May 16, 2011
Peter’s Wife reaches out by monthly emails and this web site to women living and working cross culturally. Living outside our own culture is stressful. Keeping a home, helping our husbands, and raising kids can be very difficult without the usual support systems of home. Peter’s Wife is written by and for those who have given up the comforts and normality of ‘home’ to serve people in a different culture.
Whether you are currently in a cross cultural situation, have friends or co-workers who are, or just want to know what we face, take some time to look at our archive of previously sent emails. If you would like to receive Peter’s Wife by email, you may request it by emailing editor@peterswife.org
January 25, 2012
Migrant. Do you consider yourself a migrant? In the narrow UN definition, most of us would not qualify since we are not employed by our adopted country. But in the broader sense of living either temporarily or permanently in a country where we were not born, and having acquired some significant social ties to this county, most of us would qualify. Like the Bible says, we are strangers and aliens in the land of promise.
There are many helpful suggestions for migrants that we may not have taken personally. Whether we are long-time migrants in the country we serve or have just arrived, some common migrant thoughts can trip us up. Here are a few for you to consider:
Comparisons between our native country and our adopted country
Comparisons can be a slippery slope to the blues. Our comparisons may make our native country, with all its perks, seem all good. Then the reverse is true of our adopted country. In this skewed condition, our host country is all bad.
We can start down this slide when the day is exceptionally hot and humid, or when we cannot find our favorite comfort food. Say you live in a place where you cannot get good chocolate, and the stash you brought is depleted. And, its been raining for four days straight. If we don’t head it off quickly, we could be in the dungeon of despair by lunchtime. Continue reading 'Migrants'»
December 1, 2011
As you may know, our two sons grew up, for more than half their childhood years, outside their home country. That makes them Third Culture Kids, or TCKs. Recently I have been thinking about how our sons react to their world. I wondered how much their experience as Third Culture Kids actually affects them today, now that they are adults. I was especially interested in how TCKs make friends, and how their experience differs from others in that area.
For a refresher, I looked at David Pollock and Ruth Van Reken’s textbook called, Third Culture Kids. The chapter on Relational Patterns discusses how Third Culture Kids (TCKs) make friendships and how that affects them later in life.
Continue reading 'TCK Friendships'»
October 10, 2011
Did you ever have one of those days? You know. The days when nothing excites you, nothing stimulates you, and you feel slightly like day old bread? In the rhythms of life we are bound to have days like that, even if we are mighty women of God, serving the unreached and the needy. Some days just refuse to shine, no matter how much we buff them with prayer and embellish them with praise.
You try everything. You pick up your Bible, either electronically or in the good old fashioned way. You look for a spark- something to ignite the fire you do not feel. Blah. Continue reading 'Blah!'»
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