Thanks for visiting sherylobryan.com! I’m Sheryl. I currently serve as the TCK (Third Culture Kid) Coordinator for WorldVenture. It’s the best job I could ever ask for!
As of 2014 I’ve been with WorldVenture for 24 years. Before moving to my current position, I served at International Christian Academy in Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire (in western Africa) for a little more than 10 years. While I was at this boarding school for TCKs, I was the high school English and social studies chairperson. I also sponsored classes, volunteered at an orphanage, worked in a high school girls’ dorm one day a week, and did a few other things!
For the most part I loved my life in Côte d’Ivoire. Sure, there were moments when I wanted to be elsewhere, but they weren’t multitudinous. In September of 2002 a civil conflict broke out that forced the school to shut down and all of us to evacuate from the country. You can read about it in my Evacuation posts; I could finally write about the experience six years after the events.
I’ve been in Colorado at WorldVenture for the last 10 years. I love working with WorldVenture’s families and especially with the kids. I help them learn about transition and grief and their unique perspectives on the world. If you’d like to know more, just ask me!
One purpose of this site is to help me better connect to TCKs, my support team, and those interested in what’s going on in my life. Another purpose is to help educate anyone who reads about TCKs. Thirdly, it gives me an outlet to write–about faith and what’s crossed my mind lately. I value your comments, questions, and general feedback. Don’t be shy. Let me know you were here and what you’re thinking!
21 responses to “About”
Sheryl, I’ve known you for a long time, but I am finally getting a chance to learn about what you’ve been up to when you’re not hanging out in Glendale or Middletown. I am blessed every time I see you, and I look forward to keeping in touch in a more meaningful way. Thanks for the smiles, and the tears.
Hey Soul! Imagine! Your very own website! I suppose we will be following suit not too long from now. It looks beautiful. How’d you do it? I think I’ll be calling you soon, just to talk.
Love, Soul
Hi, Soul!!! It is pretty amaing, isn’t it?!? And it’s all thanks to our brother. He’s pretty amazing. It will be great to talk to you. Sigh.
I am loving your website, sweet friend! Keep it up…you’re amazing!
Hello favorite! I miss seeing you every Sunday at church! We need to get together for coffee or lunch or just something, I haven’t seen you in so long. But it should maby be before you leave to go on some more of your great adventures (and i’m jealous! i wish i could go with you! . . . again)! So you can call me or text or even email and know I love you!
Ahhh…my wonderful beautiful friend. I just found your blogs and copied and pasted the latest one to Al-O! To think about her purpose in light of college choices. Can you believe she will soon be off to college?
You are forever my favorite!
Nansie! Oh—what a surprise to find your name and words today. I miss you so much so often. One day we’ll be in the same place again on this side of eternity. I’m sure of it. Al-O is NOT old enough to think about college. If she were, that would make us much too old, and there’s no way that’s possible! Love you till the clock strikes 30.
I work with TCKs in Beijing, China through international churches here. I’m always delighted to come across people with a focus on ministering to TCKs. They are so precious! And far too many fall through the cracks without adequate support. Thank you for your ministry!
Tanya, thanks so much for stopping by! And even more—thanks for your work with TCKs. We are a fairly rare breed. 🙂 I loveng finding other TCK personnel, too. I have a feeling at some point we’re going to bump into each other. I don’t know when or where, but it will be a happy day!
Thank you for visiting my page 🙂
I know quite a few TCK’s! most of them grew up in West Africa!
Merissa—now I’m curious . . . wanna play the who do you know that I know game? This could be fun!
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my blog thus i came to “return the favorâ€.I am trying to find things to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
Hi Sheryl,
Wow, a person who ministers to TCKs – I love it. And thanks for visiting my blog, else I wouldn’t have found yours. Enjoying reading here.
Every blessing,
Susie
Thanks, Susie! TCKs–my favorite people group! It’s a pleasure to get to work with them. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh my, have you ever heard “been there – done that”? Well, that is the first thing I thought of when I read your message on Bonnie’s site. Small world, indeed! My son & daughter in law were missionaries in West Africa for 15 years. They ministered in Niger & Burkina Faso; but often went to other West Africa countries. Currently he is a minister at the Baptist Campus Ministries at the University of FL in Gainesville and she is a doctor, having just received that degree recently…Last year my left foot kept getting more & more painful & the doctors I saw said a couple things were wrong; but not to worry about the growth..finally in Oct, I saw a foot orthopedic specialist who immediately put my left leg in a heavy boot/brace & ordered me to start walking as little as possible & use a walker when I did.. The diagnoses.. acute achillies tendenitis and an inflamed bursa. I also have had shots in my right knee because I walked lopsided so long & now have a brace on it. To say I am discouraged would be an understatement. I LOVE your attitude and your word “persever”
YES>>WE ARE GOING TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!
hi sheryl, nice to meet you when you stopped at my blog. when i saw that you were in ivory coast at one time, i was wondering if you ever worked with martha strickland there. she taught one of my daughters in 5th grade in miami, FL b/f going to ivory coast w conservative baptists to teach in an mk school. we heard she had to return to the US for health issues but lost track of her. for perspective, my daughter is now 40!
she has been a missny in kiev ukraine for 6 yrs. then married and a yr. ago, returned w her husband and toddler son for a 3 yr. short term. she is in the US right now to have #2 baby. then they will have 2 yrs. to go.
i’m glad to meet you.
Sheryl – huge thanks to you for linking my blog to your site! You wouldn’t know this from my site but my parents were with World Venture before it was World Venture! Some of my earliest memories go back to coming on furloughs to the CBFMS office in Wheaton, Illinois. Colleagues of my parents were Ray and Jean Buker; Warren and Shirley Webster and more. I am so thrilled that they have someone on staff whose full time position is working with TCK’s. There is so much more available to kids now, for which I am grateful. There is no doubt the challenges are similar and cross generations in terms of identity theft, feeling other etc. but knowing that it is now recognized as such is huge. A bit over a year ago I went sort of through World Venture to participate in flood relief. It was a remarkable experience to go “home”. Here is where I write about it:
http://communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com/2011/02/07/holy-moments-from-an-unholy-disaster/
Lovely to meet you over the internet!
Hello,
It has been a very long time since PFO! So glad that I “ran into” you over at Djibouri Jones blog. I’m so glad to see you are also writing. I’m going to be following now for sure! 😉
I’m glad to reconnect, too, Madonna! Welcome to my blog!
HI Sheryl,
Our family is getting set to relocate to the Middle East, where I will be principal of a school for Muslim children. We will be at PFO at Houghton for the next two weeks. Though your thoughts on the training are from 7 years ago, the little tidbits are encouraging. And one of the posters on your site, Marilyn G, knows my aunt and uncle, the Bukers. They served in Pakistan decades ago.
Matt
I hope you had a great time at PFO, Matt! It’s one of the best programs around for working with TCKs.