Transitions are tough.
Post-transition can be even tougher.
Whether you’re returning home temporarily or permanently, equipping yourself for the process will make a such a difference, and prepare you for whatever is next.
Re-entry
Whether returning home temporarily or permanently, you need to be prepared for a season of transition – and all the challenges that brings!
Debrief
We strongly recommend a debrief, even informally, as a way of processing your time spent in another cultures.
New Season
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!
- Please don’t view the missionary’s return as an event, but rather as a process that may be difficult for them.
- Reverse culture shock (or ‘re-entry stress’) can be as difficult, or even harder, for returnees to navigate than the original culture was! Often that is because it is unexpected.
- Be prepared to love and welcome the returnee home, even if they appear ‘difficult’ as they struggle with this phase.
- An ‘end-of-term’ debrief may have been given by their agency while still on the field, but a ‘returning home debrief’, around 6 weeks after the return may also be a welcome addition.
- This could be an informal, open-ended question, ‘interview’ style to allow the returning field worker to process their thoughts and feelings.
- A debrief can be useful, even for a temporary trip home to address issues that may be under the surface.
- Returning field workers will have experienced and learnt a vast amount, more than can be summarised in a mid-service update interview or a polite question over coffee after a service!
- A perceived lack of interest in this may lead to feelings of disappointment or offence for the returning field worker.
- Consider how you can communicate that their story and experiences matter, and how you can allow them to share them in an unpressured environment. Ensure the worker’s PACTeam is on hand to spend time with and support them.
- This may feel like a repeat of the pre-field sending out, but making the effort to mark the occasion and commission a returning fieldworker will ensure they feel supported.
- Be sure to surround them with prayer and encouragement.
- Commit to keeping engaged with them and track how they are doing over the early weeks especially. Make sure their PACTeam does not disband too soon – not until they are fully settled back and re-integrated in the community.
- A new season of belonging and of continuing service is what we should hope for when a mission partner returns home for good.
- Support them practically as they settle back in.
- Consider how you can involve this returning field worker in the church’s life – they have a wealth of experience and wisdom they can contribute!
Get Equipped
Here are some useful materials for whichever stage you are in
The Antioch Factor
Ross Paterson presents a stark choice that no Christian or church can avoid making – whether we become a Jerusalem…
Thriving Across Borders
This course covers the major transitions that someone will make when crossing cultures. We delve into the typical transition points…
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!
Building a Support Ecosystem
In this course, we examine the different dimensions of support that are needed for a successful cross-cultural experience or lifestyle….
Where Should We Go Next? | Acts 2
Ross shares how the early church responded to the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
Joseph #3: Learning in God’s School of Faithfulness
In this third talk on the life of Joseph, Ross looks at Joseph through the lens of three vital principles…
Quiet time 3: Elements of a Quiet Time
his is the final post in a 3-part series: Quiet Time 1: Importance of Quiet Time with God Quiet Time…
Cross cultural marriage with Samuel Renling
We had the chance to sit down with Samuel and hear a little about his cross-cultural story. Hailing from rural…
Keys For Today From Exodus 1
Ross shares from Exodus 1, originally in 2010, but relevant to us as we face our todays in faith and…
Go and do likewise…
Ross speaks from the story of the Good Samaritan with a powerful call to us all…
Joseph #4: The Lies of Joseph’s Brothers
In this 4th teaching on the life of Joseph, Ross discusses the lies of Joseph’s brothers that they lived with…
Joseph #6: Joseph and His Choices
In this 6th talk on the life of Joseph, Ross discusses the relationship between Joseph’s choice to avoid immorality and…
Overcoming Challenges with Alan and Jan Kilpatrick
Alan and Jan Kilpatrick have lived a wide-ranging and varied life in ministry and mission, most recently serving in Mozambique….
Serving in Japan with Christina Winrich
In this interview Christina shares openly about the challenges and joys of serving God in another culture. She shares movingly…
J. O. Fraser – Something That Fraser Never Had – A PACTeam
It is vital that cross-cultural mission moves with the times and takes advantage of modern technology. When I went as…
A Missionary With A Different Vision
William A.P. Martin, 丁韪良 , (1827-1916), was an American missionary who served for 62 years in China between 1850 and…
Mildred Cable Was Not Alone In China…
Mildred Cable’s remarkable story (see my blog about her) is not complete without mentioning the two sisters with whom she…
Chinese Missionaries to Europe?
ChinaSource recently commented that “despite Europe’s historical legacy as an active sender of missionaries, Europe nowadays should be considered as…
James Chalmers – The David Livingstone of New Guinea
It was said of James Chalmers (1841-1901) that his fearlessness won the respect of the cannibals; his compassion, their loyalty…
Article 4 of the Serampore Agreement
The original version: Fourthly. It becomes us to watch all opportunities of doing good. A missionary would be highly culpable…
Henry Venn – Shaping Mission Thinking
Henry Venn (1796-1873) was both an extraordinary Christian leader of his day and a hugely important figure in cross-cultural mission…
Article 7 – Part 4 of the Serampore Agreement
Wow, How Times Have Changed! William Carey’s first paragraph below, in the original language and then in modern English, is…
What Is Donar’s Oak?
Howard Peskett made some mission related comments when writing on Deuteronomy chapter 13 in Scripture Union notes. Howard wrote: “Missionaries…
My Tribute, and Debt to, George Verwer
George Verwer died on April 14th, as I write only 8 short days ago. John Piper said that George’s “personal…