Home, Patriotism, and MK Life

July 1st is Canada Day, and July 4th is US Independence Day. I am very proud to be an American and love our country, but as a missionary kid who has lived most of her life internationally, I also love Canada and Québec. In this post, I want to share with you all a bit of my perspective as an MK.

Home

Home is a complicated subject for most missionary kids. MKs are a subclass of "third culture kids." David Pollock defines a third culture kid as "a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside of the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of the same background."

The dreaded question is "Where are you from?" and usually requires more than a one-word answer. So choosing where to call home can be confusing.

As I said, I've spent most of my life in Québec, but I did live in the southern US long enough to remember some of what life was like, and whenever we go down for visits, I get another taste of it. I moved from the Bible Belt into North America's largest unreached people group at the age of seven. I learned French, discovered that I didn't like poutine (they eventually won me over), and had a real "white Christmas."

Realizing I can belong

For a long time, rather unconsciously, I guarded myself from belonging too much in Québec. I was (and am) proud to be an American, and I wanted to protect that. The Lord actually used my missions trip to Scotland to bring about a change in my thinking. As I lived and worked with another missionary family, I saw how much they loved their new homeland and let themselves belong. The wife shared one time how she was homesick for Scotland when they visited the US.

Now, every missionary's experience is going to be different, but for me, God used that to show me how I was holding back, and that it was okay to embrace the mission field as home. This reminds me of 1 Corinthians 9:20a, 22b, and 23 "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews ... I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." Unto the Québecers I became as a Québecer, that I might save some.

Heavenly citizenship

I have learned during my time as an MK to make the place where God has me my home for the duration that He chooses. I am definitely, legally an American, and I will celebrate my American heritage, but I also choose to make Québec my home for the time God has me here, and to love the people and serve God in the ways He has prepared. I have seen some amazing works of God while living here, but that's for another blog post another time. Above all else, my most important and loved home, which I have not seen yet, is heaven. When my life is over, it won't matter how "at home" I felt in one place or another, as long as I was in the will of God. I have heavenly citizenship, and once I get there, I'm never moving again!

Ephesians 2:19 "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"

Thanks for reading!