Start the Year Strong: Get Ready for Transition

Word of the Year 2025 More Transition: Get Ready for Transition

Get ready for transition now. It’s going to happen. Acting now is the best way to stay strong throughout the year.

Have you ever chosen a word for the year? I’m still searching for my word for 2025. In the past, my annual word has helped me focus my time and my resources. It has even changed my thinking. One year, my word was generosity. I had so much fun being generous—paying for the order of the car behind me in a drive through, helping a friend with tasks they struggled to complete on their own, attending a friend’s sporting events.

About three quarters of the way through the year, I realized that it was easy for me to be generous to others, but it was difficult to direct that same generosity to myself. I had to work at changing that–so much so that I kept the word for 2 years.

The Global Nomad’s Inevitable

If you’re a TCK, if you’re rearing TCKs, if you’re an organizational caregiver—the word that is inevitable for you in 2025 is transition. If that elicited a moan, please don’t give up on this post! I would love to make the concept of transition more bearable for you.

No matter your role, transition is assured. High school seniors look forward to graduation and working or attending university. Parents look forward to the end of senioritis, but mourn the loss of their child’s presence. Younger students look forward to a home assignment and all the joys of a new place while dreading being the new kid again. Some know their only transitions are watching their friends leave for 6 months or longer and being expected to welcome new people. Caregivers face a whirlwind of hellos and goodbyes in a three month race of debriefing, orientation, and care.

The good news is you can prepare for all these transitions. The time to get ready for transition is now.  Are you ready for transition?

What can you do? (I’m so glad you asked)

Word of the Year 2025 RAFT

Families

Start preparing your family now. Review Dave Pollock and Ruth VanReken’s seminal concept of RAFT (Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, Think Destination) and work together as a family to plan your collective and individual RAFTs. Revisit the plan regularly. Add to it. Celebrate when all or any of you carry out part of the plan. Make a big deal of these accomplishments.

RAFTing doesn’t have to be groan worthy. Here are a few practical things you can do to help you and your children with each step.

  • Reconciliation
    • As a family learn the 5 Step Apology https://www.counselorkeri.com/2023/03/16/teach-kids-to-apologize/
    • Use the 5 steps with each other to get comfortable with them. Then start using them with others.
    • Everyone in the family should check in with each other regularly to see if there’s someone they need to apologize to AND offer to go with them for moral support
  • Affirmation
    • Start making lists of people who are important to each person as well as to the whole family
      • Record the reasons each one is important—friendship, kindnesses, care, etc.
      • Brainstorm ideas of how to honor each person—a note, a photograph, a gift, a poem
        • Begin to create and gather them.
    • Use time now to make your own stationery (or wrapping paper?) for cards and gifts expressing affirmation
  • Farewells
    • Teach the importance of saying good-bye
    • Read some good books on farewells like The Good Pie Party  and Good Bye House – even older children appreciate a good story
    • Make lists of the people, places, and possessions that will need special attention when saying good-bye
    • Decide how you will say good-bye to each
  • Think Destination
    • Discuss the things each is looking forward to in the new place
      • People, places, possessions, of course, but also
      • Flavors
      • Sounds
      • Weather
      • Fragrances
      • Sights
    • Discuss all the things the new place won’t have. Use the categories above as a guide.
    • Ask everyone to name at least one thing they want to accomplish in the new place
    • Use Google Maps to find significant places you’ll visit
    • Make a vision board (physical or digital) for your time in your passport country/countries

High School Seniors

This year is so fun–and it can be so stressful. You can conquer it! Of course you need to do the things listed above. However, you don’t need to do them all at once. If you start now, it won’t be overwhelming. Will it be emotional and tiring?  I’m pretty sure it will be. It will also be wonderful.

Here are some tips for you as you prepare for transition:

  • Start building your RAFT (see above) now.
  • Bucket List all the things you want to do and see (besides finish school in good academic standing) before you graduate. Perhaps you can make a bucket list for yourself and one with your friends.
  • Work with your parents/guardians to make sure you have all the right paperwork for college/university including the FAFSA if you’re American. KC360 has a lot of free as well as reasonably priced resources to help you on this journey.
  • If you’re planning on a gap year, get it planned now. Being sucked into the video game vortex is not a gap year plan. If you need help planning, I know a Life Coach who can help. (Wink, wink).
  • Keep up (or start) healthy habits in all aspects of your life. The more healthy habits you can maintain in transition, the easier it will be.
  • Register for a cross-cultural transition seminar.  You can find a good one here—and here.

Caregivers

Summer–in the Northern hemisphere, the season of transition, is exhilarating and exhausting. Get ready for transition now!

