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Tag: dorm life

#alt=The Christmas Candy House, debbiejoneswarren.com
The Christmas Candy House

The Christmas Candy House

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“Christmas will be here soon,” my first-grade teacher said. “In a couple of weeks, you kids will fly back to your parents on their mission stations for the holidays. Today you’ll make a Christmas craft to take home.” Twenty happy faces beamed around the sunlit classroom at the boarding school for missionary children in Nigeria, and cheery voices called out. “Yay! It’s almost Christmas!”  “Crafts are my favorite subject.” “I can’t wait ‘til we go home.” During the next half…

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Shower Troubles, debbiejoneswarren.com Nov 2018, bathroom sink
Shower Troubles Revisited

Shower Troubles Revisited

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Jutting out from the green-painted walls, three shower heads loom dark and shadowy under the single lightbulb that lights the bathroom. I’m scared to take my first dormitory shower in this open room with a dozen other first-grade girls…. I’ve rewritten this story using the present tense, and I would value your honest feedback. Does this tense flow well and bring you more deeply into the story? Or does it sound awkward? What other thoughts do you have? Shower Troubles…

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The Land of the Scots

The Land of the Scots

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Come with me on a photo journey as we meet up with Chris’s family and friends in his home country of Scotland. In March 2023, we had a fabulous time in the land where Chris was born and in which he hopes to retire. (Chris and I are still in negotiations about that, haha.) As I consider spending more time in my husband’s home country, it is a special gift that I have found friends in Scotland–connections from my childhood…

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#alt=I'll Be Home for Christmas, debbiejoneswarren.com
I’ll be Home for Christmas

I’ll be Home for Christmas

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While I stood at the kitchen counter chopping veggies for a salad, I tapped the icons on my phone to call my mom. She and I often feel lonely at dusk, so I’ve started calling her around suppertime while I prepare dinner. Mom’s voice sounded weary. “Hi, Honey.” I was a little concerned but began with my usual question. “How are you doing today?” “Well, right now I’m feeling depressed. I don’t like that the radio station plays Christmas music…

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#alt=Fear in the Dorm Office, debbiejoneswarren.com
Fear in the Dorm Office

Fear in the Dorm Office

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The dorm Auntie kissed each of us four girls goodnight and turned out the light in my bedroom in the boarding school dorm in Nigeria. “Good night,” my roommate said, a little too loudly for the Auntie’s liking. “Good night. No more talking after your light is out. You’re the last room in the hall, and I don’t want to hear another peep from anyone.” The short, dark-haired lady’s voice was firm. Her skirt swished as she turned, and her…

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#alt=The DNA of a TCK, Part 2, debbiejoneswarren.com
The DNA of a TCK, Part 2

The DNA of a TCK, Part 2

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In July, I posted a short article about the MK/TCK reunion Chris and I attended over the July 4th weekend. It was wonderful to see so many people with whom I had gone to school as a child in Nigeria. The group was made up of MKs, TCKs, Nigerians, expats, and their spouses. (*Terms are explained below.) As in any school reunion, we chatted, got reacquainted, and shared familiar stories of bygone days. On Saturday morning we had a large…

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#alt=The DNA of an MK, debbiejoneswarren.com
The DNA of an MK

The DNA of an MK

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Over the July 4th weekend, approximately 110 missionary kids (MKs) and their spouses gathered for a reunion to explore The DNA of an MK. Every three years we hold a reunion for both of the boarding schools I attended in Nigeria.… and no, the reunions aren’t in Nigeria! The location alternates between Indianapolis and Dallas, the two cities in which the volunteer organizers live. At each reunion, only three or four people from my graduating class attend. However, because they…

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#alt=Can We Flourish After ACEs?, debbiejoneswarren.com
Can We Flourish After ACEs?

Can We Flourish After ACEs?

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Recently I learned about Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs. Are you familiar with the term? ACEs are traumatic or stressful experiences that have a heavy impact on children at the time, and the effects can continue throughout their lives. I searched online for a simple definition and found one on the CDC website. “ACEs can include violence, abuse, and growing up in a family with mental health or substance use problems. Toxic stress from ACEs can change brain…

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#alt=workbook A Surprise Experience of Forgiveness debbiejoneswarren.com
A Surprise Experience of Forgiveness

A Surprise Experience of Forgiveness

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Sitting in a women’s Bible study, I looked around the circle at the smiling faces. Am I the only one who has trouble with forgiveness? I wondered. As a six-year-old, my heart shattered when I was sent to boarding school for several years. When I returned home for vacation, I couldn’t express to my parents the homesickness, rejection, and abandonment I experienced. I felt hurt and angry. The many instances of abuse I saw from people who were supposed to…

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