My Missionary Baby July 28, 2014

Ellie was born a missionary. She learned to walk a balance of learning two cultures at the same time. We would have a modified American culture in our home and then expected Ellie to learn and operate like a Thai child would interact when we went out of our home and around Bangkok. When we moved to America, Ellie only had to deal with one culture. We don’t hold her to Thai standards but only American ones now.

On our team to Thailand, one of our church’s summer interns is from Life Pacific College. She has also been living with us this summer and loves playing with Ellie. She is an observer by nature and notices many things people often overlook. One day, as we were telling story after story of Ellie to our friends (as she stayed home with my mom), this team member remarked that after being in Bangkok, she understands Ellie much better now. Wanting to know how, I waited for a quiet moment when we could talk and then asked for clarification.

(As described by our church intern) Ellie is outgoing and very playful in small groups or one on one. When she gets into large groups or meetings, she tends to hang by the side and play quietly or sit quietly next to us. This is not normal for American kids and she wondered if Ellie was just shy or we had wanted Ellie to do that. And then on Saturday two slum community kids (3 and 4 years old) hung around the English camp for university students while all the older kids went to a meeting. They colored quietly on the floor while Andy shared the gospel story at the camp. Then we went on a bike rally at a park and the children played happily in the dirt off to the side of our meetings and games. (Ellie would have loved to play with them in the dirt…)

On Sunday, there were two kids from the church (around 5 years old) that quietly played during the service and meetings. You would barely know that the kids were in the room as they have learned to always stay off to the side or quiet. When you do hear them briefly though, no one minds as they don’t tend to try to grab all the attention. They might from their mom, but not from everyone else. This is how Ellie acts in large groups. Apparently her Thai beginnings continue to live on.

It was interesting hearing this from our team member. I’m often surprised when I realize how pervasive Thai culture is imbedded in Ellie. Yes, she was born in Thailand and spent the first two years living there, but we moved to America over a year ago. And yet still, there are ways she acts more Thai than American.

Too Many Holidays? August 14, 2012

It seems like we are always celebrating holidays around here as just a few days ago was Mother’s Day in Thailand. Well, we do celebrate a lot of holidays and festivals. We celebrate all the major American ones, as well as all the Thai ones as well. We celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day twice each year, the international and Thai New Years, Christmas, Children’s Day, American Independence Day, Loi Kratong, Thanksgiving, and a handful of other smaller Thai holidays.

Thai Mother’s Day at the park

Living in a foreign land, we want to embrace the culture and celebrations of where we are living. This gives us a depth of understanding as we join in the festivities. We enjoy joining in and going out to celebrate with our friends, and among those we are reaching out to. Besides, who doesn’t want to join in fun activities as they happen all around you.

On the flip side of living in a foreign land, we want Ellie to know and enjoy aspects of our home country. One way we do this is by celebrating the American holidays. We make the holiday every but as real and special as if we were in America celebrating. Sure, we might trade chicken for turkey at Thanksgiving, and Christmas might be celebrated in shorts and t-shirts, but the essence of the holiday is what we are after. We want Ellie to not only understand, but also treasure and look forward to the holidays like other Americans.

Being a third culture kid won’t be easy for Ellie as she grows, but we are striving to help Ellie identify with both our home culture and where we are currently living. I pray that Ellie won’t have a sense confusion as an adult but that she will have a broad understanding of the world and compassion for all peoples. So for now, we will celebrate holidays from both countries, and pray that God gives Ellie and good and positive sense of who she is and where she belongs in this world.

If you are living away from home, how do you both live in your current place while remembering and teaching your children about your home?