You didn’t move across the world to lose your family in the process. Mission life is full of purpose, but it can also pull at the very relationships we care about most.
Jonathan and Elizabeth Trotter, missionary parents, writers, and trusted voices in cross-cultural life, open up about what it looks like to stay emotionally connected as a family in the middle of ministry, transition, and loss.
We talk about how to create your own family’s culture (or find it if you’ve lost it), recovering joy when life feels heavy, and how small practices like morning devotionals, Saturday rituals, and even silly moments can become anchors for your home
Your family matters. And it’s worth the work.
- How to recognize when your family is drifting—and what to do about it
- Creative ways to bring back joy, fun, and laughter when life feels heavy
- How to walk with your kids through change without losing connection
Resources:
Article: Why Cross-Cultural Workers Need Tent Pegs
Blog for Missionaries: A Life Overseas
Debrief: This Debrief Retreat will be held December 8-13 in Union Mills, NC, USA). Hosted by the Center for Intercultural Training.
Books:
Digging in the Dirt by Jonathan Trotter
The Hats We Wear by Elizabeth Trotter
Serving Well: Help for the Wannabe, Newbie, or Weary Cross-cultural Christian Worker by Jonathan & Elizabeth Trotter
Additional Resources Mentioned:
The Soul of Shame by Dr. Curt Thompson
👉 Buy on Amazon
The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family by Patrick Lencioni
👉 Buy on Amazon
TCK Training
👉 tcktraining.com
ACEs & PCEs (Adverse/Positive Childhood Experiences)
👉 CDC Info
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
👉 Buy on Amazon
Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
👉 Buy on Amazon
Doing Life with Your Adult Children by Jim Burns
👉 Buy on Amazon
