Culture shock, conflict, family struggles, burnout…
The list of challenges goes on.
Maybe you feel underprepared and unsure how to continue? Maybe you’re just worn out and need some fresh encouragement or support, or seeking answers on a specific issue?
You’ve come to the right place.
Orientation
Moving to another culture is a massive change, so the orientation season is all about arranging practicalities, adjusting and settling in.
Adjustment
Culture shock is real – and it’s tricky. Prepare yourself for the messy reality of it.
Settled
Connection
Returning
A Sender’s Role
Any fieldworker needs a great team of friends, family and colleagues supporting them. You have a huge part to play in ensuring their success. Check out what you can do to ensure your fieldworkers thrive!
- What your fieldworker needs from you now is continued encouragement and moral support.
- Often they will experience a honeymoon period of adjustment, which quickly passes as they realise the enormity of the challenge ahead.
- Continue the connection, reminding them how much everybody is celebrating but also missing them. Send encouraging words.
- It would be excellent if key members of the sending church undertook some basic cross-cultural training so that they can understand what the field worker is experiencing.
- They will then be equipped to recognise symptoms of culture shock and be able to encourage your mission partner with the words: ‘this is normal!’
- Ensure they know they have permission to be honest about their struggles.
- What a blessing when you start to see your mission partner finding their place in the new culture and functioning more effectively in the language.
- It has been such a LONG process for them to get to this point, so be sure and celebrate this as a ‘win’.
- Even now the ground may be hard and ‘results’ may take a long while to see. It is the Lord who will produce fruit in His time, so encourage the field worker to remain firm in Him and to persevere.
- Beware of bathtub syndrome – where interest in the missionary from those at home is only high at the beginning or end of their journey.
- Though they may be ‘out of sight’ keep them in mind! Stay in regular contact.
- The church must be proactive in coming alongside their mission partners, even at a distance
- Whenever a mission partner returns home, make plans to give them a resounding welcome! Be eager to hear reports from them.
- Allow them a buffer after the initial welcome to have some decompression time.
- Arrange a good debrief with a trained person, even if they don’t think they need one! This is a key to healthy processing of their experiences on the field.
- See our post-field resources for more details on what is next.
Get Equipped
The Antioch Factor
Cross-cultural marriage
Caring for Third Culture Kids
Currently in development, this exciting new course is created by our Dean of Studies, Ben Gilbert. British by birth, raised in India, with time living in Sri Lanka and the Middle East – the TCK experience is familiar to Ben, who is excited to share personal experiences, research and helpful insights for both TCKs, and those caring for them to thrive across cultures. Sign up to be notified when the course is released!
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