Stories of Mission

Hannah’s identity and understanding of the world and the gospel are forever changed by the opportunity she had to grow up as a TCK in Cusco, Peru. “Before leaving, I was given a say in this decision to move. Making this choice at age seven deepened the degree to which I took on the role of missionary.”

I have had the blessing of serving on a few mission trips and have also assisted in after-school tutoring. I realize now that the fire to serve others was sparked as others invested in me and my community. I strive to see others as God sees us—as one body of Christ, as being equal.

Oftentimes it seems that we blot out our most important identification, our foundation: we are children of God. The fact that I am a TCK no longer seems to weigh on me. I will encounter misunderstandings because of it, but I have a greater purpose and longing that my heart seeks after.

Growing up as a TCK, I experienced a lot of opposites. I would feel excited when we moved to new places, yet I felt sad about all the things I had to give up, sometimes forever. The window is symbolic of the lives of the people around me that were opened to me because of my TCK experience.

The game of the street in Central Asia was urtganiki, which consists of “ball dodging and life swapping.” Whether the teammate I high-five back into the game does well or poorly, we feel connected more deeply because of the life-exchange. Similarly when we reflect on Jesus giving us his life, we feel more connected to him.