Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Tuesday Topic: Short-term volunteers


Danielle asks: Living in El Salvador, we are close to the U.S. and our organization facilitates many short-term mission teams, as well as longer term (2 or more month) volunteers. When we are hosting teams, my husband is in high demand, and sometimes I am too. Our kids often spend a lot of time with the teams, and our oldest has even starting translating from time to time when the teams do children's ministry. When the time comes for our new friends to head back to North America it is very difficult for our children to say good-bye. I often question what kind of toll the constant coming and going is taking on them. If you are working with an organization that hosts short-term volunteers how much do you get involved with the mission teams? How much are your children involved, and how do you help them cope with the new people, and all the good-byes?

(If you have a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to me at fylliska@gmail.com. Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, or specify if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

1 comment:

  1. Such a great question. And although I am not a missionary mom in the traditional sense, our family so valued the other missionary mom's and kids that took the time to know us, and love on us while in Guatemala. They impacted us just as much if not more than the orphans we went to serve. In today's world seeing the gospel of sacrificial love truly lived out is a powerful and convicting thing! Thanks to all you missionary mommas out there! Each of you are changing lives!

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