When the World is Your Home: A New Book for TCKs

It started with a question. What happens when bedtime stories don’t reflect your child’s reality? For GEM worker Alyx Scholl,  that question led to writing When the World is Your Home, a book for children growing up between cultures.  

Alyx and her husband, Nick, have been serving with GEM in Italy since 2022, along with their two young children, ages four and one. The idea for the book came from a desire to help her kids feel understood. 

“As I was reading my kids’ bedtime stories, I realized how many didn’t match their reality,” said Alyx. 

This realization sparked the idea to create a story that would resonate with Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who often feel like they belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time. 

Life and Identity Between Cultures 

TCKs live in a unique space. They spend their formative years outside their parents’ home culture, blending into a “third” culture. This experience is common among families serving internationally, including missions, military, and diplomatic communities. While this lifestyle offers great opportunities, it also brings challenges.  

TCKs often wrestle with feelings of not fully belonging to either culture. Transitions can be emotionally challenging, but Alyx believes there’s beauty in their global perspective. They learn resilience and adaptability, and gain a worldview that few others have. 

The Ups and Downs of Parenting TCKs 

For Alyx, the hardest part is the distance from extended family and the goodbyes that come with it. The best part? Watching her kids learn new languages, experience different cultures, and grow through the adventure of following God’s calling. 

To support and encourage her children, Alyx affirms their “superpower” of bilingualism and global perspective, celebrates family connections through intentional communication, and frames their life as an adventure—not a comparison to life in the U.S. She also encourages emotional processing, especially around goodbyes. 

Alyx emphasizes that faith plays a central role in shaping identity and fostering belonging among TCKs, offering them a sense of rootedness. 

“No matter where you are, you can stay rooted in Christ and rooted in your true identity,” said Alyx. 

This truth helps her kids remember who they are in God, even when everything else feels uncertain. 

Sharing Hope Through Everyday Life in Italy 

Alyx and Nick serve through everyday relational evangelism by sharing life and faith in the rhythms of daily life. Their ministry happens in parks, cafes, and conversations with neighbors and other parents. They use their passions and talents including sports, art, music, and English conversations as bridges to build relationships and share the gospel. 

“In all of those interactions, we’re sharing our lives and the hope of Christ, praying these relationships lead to Bible studies, discipleship, and ultimately a church planted here in neighborhood,” said Alyx. 

Discover More and Get Involved 

When the World is Your Home is for TCKs and their families, international organizations, pastors and churches, immigrant families and anyone navigating cross-cultural life, educators and agencies working with globally mobile families. 

“It’s a resource for understanding,” Alyx says. “Even my brother wants copies for his daughters so they can understand their cousins.”  

For kids who call the world home, the book is a powerful reminder that belonging isn’t about geography—it’s about identity in Christ. You can order When the World is Your Home on Amazon here. 

Want to learn more about the Scholls’ ministry in Rome? Subscribe to their newsletter. Alyx shared that there are lots of opportunities for others to get involved in their work. Short-term teams are needed to help with events, childcare, or creative outreach, while long-term workers are needed to bring unique talents to the growing GEM team in Italy. 

Author: 

Faith Kearns is a graduate from Liberty University and has served with Greater Europe Mission as a Ten2 Project participant and marketing intern.