A Day in the Life of a TCK

Here is Lizzy G.’s account of a typical day in the life of an MK on our project. I hope you enjoy reading about all the fun things that take up our days!

MK Life
MK2MK is not only known for its spiritual impact but also for its ability to throw a party. As soon as one MK sees another, they become the best of friends. And when you only have one month, you want to go deep with someone as fast as you possibly can.


In the Mekane Yesus Seminary compound where we live, there are two guys’ houses and two girls’ houses. Each has adopted its own character and title: TIA (This Is Africa), Schmidt-haus, The Red House, and Double A, (also known as Chocovilla). The most popular hangout spot on the compound is Schmidt-haus, where Aunt Donna and Uncle Yale rough it with ten-plus teenage boys. Most nights there will be Catch-phrase, spiritual discussions,and a spontaneous guitar concert. TIA won the creative house cleaning competition with their “Conflict Resolution Zone” (complete with hemmed curtains/bedsheets), but Red House’s recent redecoration has made it the place to go to talk, laugh, and get a friendship bracelet made. Double A/Chocovilla hosted a movie-night-ice-cream-social just last week, where fifty teenagers in pajamas sang songs from Mulan at the top of their lungs.

Though we are not quite cross-cultural pros, we have connected to the local staff and students in great ways. Walking through the compound, you will often see one of the guys jamming with the Ethiopiansin the music shack or girls giving piggy-back rides to the little kids. Mass soccer games in the mud field are a common thing before dinner, and some MK cheered for Ghana when the World Cup played on the grainy cafeteria TV. We have eaten injera, taken part in coffee ceremonies, and traded songs with the Ethiopian Evangelicals. The nationals have taught us how to Jabulani, Africa! (Rejoice, Africa!) for the rich culture he has placed us in.

A Day in the Life of a TCK
At 8:00 a.m. every morning our chilly group trickles into the cafeteria, where a breakfast of rice porridge and bread waits for us. Gulping down our tea or coffee, we rush off to the buses in our close-toed shoes and rain jackets.

By 2:30 p.m., the last muddy group finds its way home from ministry for a quick shower, nap, or quiet time. Most afternoons are taken off from ministry because of the rain, so we use that time for meetings with small groups or service teams and to prep for the next day’s ministry. The drama team has also been meeting and practicing mimes used to help share the Gospel.

Dinner at the seminary is a routine affair, with many assorted breads, potatoes, pastas, and a soda of your choice. Afterwards, the teens head to the chapel for worship and to debrief the day. Then the bubbly emcees kick off a talk or fun activity. The leaders are adept at adapting their speeches when the power goes out – sometimes as often as three times a night.

We have all gotten used to having our lesson plans destroyed. When working in a different culture, it is hard to predict what people want or what supplies to bring. Our theme should be “No Expectations,” but as MKs, we’ve all gotten pretty good at going with the flow when unexpected things come up. So we pray like crazy for our ministry, and as we good naturedly say, “TIA” (This Is Africa). We are in unfamiliar territory, we do not know what we are doing, and the future is in God’s hands. Pray for faith and for the Holy Spirit to truly work through us.

After the meeting is small group time, but when that closes up, packs of people head over to one house to hang out. The girls crack down on curfew – when 16 girls share one bathroom, we need all the time we can get to ensure that everyone has a chance to shower.

At 11:00 p.m., we all get ready for bed – sometimes by flashlight, sometimes to find a gift from a secret saint on the pillow – and crash in our rooms to get the most sleep we can before a crazy tomorrow begins.