Untitled - St.Francis Magazine

St Francis Magazine Vol 8, No 2 | April 2012 4.1 Reverse culture shock Another trial for returning missionaries has to do with the reverse culture shock that too often plagues them upon returning home for furlough or reassignment. After spending months or years becoming accustomed to and adapting to a whole new ethos, it can be emotionally and psychologically (sometimes spiritually) disruptive to come home to what was once familiar and find it now strange, unfamiliar. In his practical handbook on transitioning from the field to home, Jordan (1992) provides a check list, which he recommends returnees work through prior to homecoming. Knell (2007) sees the need to provide operational and personal debriefing of missionaries with someone knowledgeable about the assignment or critical circumstances in order to ease the process of reconnecting. For the mental and spiritual health of their missionaries, the home support team must provide these kinds of opportunities. 4.2 A Suggestion: furlough teams A fourth support group can be part of the mission mobilizers, and they would be designated the furlough team. Many churches put together a team to plan their pastor’s/rector’s sabbatical and spend lengthy months and hours of thoughtful research to engender the most effective and appropriate scheduling of their leader’s time away. A furlough committee could do the same for returning missionaries beginning months before the expected arrival. Starting with input from the missionary, the committee could look at addressing medical needs, locate temporary housing (near schools, if necessary) and transportation, schedule teaching and preaching, plan and orchestrate fund raisers, suggest opportunities for spiritual renewal, and arrange adequate time out for relaxation and rejuvenation. Included in this plan would be time for debriefing when the experiences of 144