“A bouquet from our attendees! A couple of months have gone by since you completed a phenomenal job. You played a key role in making this week the success it was. We praise God for what took place, numerous wonderful outcomes, and the many “thank you’s” that we have received on your behalf.”  Member Care Participant

Healing Streams offers Missionary Member Care for Christian Organizations. Missionaries and their family members operate in a surreal cosmos where the parents frequently are living and working in a culture other than their home culture, the children grow up in a culture where they are frequently part of the visible minority and “going home” means the sending country for the parents and returning to the working country for the kids.  Third culture kids (TCK) – those who do not feel at home in their parent’s sending culture or in the missionary culture are a unique and delightful subgroup who can legitimately claim the moniker “world citizen”.  They adapt quickly to new situations, make friends quickly because they never know how long they’ll stay in one place, and they’re childhood friendships are often deep and lasting.  That’s the positive spin.  On the shadow side are the feelings of never quite belonging or fitting in, of never truly feeling “at home”. Some TCK’s struggle to form deep relationships at all because they know they’ll just have to say goodbye again.  When their parents get excited about “going home” on home assignment, their anxiety increases as they often enter a seemingly foreign culture.  And the missionary parents are left to cope with the relief of being home and the guilt of watching their child struggle.  

“World citizen” and “never feeling at home” are both realities to one degree or another for children growing up on the mission field.  How do you cope as a parent who is involved in cross cultural missions?  Where do you turn when the “shadow side” comes to live in your household? 

Information on parenting third-culture-kids is just one of the supports Healing Streams offers to parents who work in cultures other than their sending culture.  We also provide support for normal adjustment issues such as loneliness, isolation factors, marriage conflict, grief, depression & anxiety.  In addition we have expertise in the areas of team dynamics, conflict, and strategic planning. 

Healing Streams offers support to missionary families on home assignment in Kitchener, ON and Calgary, AB.  We have several respite apartments available  for your use if you need to travel to one of our locations.  We also provide services on-site by invitation only. 

We welcome submission of articles or personal stories to build up our resource page for the missionary community.  TCK’s, parents, short-termers, retired – we welcome your wisdom as we work together to in the building of God’s kingdom!