At the same time, they develop linguistic abilities unparalleled by their U.S. peers. Healthy MKs also represent a powerhouse potential for future missions. Those who don't return tend to find success in other areas of life. Who , it took 5,000 Presbyterian ministers to produce one child listed in Who's Who. But for every seven Christian missionary families from the United States, one of their children would be listed in Who's Who.
Relationships are short-lived.
Someone is always going home on furlough, and friends leave. According to Dr. Ruth Useem, of the Institute for International Studies in Education, the average third-culture kid lives in eight places in his first 18 years. The rules and behaviors that worked in one place don't produce the same results in another. Thus, the transitional periods they go through may bring stress and grief, as some of the accompanying articles illustrate. Despite their abrupt departure from Central African Republic, Melissa and her family hope to return to the people they've grown to love.