Jeanne Harrison - Hiding in the Hallway: Anchoring Yourself as an MK

I love MKs. They are some of the most incredible people in the world; my wife and I had two amazing MKs grow up in our home. Even though they have amazing gifts, a broad worldview, international travel and living experiences, and language and culture skills, they often feel that they dont belongno matter where they are. They dont entirely fit into the culture where their parents serveeven though they grew up thereand they feel like foreigners when they go on furlough to their parents home country. Many feel most at home on a plane between two countries. Jeanne Harrison has done a wonderful service to MKs and to the church in this book, helping us all to understand life from her MK perspective. MKs, missionary parents, and churches will be blessed by the lessons they learn from Jeanne.

M. David Sills, DMiss., PhD, AP and Faye Stone Chair of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and president, Reaching & Teaching International Ministries

The pain and challenges in the adjustments of missionary kids are real. Jeanne Harrison has been there and communicates with a sensitivity and relevance that will speak to current MKs as well as to adult former MKs who are still suffering from their experiences. A journey of discipleship, Hiding in the Hallway challenges readers to face basic spiritual realities and restores confidence and joy.

Jerry Rankin, president emeritus, International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention

Jeanne Harrison addresses the core challenges of the MK lifestyle in a way that is refreshingly blunt and exceedingly gospel focused. Having worked with MKs myself for more than 20 years, I believe that when MKs truly understand the gospel for themselves, they are free to live out all the benefits of their lifestyle. Hiding in the Hallway challenges the reader to look at their MK experience through the framework of a God who understands the many unique challenges of the missionary journey. I personally cant wait to share this book with the hundreds of MKs and missionary parents in my sphere of ministry.

Donna Kushner, director of MK2MK, a ministry of Cru

In Hiding in the Hallway: Anchoring Yourself as an MK, Jeanne Harrison draws from her own experience as a third culture kid and relates tales of fear and joy, of loss and gain, of confusion and purpose. Every TCKand every missionary parentwill be blessed by the honesty, insight, encouragement, and wisdom in this book.

Judy Douglass, author and speaker, director of womens resources, Cru

As a TCK/missionary kid herself, Jeanne Harrison speaks from her own personal experiences about what it is like to transition from living cross culturally to living back in her passport country. Jeanne authentically shares some of the challenges she faced and some of the wisdom she gained in her journey of adjusting back to the United States. Hiding in the Hallway offers young people an opportunity to reflect on their experiences overseas, provides biblical wisdom for how to adjust to their new situation, and suggests practical ways to live out their own personal calling. Practical, biblical, and filled with wise insights.

Stephen Keefer, TCK educator for more than 24 years, and Rhoda Keefer, professional counselor and former TCK educator

HIDING IN THE HALLWAY

ANCHORING YOURSELF AS AN MK

JEANNE HARRISON

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

New Hope Publishers

PO Box 12065

Birmingham, AL 35202-2065

NewHopePublishers.com

New Hope Publishers is a division of WMU.

2017 by Jeanne Harrison

All rights reserved. First printing 2017.

Printed in the United States of America.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher.

New Hope Publishers serves its authors as they express their views, which may not express the views of the publisher.

Many of the names in the book have been changed to protect the privacy of those individuals. The author has recalled events and conversations that occurred over the course of her life and, although they are relayed as accurately as the author can recall them, are not intended to represent word-for-word transcripts. They are intended to convey the essence of an occurrence.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Harrison, Jeannette, 1984- author.

Title: Hiding in the hallway : anchoring yourself as an MK / Jeanne Harrison.

Description: First [edition]. | Birmingham : New Hope Publishers, 2017.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017021503 | ISBN 9781625915313 (permabind)

Subjects: LCSH: Children of missionaries. | Harrison, Jeannette, 1984

Classification: LCC BV2094.5 .H365 2017 | DDC 266--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017021503

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Cover image: Maria Savenko/Shutterstock.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-62591-531-3

N184105 0917 2M1

To my parents,

Howie and Nance Kauffman,

who gave me roots and wings.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebted to the entire team at New Hope Publishers for taking a chance on a new author; my heartfelt thanks for your availability, tireless efforts, love for Christ, and commitment to excellence. I also want to thank my family at Northway Church for championing me as a writer. This book was written on the backbone of your prayers.

Thank you, Donna Kushner, for your genuine interest in this project in the initial stages, and George Siler, for pointing me in the right direction so this book could see the light of day. Also, thanks, Stephen and Rhoda Keefer, for connecting me with missionary leaders, and Paula Marsteller, for always having a word of encouragement. To David Platt, thank you for writing a Radical book that rattled my comfortable life and inspired me to start this work in the first place.

To my parents, Howie and Nance Kauffman, thank you for your constant love, honest counsel, and endless editingbut mostly for moving across the globe more than 40 years ago to faithfully serve Jesus. Your lives taught me how to live mine. Thanks also to my in-laws, Randy and Evelyn Harrison, for cheering me on and graciously babysitting so I could meet deadlines, and to all of my wonderful siblings for your invaluable input and support.