I purchased the books listed below and took them with me when visiting cross-cultural workers during ‘home’ leave. Then the cross-cultural workers could borrow those most appropriate for them. Books that were most often helpful were those about re-entry, burnout, resilience, marriage, intercultural marriage, singleness in mission, spiritual health, anxiety, stress, third-culture kids, forgiveness and pornography.

Re-entry

• Burn-Up for Splash Down by Marion Knell
• Returning Well: Your Guide to Thriving Back “Home” After Serving Cross-Culturally by Melissa Chaplin (a workbook – typically I suggest that they try to find someone also in re-entry to work through it with)
• Receiving Them Well: A Guide on How to Support Your Loved One Returning from Humanitarian Aid or Missionary Work by L. and B. Ennis

Transition

• Families on the Move by Marion Knell
• Life In Motion: Growing Through Transitions by Ruth Van Reken and Amy Casteel
• Uprooted: A Guide For Homesick Christians by Rebecca Van Dodewaard
• Homesick: My Story by Jean Fritz
• Moving House: Bible Readings For Special Times by Catherine Hickey

Burnout/Resilience

• Unloading the Overload: A Christian Guide to Managing Stress by Cliff Powell and Graham Barker
• Zeal Before Burnout by Christopher Ash
• Healthy, Resilient and Effective in Cross-cultural Ministry by Laura Mae Gardner
• Going the Distance by Peter Brain

Marriage

• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman and Nan Silver
• Married for God by Christopher Ash

Intercultural Marriage

• Your Intercultural Marriage by Marla Alupoaicei
• Intercultural Marriage: Promises and Pitfalls, 3rd Edition by Dugan Romano

Singleness in Mission

• Single Mission by Debbie Hawker and Tim Herbert

Spiritual Health

• A Praying Life by Paul Miller
• Listening to God by Joyce Huggett

Anxiety/Stress

• 10 Best Ever Anxiety Management Techniques by Margaret Wherenberg
• The Anxiety Cure:  You Can Find Emotional Tranquillity and Wholeness by Archibald Hart 
• The Hidden Link Between Adrenaline and Stress by Archibald Hart
• The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Russ Harris 
• Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman
• Helping Kids Cope With Change, Stress and Anxiety: A Photocopiable Book by Deborah Plummer

Third Culture Kids

• Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds: The Original Class Book on TCKs by David Pollock, Ruth Van Reken and Michael Pollock
• The Grief Tower: A Practical Guide to Processing Grief with Third Culture Kids by Lauren Wells
• Misunderstood: The Impact of Growing Up Overseas in the 21st Century by Tania Crossman
• Raising Resilient MK’s: Resources for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers edited by Joyce Bowers
• Emotional Resilience and the Expat Child: Practical Storytelling Tips That Will Strengthen the Global Family by Julia Simens
• 7 Tools For Cultivating Your Child’s Potential by Zan Tyler
• Serving at the Ends of the Earth: Family Life and TCKs by Steve and Gill Bryant
• Helping Kids Cope With Change, Stress and Anxiety: A Photocopiable Book by Deborah Plummer
• When Children Grieve: For Adults to Help Children Deal with Death, Divorce, Pet Loss, Moving and Other Losses by John James and Russell Freedman
• Bear Cards: Feelings by John Veeken (a set of cards used to facilitate children sharing feelings)

Forgiveness

• Forgive & Forget by Lewis Smedes

Pornography

• IP: DIY – Internet Pornography: Do-it-yourself treatment guide for men by Phil Watts
• Captured by a Better Vision: Living Porn Free by Tim Chester

Have you any suggestions of other books to recommend for cross-cultural workers? Please comment below.

Updated: July 31, 2023