As a missionary kid or third culture kid, did you find yourself roaming the library searching for books to read? Did you ever hope to find books that you could relate to? Today Simeon Harrar shares what he wishes his 9th grade self could have found in the library and what he is doing about it.
Growing up, I was an avid reader. Reading was a form of escape that allowed me to disappear into fantasy worlds with dragons and magic and, of course, plenty of Aslan sightings. As I explored the library, I didn’t find stories about missionary kids like me. Kids who fly halfway around the world every couple of years and try desperately to fit in in their “home” country.
The many books I read whisked me away to other worlds, but didn’t help me with the challenges of the world I found myself living in. They didn’t help me to feel seen or understood. They didn’t help me make sense of the transient concept of home or how to navigate cross-cultural relationships, and be a hidden immigrant in my passport country. In fact, the more YA books I read where I didn’t find characters like me, the more my personal narrative of being an outsider, an oddity, was reinforced. It made it difficult to believe that people would ever understand me, and as a teenage this was a heavy burden to carry.
People have come to realize in various areas that representation matters. Seeing people like you and hearing stories like yours are so important. They give you hope. They affirm that good is possible and that the struggle is worth it. As a teenage missionary kid, I wasn’t finding these stories. The silence was glaring.
In fact, the more YA books I read where I didn’t find characters like me, the more my personal narrative of being an outsider, an oddity, was reinforced.
So…as an adult I decided that I wanted to do something about this. I wanted to write a book that 13-year-old me would have loved. I wanted to write about all the ridiculous questions that I got asked about growing up as a missionary kid. I wanted to capture the tension of showing up at supporting churches and all the complexities that come with that space. I wanted to clearly depict the struggles of making friends and even the different approaches that MK’s take when trying to tackle this task. I also wanted to give hope that there are good people out there who care and want to know and understand MK’s. I wanted to show the good and the bad that come with transition and change. I wanted to write a book that would make MK’s laugh and shout “Yes!” but also know that they are not alone as they navigate the hard parts of growing up among worlds.
I wanted to show the good and the bad that come with transition and change.
I wish I could go back and hand my book to my 9th grade self right before we flew back to the US and I attended a public school. I wish I could give younger me a hug and say, “Yes, it’s going to be hard. You are going to have sad days and frustrating days, but it’s also going to be good, and I’m not just talking about fast food! So much of the outcome will depend on you and your attitude. It will depend on your willingness to take risks, to be brave and make mistakes, and laugh at yourself. You can choose to be bitter and closed, or you can choose joy and trust that God has brought you here for a reason, even if it’s just for a short season.” Of course, I can’t do that, so the best I could do was write a book to share with other TCK’s to help them know that they are not alone.
So many others have gone before and made it through, and so can they. My prayer for this generation of MKs is that they will be able to find a plethora of books, podcasts, and online communities where they can be seen, heard, and supported. My goal is that The Long Flight Home will be one story they can connect with that will give them hope because hope is powerful.
Simeon Harrar is an ordained pastor and lives in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a secondary school chaplain at Rosslyn academy by day and an author by night! He grew up as a missionary kid in Papua New Guinea and Senegal. As an adult, he has continued to be a global nomad, living in the US, Thailand, and Nigeria. He is the author of multiple books geared for TCKs and loves working with students to help them make sense of their TCK journeys.
