Episode 03: Cultivating Christian-Muslim Friendships with Marilyn Gardner

Muslim women have always been a close part of Marilyn's life. Growing up as a TCK, they were like her aunts and second moms. As she became older, Muslim women became some of her closest friends. Differences in religions can certainly complicate things sometimes -- maybe even challenge our own faith -- but when a foundation of respect is built, cross-cultural friendship can prove to be just as deeply rooted as friendships we have within our own culture.

 Marilyn R. Gardner is an adult third culture kid who grew up in Pakistan and then lived as an adult in Pakistan and Egypt. She currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the author of two books: 

Between Worlds: Essays on Culture and Belonging

and her newly released memoir 

Passages Through Pakistan: An American Girl's Journey of Faith

.

In Passages Through Pakistan Marilyn traces a journey of growing faith and emerging identity in a small missionary community. From the close quarters of boarding school, to the strangeness of furloughs in her parents’ native Massachusetts, this honest portrayal of a young girl’s struggles with faith, friendship, and belonging will resonate deeply with a wide range of readers.

Between Worlds will resonate with those who have lived outside of their passport country, as well as those who have not. These essays explore the rootlessness and grief as well as the unexpected moments of humor and joy that are a part of living between two worlds. Between Worlds charts a journey between the cultures of East and West, the comfort of being surrounded by loved ones and familiar places, and the loneliness of not belonging.

You can find more writings by Marilyn on her blog, Communicating Across Boundaries.Other ways you can connect with Marilyn is on Facebook and Twitter.Do you have a favorite language blooper or cultural blunder? If you can laugh about it now, share it with us! You can do this a few different ways:

1. Send us an email to podcast(at)takingroute(dot)net 2. Click here to leave us a voice message 3. Find Taking Route on Voxer (available on iTunes and Google Play) and leave us a message there.

Did you love the Taking Route podcast? We would LOVE for you to SUBSCRIBE and leave us a review on iTunes. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!