We have been invited to participate in a Blog Carnival at Missionary Blogs where we are to help give advice for people who are considering the missions life. We aren't experts, for sure, but here are some things we thought of from our 5.5 years of foreign experience.
1) Read Serving with Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore. It's a book for short-term missions groups about Cultural Intelligence, but it would be helpful for anyone who is considering moving to a foreign land as well.
2) Spend as much time with your family and friends as possible before you go. You will learn to live without some conveniences and foods, but you will really miss your relationships.
3) Walk in humility. Recognize that just because you have been somewhere on a short-term trip or a vacation, you are not an expert on the culture. Observe and listen. Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth closed as much as possible.
4) Find a local friend or pastor who you trust and can learn from. Listen to them! They know the cultural cues, they know how to deal with potential dangers, misunderstandings, and all that.
5) Build a prayer support group at home of people you can be brutally honest with about your struggles and joys. I would even suggest they be people who are not sending you financial support, just fully supporting you in prayer.
6) Finally, here are some things we recommend you bring with you:
* Favorite books (if you will be in a non-English speaking country)
* Favorite movies - just for a few hours of comfort and refuge with the familiar
* Family pictures and pics of your town and your church. This means a lot to your foreign friends when they can see how you lived, what your mom looks like, how your kids were when they were little, etc...
Comments