Episode 13 - Nancy Davis - Growing up in a missionary family in Thailand and the challenges of being a "third culture" kid

At the age of 11, Nancy’s family moved to Bangkok, Thailand, to serve as missionaries. She reflects on what it was like to grow up as a missionary kid, how her identity came to be more Thai than American, and how she struggled to assimilate into American culture as a young adult in the United States. Thinking she was more Asian than American, she signed up to be a student missionary in Hong Kong, only to realize that she didn’t really fit into Asia how she thought she could either. This started a decade-long process of coming to terms with being a “third culture” kid, in which the different cultures one is raised in shape a person in a unique way. After retiring from a career in education, Nancy was invited to serve on a Maranatha volunteer project in the United States, and got hooked. Over the course of two years she’s served on 14 projects in North America and has even stepped into leadership roles on different projects. She describes this community as her “church” and says interacting with volunteers is her favorite part of the work. Nancy also talks about how she’s growing into the spiritual nurturer role while leading Maranatha projects.Thanks for listening! Please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show.Visit maranatha.org for more info on the work of Maranatha Volunteers International.Text us! Let us know what you thought of this episode and the show in general!On September 19, 2026, join us in Sacramento, California, for our annual convention, Mission: Maranatha. You’ll be inspired by volunteer testimonies, stories from the mission field, and updates from Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders around the globe. Plus, be blessed by Oakwood University's award-winning choir, The Aeolians.Learn more at https://maranatha.org/media-events/maranatha-convention/