  • Get your program dates on everyone’s calendars now—as in yesterday.
  • Confirm your team and their dates now.
    • Interns (if you have them)
      • Arrivals & orientation
      • Debriefing & departures
      • Housing
      • Expectations
      • Background checks & Child Safeguarding training
    • Childcare
      • Background checks & Child Safeguarding training
      • Space & supplies
    • Transportation if applicable
    • Outings
    • Special Events/traditions
  • Schedule your own spiritual retreat this spring before the stress hits.
  • Programs
    • Curriculum check–has anything changed in your organization that requires a change to your curriculum?
    • Supplies
    • Assignments
    • Permissions

Stayers

One of the hardest things about transition seems like the easiest to those who are going somewhere else. Staying might be less logistically stressful than leaving, but it has its own challenges.

Staying can mean being left behind. That’s something few relish. I talked to a 6th grader once who had a different best friend every year since pre-school. Being left behind so often led her to thoughts of never saying hello to a new person again. The pain of staying was real.

Stayers, I see you. The leavers get all the attention, but you should get the medals. Your tenacity and flexibility needs to be applauded.

Don’t think you have nothing to do in the midst of transition. While it’s not obvious at first, the transition is yours, too. Build your RAFT.  Make your bucket lists with those who are leaving as well as with those who are staying. Don’t be left in everyone else’s wake thinking you’re the leftover. This is a transition for you, too; treat it properly. You’ll be glad you took the time to get ready for transition.

Go for it!

The new year is still fresh and full of possibilities. You get to decide so much of it. Transition is going to be a part of it no matter what. You’re the CEO of your transition. Make it fire.

And maybe let the word rest before recycling it for another year.

 

Images created in Canva and Night Cafe Studio; edited in Canva.

 

My Favorite Things

From The Desk of Bret Taylor

Are you familiar with the lyrics from The Sound of Music that go, “…brown paper packages tied up with string—these are a few of my favorite things”? It’s a delightful, happy tune!

I love the idea behind it—finding joy in the simple, often overlooked things that quietly enrich our lives.

As stores start rolling out Christmas decorations, we at Interaction International are also preparing for the end of the year. We invite you to join us in finding joy in the small but essential things that allow us to support the MKs you care so much about.

While it’s easy to get excited about the more visible aspects of our work—like TCK camps, the MK Mental Health Initiative, and global training sessions—the truth is, it’s the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes essentials that make it all possible.

My “Favorite Things” Wish List for Interaction:

  • Zoom subscription to connect with isolated MKs
  • The annual audit that keeps us transparent and accountable
  • Website maintenance and support that helps MKs and their parents find us online
  • Secure online payment processors for global donations and payments
  • Meeting payroll so our dedicated team can continue their critical work

Not flashy. Not glamorous. But absolutely vital.

These are the simple, often unseen, needs that allow us to impact thousands of MKs each year. Without generous, undesignated year-end gifts, we won’t be able to keep these crucial operations running—and that could mean fewer MKs receiving the support they desperately need.

We Need You

Will you see beauty in these humble needs? Your special gift today will ensure that we can keep going strong, that no MK slips through the cracks, and that every MK knows they are not alone in their journey.

I wish I could give you  a small piece of knotted string—just a simple reminder that the small things often make the biggest difference. Because an MK who feels isolated or is silently struggling through a tough transition needs your gift, no matter the size, to bring them hope and support.

Our goal is to raise $18,000 by December 31st. Will you make a difference in the life of an MK or other TCK by giving? Will you ensure that the behind the scenes essentials are covered? Click the GIVE button above and make a difference. Will you put us on your Christmas list?

Thank you for prayerfully considering how you will help. Your generosity is a lifeline for MKs around the world. Together, we can continue this important ministry. I’m so grateful to have you on our team.

I hope your Christmas is filled with your favorite things.

 

Bret

Meet Lynnsi Wagner: A Journey of Faith and Adventure

Lynnsi Wagner map

Meet Lynnsi Wagner: A Journey of Faith and Adventure

Lynnsi Wagner is thrilled to connect with the community at Interaction International as its newest staff member. Her journey began in Uganda, where she was born to missionary parents and lived for 13 years. In 8th grade, her family moved to Kenya, where she attended and graduated from Rift Valley Academy. Now, she resides in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania with her husband, Micah who is also an RVA alum. It’s a place where her toothbrush and heart happily calls home.

One of Lynnsi’s favorite experiences in Uganda was white water rafting on the Nile River. The combination of fear and thrill as she was carried away by God’s mighty creation was an incredible way to let the majesty of the Creator settle deep in her soul. She also fondly recommends the classic safaris in Kenya; it’s an adventure she believes everyone should experience at least once.

