3CKamps in South America

BY DAN HOUGH, YOUTH CHAMPION FOR RURAL PARAGUAY

Dan and Sarah Hough with children

While serving Paraguayans in the heart of South America for the past 13 years we have watched many Missionary Kids, including our own six, grow up in this wonderful and challenging environment. That’s what inspired Sarah and I to begin a youth ministry at the end of every month for Third Culture Kids growing up in Paraguay. We call it ‘3CK’.

In recent years we’ve taken this ministry a step further by organising annual ‘3CKamps’: Christian camps for TCKs in Paraguay. While many MKs are living in isolated areas with their parents 3CKamp gives them an opportunity to connect with other kids like them.

At our last camp we had youth from America, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Russia, South Africa, and South Korea. Though many of them had never met before they all quickly, almost effortlessly, connected. In spite of their diversity they shared one hugely significant thing in common: they’re all TCKs.

As an optional excursion for 3CKamp we do a day-trip hike to the top of Paraguay’s highest peak which is only 15 kilometres from our camp. The first time we offered this every last camper signed up for the optional hike. I led a group of 30 campers up the almost two-mile section of very steep trail with a missionary teammate taking up the rear. Once at the top I took in the spectacular views with the other hikers as they gradually arrived one by one.

What would have been a time of joy turned to fear when our teammate reached the top with the last of the campers and we realized our son, Toby, was not accounted for. After some quick coordinating, several counsell ors and I set off back down the trail which often goes along steep cliffs. During the next 15 to 20 minutes it was ha rd not to imagine the worst.

But we found Toby who had gotten turned around on a side trail and was working his way back, hoping to run into his friends and leaders. He was shaken but had kept his head about him — praise God!

Like Toby, Third Culture Kids sometimes get lost trying to find their way along a path which, all too often, isn’t clearly marked. ‘Who are they?’ ‘Where do they belong?’ It is our immense privilege and responsibility to help our Missionary Kids navigate life as TCKs!

Since we’ve started to reach out to this unique and gifted crowd we’ve gotten feedback from parents like, ‘This has provided exactly what our kids needed’ and ‘Thank you, this has changed our kids’. Years after he had gotten lost and sh ortly after returning to his parent’s home-culture, Toby drew a picture to go with a poem he had written simply entitled, ‘Life.’

LIFE

In life there is not just sadness

In life there is not just madness

In life there is also joy

But don’t use it like a toy

But use it wisely and make decisions with care

For you do not have another life to spare

Drawing by Toby Hough