionary and TCK Care person. Being a TCK himself, he speaks from both experience and education about the effects of the TCK lifestyle on future families. Check out Stevens podcast at https://tckcare.com/ Visit our blog for more details on the interviewer and interviewees at https://tckvof.wordpress.com/ Music: [song name] by Alexander Nakarada (w...

2.9 Understanding Identity as International and Transracial Adoptees (Part 2)

What was it like growing up as an International or Transracial Adoptee? Was any element of your ethnic culture emphasized growing up? If so, what did they do? If not, what do you hope they would have done? What advice would you give to someone who is planning to adopt? We continue our conversation about transracial and international adoptees with a different panel. Panelists: Lauren Burke, Sandhya Oaks, and Will Neusch with Jonathan Walthour as your interviewer. Visit our blog for more details o...

2.8 Understanding Identity as International and Transracial Adoptees (Part 1)

What was it like growing up as an International or Transracial Adoptee? How much influence did your blood culture have on your upbringing? How much influence does your adaptive culture have on your life? Come and join our panelists as they talk through their life and experiences growing up as international and transracial adoptees. Panelists: Chandran Higgins, John C Hugues, and McKenna Tey with Jonathan Walthour as your interviewer. Check out John C talk more about this adoptive experience with...

2.7 Ambiguous Loss: Loss Without a Funeral (Part 2)

Life hit Pat and Tammy McLeod hard when their son Zach collapsed on a high school football field; he had sustained a severe brain injury. This accident led the family into the world of ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss is a loss that occurs without closure or clear understanding. This kind of loss leaves a person searching for answers, and thus complicates and delays the process of grieving, and often results in unresolved grief. “Type One: Occurs when there is physical absence with psychological p...

2.6 Ambiguous Loss: Loss Without a Funeral (Part 1)

Life hit Pat and Tammy McLeod hard when their son Zach collapsed on a high school football field; he had sustained a severe brain injury. This accident led the family into the world of ambiguous loss. Ambiguous loss is a loss that occurs without closure or clear understanding. This kind of loss leaves a person searching for answers, and thus complicates and delays the process of grieving, and often results in unresolved grief. “Type One: Occurs when there is physical absence with psychological p...

2.4 Growing Up as First and Second Generations

You don't just have to live overseas to be a TCK. Our panel today had a TCK experience because their parents lived in other countries and they understand what it is like living in between worlds. Panelists: Anthony Lee, Makda Negusse, and Sophia Abraham with Elizabeth Norvell is the interviewer. Visit our blog for more details on the interviewer and interviewees at https://tckvof.wordpress.com/ Music: Bossa Noir for Nights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons...

2.3 TCK and Sexuality

Greg Coles spent fifteen childhood years as a TCK in Indonesia, on the island of Java. He moved back to the United States for college, where he studied communication, literature, and music, and recently finished a PhD in English. He now works as an author, speaker, and worship leader at his church in central Pennsylvania. His first book, Single, Gay, Christian, tells the story of his own journey through questions of faith and sexual identity. His second book, scheduled to release this coming Feb...

2.2 Understanding Identity as Multi-ethnic (Part 2)

We continue our conversation about what it is like growing up in Multi-Ethnic Families with a new set of panelists. Come and join our panelists in understanding their ethnicities during the turbulent year of 2020 and beyond. Panelist: Ricky Magoncia, Joabe Andrade II, and Alexius Alldrin, with Interviewer Jonathan Walthour Check out Joabe Sena Anrade tells his story on TCK Tales and what helped him face his demons and become fully whole: https://anchor.fm/t-c-k-tales/episodes/007-Facing-Your-Dem...

2.1 Understanding Identity as Multi-ethnic (Part 1)

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about being multi-ethnic? Do you feel like you have to pick an ethnicity and how has family played into your understanding of that? Come and join our panelists in understanding their ethnicities during the turbulent year of 2020. Panelists: Alexis Salazar, Jamie Perry, and Kevin (KP) Patao with Jonathan Walthour as your interviewer. Visit our blog for more details on the interviewer and interviewees at https://tckvof.wordpress.com/ Music: On The Air...

1.4 Missionary Kids and Identity

How do you determine your identity? For the cultures you identify with which one do you identify with the most? What does your passport country mean to you? What does your host country (where you grew up in) mean to you? How do you identity yourself currently? If that is different from in the past, how has that changed over time? Panelists: Paul Snider: grew up in Jamaica until college; parents are from the USA; currently directs Cru's ministry for Missionary Kids, MK2MK. Hannah: grew up in Roma...

1.3 Family Relationships

How have you felt like you don't fit in with your family especially related to culture? If you had a TCK experience with your siblings, how has your experience differed from theirs? Have you ever felt like you related to your TCK friends more than your family? How has the CCK/TCK experience manifested itself in family transitions? Panelists: Kristen Caughlan (Multiethnic): father originally from Japan; spent 17 years in Japan; 2 biological and 2 International Adoptee children; Lives in Washingto...

1.1 "Where Are You From?"

When did you feel the most challenged to describe what country you are from? Is there a difference between how you identify yourself and how others identify you? How do you determine where home is? Come and join Elizabeth, McKenna, Abbie, and Edward in their journey and how they answer those questions! Panelists: Edward Kim: originally from South Korea; grew up in USA, South Korea, and Thailand; currently live in New York. Abbie Keel: grew up in Hungary, USA, and Germany; raised 2nd generation t...

TCK VOF (Trailer)