At Interaction International, Lynnsi will serve as a TCK Specialist. She will focus on programs such as Transit Lounge and TCK Connect. We look forward to her developing materials for parents of TCKs. Lynnsi is passionate about empowering parents to support their children effectively, believing that they are the best people to do this crucial work. Motivated by her own experiences growing up, she knows firsthand the importance of healing and preventative work. It gets her up each morning and spurs her on as she develops a team of ministry partners*.

Why Interaction?

Lynnsi chose to join Interaction International because the organization shares her passion for investing in the health of TCKs. She admires Interaction International’s commitment to empowering TCK caregivers through education. Lynnsi appreciates how the organization creates a supportive environment that values the well-being of TCKs and their families.

When it comes to reading, Lynnsi is currently enjoying Lauren Wells’ “Raising Up a Generation of Healthy Third Culture Kids* and *Little Women* by Louisa May Alcott. She enthusiastically recommends *The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry* by John Mark Comer, a book that addresses how busyness, much like sin, can sever our connection with God, others, and ourselves. This book has been particularly impactful in her life, prompting her to slow down and focus on what truly matters.

Lynnsi Growing Up

Lynnsi’s family of origin includes four brothers, two older and two younger and her parents, John and Rebecca Fulks. All five siblings spent most, if not all, of their developmental years in East Africa, cherishing their time there despite the challenges. These experiences have deeply shaped Lynnsi’s worldview and fueled her passion for helping other TCKs navigate their unique journeys.

Mentors Make a Difference

Reflecting on mentorship, Lynnsi acknowledges the significant impact mentors have had on her life, whether they were present in person or historical figures. Their wisdom and guidance serve as invaluable lights on her journey. She hopes to pass on the same level of encouragement and support to the TCKs she works with.

One person from the Bible Lynnsi would love to sit with is Mary Magdalene. Being one of the first women to walk among Jesus’s disciples and witnessing His ministry up close must have been extraordinary. Lynnsi would ask her to share her perspective on being the first to the tomb among her other experiences with Jesus.

Lynnsi Wagner’s journey of faith and dedication to supporting TCKs and their families is truly inspiring. Her commitment to empowering parents and caregivers reflects her deep passion for this vital work. Interaction International is blessed to have such a passionate and knowledgeable individual on their team. Lynnsi’s story testifies to the transformative power of faith, mentorship, and community. We are excited to see the positive impact she will continue to make on TCKs and their families

 

*Ministry partners are a crucial, and largely unseen part, of Interaction’s work. Each full time staff member is required to create a team of ministry partners who sacrificially pray and give their money to help fund the work of the team member, and, therefore, the work of Interaction. Without ministry partners, there is no ministry.  If you’re interested in joining Lynnsi’s team, please contact her or go to the Give page, find her name on the drop down menu, and either make a special gift or a commitment to regular giving.

Our Newest Volunteer – Sheri Mergenthal

Our newest volunteer, Sheri Mergenthal, is ready for you to meet her. She is a dedicated and passionate individual whose life story is a testament to faith, adventure, and love for community. We love what she brings to Interaction International, and we hope you will, too.

Our Newest Volunteer

From Ohio to Africa

Born in Ohio, Sheri’s journey began when her family moved to Chicago for her parents to attend Bible school. Shortly after they finished in Chicagoland, they moved to Belgium to learn French. The family’s goal was with Africa Inland Mission in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Because of the limitations of MK education in the DRC, most of Sheri’s high school years were spent at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya, a boarding school.

College and Family Life

After high school, she attended Taylor University in Indiana, an experience and school she highly recommends. Post-college life led her to southern California, where she married Wade, her husband of almost 40 years. Although they initially hoped to work in North Africa, that didn’t work out. They settled in beautiful Camarillo, California, where they raised their family.

Their family is beautifully multicultural, blessed through adoption. They have two sons and a daughter-in-law they adore. Matt and Tori live in Texas, and Daniel resides in Arizona, though they hope he will move closer to Waxhaw soon.

A pivotal moment in Sheri’s journey came through the ministry of Jamie and Donna Winship. This helped her hear God’s voice more clearly. It also helped her discover her unique identity–the one and only Sheri created by God. Every day is a new adventure as she sees God working through her in ways that are unique.

A New Chapter in North Carolina

With their children grown and retirement approaching, Sheri and Wade sought new ways to serve. Feeling called to support Bible translation, they moved to North Carolina to join the Wycliffe/JAARS/SIL community. Living in Waxhaw brought back cherished childhood memories of family time in western North Carolina.

