Thriving in Cross-Cultural Ministry – Staying 2 of 3

Installment 15: Staying 2 of 3

Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

 – Psalm 37:3-5

It is always possible to be thankful for what is given rather than to complain about what is not given. One or the other becomes a habit of life.

– Elisabeth Elliot

Please help me select a title for the book these articles will become: forms.gle/hiqWxPkcW5bh4e8e6

Reminder: Your fellowship, sending organization, or team may not align with my advice. Trust your leaders as you respectfully share what you learn.

This is the second in the “Staying” article series, focused on that time between your initial onboarding and return from the field, your “long haul.” For the first installment, visit bit.ly/4aXWTjQ.

• Develop a hobby. Make time for fun.
  • You need balance—do something you love every day, even for a few minutes
  • However, remain conscious of local norms. For example, sunbathing for a woman in a conservative Muslim culture might not be the best hobby choice.
• Leave your host country regularly if possible (every three to six months)
  • You do not get any extra credit for pushing through. This new place is not your normal yet (and may never be)
  • If you live in near constant strain, these breaks are particularly important.
  • Consider making medical appointments in a nearby country if you do not have good care in your location
• Where you are does not equal who you are.
  • Do not let location define you, even if others try to. You are not “Jude from Jamaica”, nor are you “Jude serving in Jordan”. You are simply Jude.
• Do not miss big family events in your passport country
  • You will miss many events (birthdays, graduations), but do not miss the biggest ones
    • Death of immediate family member
    • Marriage of immediate family member, maybe best friend
    • First child born to sibling
  • Reason: What does it say to the unbelieving world when you do not support your family in key events? This could even become a barrier to your work.
• After your initial onboarding time, start engaging in the work you went to do, even if language acquisition is still your first priority:
  • Partner with another expatriate further along in language to mentor you
  • Time with a mentor will help you transition from theory to practice
  • The shift from “purely language” will help you endure and prepare for the future.
  • Engaging in your often “puts wind in your sales” and encourages you
• Find accountability – ideally someone in your same context but not on your team.
  • You may also have accountability on your team, but most find they cannot share everything.
  • Someone with whom you can be completely open, especially regarding team or leadership challenges, will help keep you healthy.
• Care
  • REST!
    • Continue (or start) sabbath rests
    • In tithing you trust God with your money. With sabbath you trust in him with your time.
• Do a long-form debrief (3-5 days at least) at the end of your initial 2 years.
  • It sounds like a long commitment, but it takes that long to fully process your experience.

Please share your thoughts on this topic in the full document: bit.ly/4doFRgZ .

This article is part of a series. For prior articles, resources, and the author’s biography, visit bit.ly/4aXWTjQ

Books by this author: www.dharakalauthor.org

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Reliant or any other entity with which he is affiliated.

This article is submitted by Reliant. Reliant is a Missio Nexus member.  Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.