Author Interview with Beth Eckstein

  1. Tell us something fun about yourself that is not in your author bio.

 

I had the opportunity to be an extra in the movie The Life of Pi. Ang Lee is from Taiwan and wanted to shoot most of it here on the island. One of the scenes was set in Europe so he needed a large group of Caucasians willing to stand in 50s era swimsuits in 50-degree weather. Although my scene was cut, it was still a fun experience!

 

  1. What’s one thing you miss from North America when you are on the field, and one thing you miss from the field when you are in North America?

 

I miss fall so much. I am originally from Michigan and our trees turn into brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange. Of course I also miss the cider and donuts that go with this season. When I am in North America, I miss my teas! Taiwan is famous for bubble tea, but we also have every combination imaginable, with my favorite being passionfruit green tea.

 

  1. What do you think is the benefit of writing and sharing your story?

 

I hope it helps people know they are not alone. I have lived in very isolating circumstances where I often felt like I was the only one experiencing various trials. Reading other people’s stories helps me think things like “Oh ok good, I’m normal.”  And I also want to give people hope. When we are struggling, it is encouraging to read of someone else who experienced difficulty but then saw how God redeemed it for her.

 

  1. How do you create time/space in your life to write?

 

I have to set aside large chunks of time and I often find that leaving the house to write is the best for me. Coffee shops, tea houses, parks-intentionally going to one of these spaces alerts my brain that it is time to write. I wish I was more intentional about doing this more often, not just when I have a deadline.

 

  1. Where besides Connection can our readers read your writing?

 

I write for our organization at www.sendwomen.org.

 

  1. What are you reading/listening to now? (especially something that is a helpful resource)

 

I am finishing the book Women Lead the Way by Linda Tarr-Whelan. This is an excellent resource that discusses women and leadership and demonstrates the bottom line benefit to organizations that really embrace working towards placing women in decision making roles at every level of an organization. I believe we are missing out on creative solutions, retention of good talent, as well as other skills when we determine leadership roles based on gender.

 

  1. What do you think is the best kept secret out there (in terms of an organization or resource that is useful to global workers)?

 

I don’t know if it’s a secret or not, but I hope women take advantage of the counseling and debriefing resources we have available to us as global workers. I have expat friends with large multi-national companies and when they hit deep culture shock, depression, or have reentry struggles they have no resources to go to. Organizations like MTI (Colorado), Cornerstone Counseling (Chiang Mai) and LinkCare (California) are just a few that come to mind and I know so many workers personally who have benefitted from and been able to sustain long term ministry because of places like these.

 

  1. Who (dead or alive) would you want as a mentor for life and ministry?

 

I love the writings of Isobel Kuhn and would love to have her mentor me in her heart for cross cultural living and ministry. She was tenacious and fought through so many difficult circumstances.

 

  1. If you could choose a kitchen utensil or appliance that best described YOU, what would you choose and why?

 

Maybe my KitchenAid mixer? I love getting people together and seeing them collaborate for kingdom work. I don’t always like the work of baking, but I love the finished product. I feel like that sometimes in my administrative work. It is the means to the end of connecting women and mixing them together. I am an extrovert too so like my mixer I am always out!

 

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