Tag Archives: missionary kids

Book Review: FINDING HOPE NAVIGATING AN OBSCURE PATH by Bruce Wolff

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FINDING HOPE NAVIGATING AN ABSCURE PATH: Learning to Trust God When You Can Barely Understand Him

by Bruce Wolff

Genre: Memoir of an MK

Published 2026

Summary:

This missionary kid memoir tells the hard story of Bruce Wolff. Bruce grew up in Lagos and left with his family after two assassination attempts were made on his father. He shares his travels to Africa aboard ships, his not-so-perfect family, and the many situations that led Bruce to question who God really was. Bruce does not stop there; he also shares how his faith was renewed and how God led him to become a flight instructor. His path to serving as a missionary pilot was not straight, but God used every circumstance and experience to establish the Brigade Air, Inc, a youth aviation program. This memoir is not just about Bruce’s life; it also encourages and sometimes challenges the reader on their own faith journey.

Recommendation:

I enjoy reading memoirs, especially those of everyday people who persevered in life and in faith. This book is just that. It is about a missionary kid who, despite the odds, became a strong, godly man. He does not hold grudges against the hurts he experienced. I found this book to be part memoir and part devotional – as Bruce’s desire is to point others to Christ. Bruce is a Baby Boomer, which comes through in his writing in the phrases he uses and the ideas he has. I found that anyone interested in MKs or youth aviation would find this a fascinating read.

I’ll leave you with a quote that I feel sums up Bruce’s life:

I had no idea how many years it owuld take to recover from the constant motion and the rough start in life. And no, I don’t believe that recovery means the effects are ever gone. I believe it means God changes you as you grow, using the very things that once brought shame and pain to conform us to His image (Rom. 12:2). Dependency upon Him grows and is embraced rather than resisted. He really is good. (p. 13)

* Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Review: PIECES OF PURPLE by Michèle Phoenix

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Pieces of Purple: The Greatness, Grit, and Grace of Growing up MK

by Michèle Phoenix

Genre: Resource

Published: 2025

Summary:

PIECES OF PURPLE is a compilation of work that Michèle has been doing for years. In this book, she notes the patterns she has seen in the lives of the MKs and their stories that they share with her. Giving a nod to her love of theatre, she divides the book into three sections: “Act I: The Fragments that From Us;” “Act II: The Darkness that Daunts Us;” and “Act III: The ‘Ships that Shape Us.” She also includes two interludes and a postlude of stories that illustrate the points and bring humor to the content that only teenage antics can. Michèle offers a fresh look at what an MK is, the issues they face as young people, and the influences they encounter – AND she shares practical ways parents, mentors, counselors, and even adult MKs can use to grow in their identity.

Recommendation:

Michèle Phoenix is an author of several novels, but she has hosted a podcast for several years titled “Pondering Purple.” I have listened to her podcast, read her other books, and followed her on social media. So, when I saw that she was releasing a book last year, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. I finally got a copy. I have been using this book with clients, and it is also a great resource for starting conversations with my own children. I highly recommend it for anyone working with MKs, their parents, or even adult MKs. There really is something there for everyone to learn and grow from.

* Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Book Review: BECOMING CLEAR by Claire Collins Friesen

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Becoming Clear

by Claire Collins Friesen

Genre: Memoir (of a TCK)

Published: 2025

Summary:

Claire shares her life as a missionary kid (MK). She grew up in the Philippines but moved to the US in high school when her family decided to leave. During her senior year of high school, she returns to her MK school, where she realizes that things are the same, but she is not. She bounces around from university, Kenya, the Phillippines, university, and then South Korea. Her struggles in searching for her identity come to a head when she moves to Argentina. It is here that she faces many of the same themes that she faced in Filipino culture as a young adult. A dear school friend since grade school in the Philippines challenges her to write her story. And in doing so, Claire finds clarity and understanding in who she really is as a TCK, an introvert, and a high sensitive person.

Recommendations:

Memoirs are difficult to write. The art of not sounding like a journal entry that has details that do not move the story forward is one reason. The other is telling the story without defaming the character of others who are part of your story. It’s tricky. Claire shares the inner thoughts of a TCK/MK, which is something that is brave to do. It helps those who are teaching them, raising them, and anyone thinking about moving overseas with their children. She doesn’t hold back. And for that, I applaud her. But I did find myself skimming pages that dealt with the comings and goings of events, which felt more like a journal entry and did not really move the story forward. This is Claire’s first book. Her descriptions of the beauty of the land and the people to the stark contrast of poverty she witnessed as both a child and an adult leave you with the same questioning she wrestled with.

If you work with MKs or are raising them, then I do recommend this book because it is a more modern memoir that is relevant to many of the issues that MKs deal with today.

*Please note that I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate. Please see the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.