In Houghton for TCK - PFO training

PFO alumni 2009...in all of our glory :)

Two weeks ago I spent a "fort night" in the quaint town of Houghton NY.  The purpose of my visit was ASCI's (Association of Christian Schools International) Third Culture Kid Pre-Field Orientation (TCK - PFO).  My expectations were practically nonexistant.  I was busy finishing up school at Nido, making sure that all loose ends were tied and the necessary goodbyes were said.  Every time someone asked what I was going to be doing in Houghton, I'd respond with a generic "I don't know." Which was about as honest as I could get.  I really had NO idea.  I knew I'd meet my new roomate Natalie, and the rest of the new staff going to Morrison.  TCK-PFO is a program that Morrison requires all new staff to attend.  So I figured it'd be good!

I'm glad that I didn't have too many expectations.  That allowed me to be blown out of the water by the two weeks that I spent at PFO.  Granted, Houghton is an itty bitty "nothing to do here" town.  The main attraction (shopping-wise) was a CITGO gas station, which closed shortly after we arrived because of inability to sustain itself as a business.  The upside to this was that you didn't have much of a choice but to fully concentrate on the seminars that occurred daily.  Seminars on transition, on Third Culture Kids, who they are, and how to better teach them.  

A TCK is defined the following way:

“A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside 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 similar background

It was really cool to learn about TCK's, because even though I already knew that I was one, I didn't know as much about myself and my upbringing as I was taught at PFO.  It was pretty fantastic!

However, there were two things that absolutely MADE my time at PFO.  The first and by all means the most important, was discovering that God called me to Taiwan as a Missionary.  Not just a teacher, though that is my title, but a servant of His Gospel asked to bring good news to children, students and adults.  It was an exciting realization.  Not only that He called me to this mission, but that He called me, someone who is a TCK and grew up in the same environment that they are growing in and who has been through some of the challenges and knows the benefits of being a TCK.  God brought me up under extremely priviledged circumstances.  I look forward to offering my life to Him in order to bring new people to Christ.  

The second awesome aspect of TCK PFO were the incredible people I met.  My roomate Natalie is phenomenal, as are all of the people I got to know! So here are some pictures.  

Natalie and I on her birthday!

All the single ladies on their way to Morrison! Christel, Natalie, Fei-Ting, Me, Diana, Peggy (yup, another Peggy, not me) and Ellen.

Some of the ladies with my new and awesome boss with his wife.  From right to left, Tim, Bonnie, Natalie, Ellen, Peggy, and I.

The oh-so-incredibly-fabulous LANA!!! She lives in Malaysia!

The entire Morrison "Brand Spankin New" staff!