He or she is a person born and reared in a nation that is not the nation of their citizenship. TCK’s come in all shapes and sizes and happen for all sorts of reasons. They are military kids, children of foreign students, children of business people whose work has taken them to another country, and yes, missionary kids like me.
All TCK’s have some things in common, including a deep
yearning for a place they knew as home but where they no longer live. I am no
exception. Deep inside of me is a little girl who still wants to wake up to the
sounds of lizards scurrying around on my screened window and open my eyes to
see a gecko in the corner above me where my wall meets the ceiling.
I miss these things. I miss the African dirt between my toes, and the refreshing rain that cools a very hot world. I miss picking guavas off the tree in my back yard and eating them straight from the tree.
But if I had the choice, I would not switch my citizenship.
I have lived in America for many years now and have grown to love it, and even more,
to appreciate it.
Americans have an incredible heritage of which we can always
be proud. We have a history of brave men and women who gave everything to keep
America free and to help other nations be free too. We are not a nation with a history
of waging war in order to conquer. We fight to keep what we have and to help
others keep from being conquered as well.
So, on this July 4th, I want to say, “Happy
Birthday, America!” May God continue to bless you and guide you, as the song
says, “through the night with a light from above.”
TCK or not, I am a proud American and so thankful I get to
live in this land—the greatest nation on earth.