Interestingly, a sewing machine has become one of our newest volunteer’s best friends. Despite avoiding sewing while growing up in Africa, and thanks to her grandmother’s influence during college, Sheri now enjoys quilting. Designing and making quilts for special occasions has become a cherished hobby. She even keeps an occasional quilt kept for herself!

Our Newest Volunteer Connects with Students

At Interaction International, our newest volunteer’s role is evolving. She is excited to connect with students through TCK Connect and Transit Lounge, Interaction’s cross-cultural transition seminar for teens. This spring Sheri helped with the Friday morning TCK Connect call. Her presence allowed small groups to go back to being small again.

Sheri will serve at Transit Lounge in Georgia this summer. Once again, she will be a small group leader. We know she will be a willing friend to all TCKs present.

Other Bits of Information

When it comes to snacks, dark chocolate tops the list – nothing less than 72% cacao will do! Recently, her son Matt introduced her to Trader Joe’s peanut butter pretzels, a new favorite. She’s not sure if she should bless him or curse him for her new hankering.  We hope she brings some of her new gustatory infatuation to Transit Lounge so the rest of Interaction’s staff can sample some.

Writing is a passion for Sheri. She credits her first real mentor, an 11th-grade English teacher at Rift Valley Academy, with learning to love expressing herself through the written word. This teacher, on sabbatical from a southern California public school, profoundly impacted her life. Tough but loving, he challenged students to think outside the box and to see truths about themselves, thus leaving a lasting legacy for so many.

We are thrilled to welcome such a passionate and experienced individual to our team. Sheri’s journey of faith and dedication to serving others is truly inspiring. We hope that you will join us in welcoming our newest volunteer–Sheri Mergenthal!

 

The Legendary Special Sauce

There’s a legendary special sauce that makes Transit Lounge stand out. It’s our MK staff. We might design and lead the programs with care, enthusiasm, and heart, but they make everything more. More intense. More heartfelt. More relatable. More better.

Volunteer MK Staff are Transit Lounge’s “special sauce.” These young professionals take a week off of work and travel at their own expense to give back to their TCK community. They lead small groups, share their experiences, and bring the fun. Without them, we’re at a loss.

More about the Legendary Special Sauce

These legends also teach during our week of Transit Lounge. Some teach large group sessions and workshops around their areas of expertise. All of them teach the TCKs in their small groups in an informal, personal way. During one-on-one times with each member of their small groups, the MK staff has the opportunity to share their own hard won knowledge–especially as it relates to transitioning into American life.

Ken Spenser Small Group 23

The small group that Ken and Spenser led in the summer of ’23.

Ken, an MK staff member raised in Ghana, explained, “As a TCK who didn’t have a Transit Lounge experience, I was poorly equipped and really struggled with my adult life in the US. I volunteer each summer to help the TCKs who are going through those same struggles.”

Another MK staff member, and also part of Interaction’s regular staff, Spenser said, “When I tell people that volunteering at Transit Lounge feels like a vacation, they always give me a weird look. Not sure why. This is an excellent opportunity to give back and pass forward the things that were shared with me at some point. In addition, listening to the TCKs in my group share their stories, showing them they are important, and being interested in them is my way of loving on them, and I believe the Holy Spirit works through that.”

When asked what he has learned in his years of volunteering at Transit Lounge, Spenser replied, “It doesn’t matter how many times you hear about something if you’re not listening.” How true! Exposure to a concept rarely means it is internalized.  One of the important things that makes our MK staff the legendary special sauce, is that they review the concepts presented throughout the week with their small groups. This allows them to learn what has been heard and to either correct or encourage the internalization of the information.

Importance of Small Group Leaders

One of the primary responsibilities of the MK staff is to lead small groups. These groups meet daily–if not more often. Within the confines of the small group, each member–including the MK staff leader–shares their story. This is one of the few places a TCK can tell their life story to others and have an audience that relates to it.  What a gift to be seen and known!

Some small groups disband with little contact at the end of the week. Others form groups on Whats App and check in with each other regularly. Once, there was a small group that planned their own mini-retreat over a weekend a few months after the end of camp. They insisted their staff leader needed to be present in order to make the weekend complete. Right there! That’s the stuff of legendary special sauce!

Summer '23 Collage

Small groups and the Legendary Special Sauce small group leaders from the summer of ’23.

Ongoing Influence

Recently, I received a text from a TCK who was in my small group a few years ago.  We had not had much contact since we said good-bye at the end of camp. We follow each other on some social media platforms, but neither one of us posts much. However, as I followed my pup around the dog park, my phone buzzed with an incoming message.  The TCK wanted to know if I remembered her–of course I did! Then she caught me up a little on her life, and asked if I would pray for her. Again–of course!

