expectation – Page 2

PWs Sharing and Caring

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful conference in Budapest designed for educational support for those serving in the Europe, Russia and Central Asia. While there, I led two workshops for the ladies. One was on understanding our roles when working overseas, and the other on helping our children feel at home in their host culture.

I would like to take time to write whole articles on these topics, but for now, I’ll just give you the highlights. Think about these points and if you have some thoughts, please email me and I’ll use your ideas, when I write longer articles sometime later. [Read more…]

The Vitality Assessment

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Let’s take a moment to think about Elijah, the mighty prophet of God. He had just participated in what sports announcers would call a rout! The false God, Baal, was no match for the Living God, Yahweh. As God’s chosen representative, Elijah was overpowering. After that victory, he should have been so up, but he was so down. When threatened by Jezebel, he ran like a scared rabbit. He even left his close companion behind, found a convenient tree, fell to the ground, and asked God to let him die.

You may hesitate to compare yourself to Elijah. I would. But the Bible says he was a man with the same experience that all of us have. In other words, completely human. Working cross culturally, we see victories that we can never fully describe to those back home. Then something happens that threatens us (it doesn’t even have to be a very big something) and we cave in.

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First Year

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What makes the first year on the field so tough? Here are some answers from those who have been there and helped others through that time.

Some things that happen before you go to the field make a difference about how difficult that first year will be. A one month field trip is invaluable. Lea says, “This sounds like expensive advice but I have found out through lots of experience working with PWs that it is one of the best investments anyone can make. This month long visit not only helps prepare a person for what to bring when they come out but also opens their eyes to a few of the difficulties they may face overseas. ”

Developing a close relationship that you can continue through email would be a lifesaver. We all need someone we can confide in and having someone not related to our board or field will give us much needed perspective when we go through rough water. Many of us have found, however, that the “folks back home” cannot relate to our field experience, so someone who has lived overseas would be the best type person for a confidante.

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