I know I’m not the only one to receive messages like this. Some of our MK staff don’t see their influence beyond the week their together with the Transit Lounge participants. Some are able to maintain hear from parents about the impact they made on a TCK. And a few are able to maintain contact for years.

What a privilege it is to build lasting relationship with TCKs as they begin the arduous business of adulting in America.  Even if it’s only for a few days, it’s important work. It’s also a particular joy that happens in very few other contexts.

We are thankful for our MK staff and love seeing them positively impact the next generation of TCKS.

Jump into June

Many of you reading this already gave towards TCK scholarships with our Jump into June initiative–thank you so much! If you haven’t, would you? Giving to Jump into June makes it possible for MKs and other TCKs who couldn’t otherwise afford to a week of camp to join our Transit Lounge community of TCKs. Without your gift to help cover costs, there are TCKs who will miss out on the influence of our legendary special sauce. None of us want that.

 

Parents Have a Lot to Say

 

Parents have a lot to say

Parents have a lot to say about Transit Lounge and its impact on their children.  In case you were wondering if Transit Lounge is just a week at camp or if there’s more to it, parents think there’s a lot more to it. Each year after we wrap up our summer programs we are so encouraged when parents share how their kids are doing.

One mom who sent two of her daughters to us last summer told us Transit Lounge is mentioned almost daily in their home. They are still enjoying the fruit of the week. The elder daughter told her mom excitedly, “I didn’t melt down or cry before my “History of Me” speech.” When mom asked, “Why?” she said, “I think I did a lot of work on grief at Transit Lounge so I felt less anxious in class.”

Grief and the TCK

Grief is Loss’s constant companion.  They are inseparable. TCKs experience at least as much loss, and, therefore grief, by the time they graduate from high school as most monocultural Americans experience in the course of their whole lives.  That’s a lot of grief!

We know that unprocessed grief is a millstone around the neck. It weighs down. It limits capacity. It inhibits in ways we can’t imagine–until it’s processed and the healing process can begin.  Transit Lounge is NOT a debriefing program, However, informal debriefing happens throughout the week.

small group hug

TCKs share their stories in small groups and during one on one time with their small group leader.  They tell their roommates during walks and after lights out. They tell the counselor on staff when the stories and the feelings that are knit into them are too big, and they tell them when they know they must be spoken. Carrying grief and the stories of the words and actions that birthed the grief is laborious.

Thankfully, Transit Lounge is not “Grief Camp.” Lots of fun happens every day.  From the silliness that starts each session to games and enjoying the vistas of each location, there’s a distinct lightness that infuses each week.

And then there’s the staff–both Interaction’s regular staff and the volunteer adult MK staff who make our programs possible–they all love the TCKs. They want to see them thrive. They want them to process their hard things. They bring the love and lightness with them.

More from Parents

The mom went on to share that her youngest daughter started crying as she drove away from camp—and she cried for most of the next two weeks. When asked why she was crying, the daughter responded, “They REALLY loved me. They really love TCKs–and they don’t have to!”

For two weeks that TCK processed her fears, grief, and resentment that had built up over her life. She was able to start her new school in the States well because she was armed with tools and strategies for processing a lifetime of masked pain.

So often loving someone looks like listening to them. At Transit Lounge, we listen. We humbly hold the sacred trust of hearing the TCKs in our midst. And that doesn’t just look like love. It’s how we love people well. It’s how we love TCKs well.

Another mom wrote and said, “My daughter had a wonderful time–to put it lightly! Thank you for the hours invested in making that week beneficial. We are eager to see how God uses all she learned.

Readying Transit Lounge

Even after years of experience, Transit Lounge isn’t a pop-up event.  Within weeks of ending the last session of the summer’s last Transit Lounge, we start to work on the plan for the next summer.  We read and discuss the feedback the TCKs give us. We grab on to feedback from parents.  We digest all the tidbits of response and information that come to us.

We train our volunteer staff on running small groups, on child safeguarding, on the topics we’ll cover in our week together. We write to our financial and prayer supporters to garner scholarships and spiritual support. We don’t take any of the work lightly.

We need you. We need you to partner with us to make Transit Lounge a reality for MKs and other TCKs who can’t afford the week of camp–the week of starting to heal, the week of laughter and fun. Will you give towards a Transit Lounge scholarship? Will you pay for a TCK’s day at camp? Will you sponsor an MK?

Click over to this page and change a life.

We know if we’re as prepared as we can be for the summer, we’ll be able to have a lot of fun and love TCKs well.  We know parents will have a lot to say when we’re done. We can’t wait to hear it!