When I first arrived on the mission field everything was a blur. Thankfully I had had some training on cross-cultural ministry before leaving the States but once you land on the mission field it goes from understanding how to live cross-culturally, to struggling to actually do it. Luckily during the first meeting I had with my team my team leader suggested that all the team members shared pieces of advice for me, and the other Goer that came with me. Some of this advice was incredibly helpful, others good for a laugh, but I was deeply thankful for all the advice I could get as I adjusted. As I was leaving the field my team was lucky enough to have two new Goers join our team, and I suggested that we all share pieces of wisdom with these new girls, as it had been such a help to me.
The first piece of advice that was shared with me was that it was okay to cry. The team leader’s wife shared this with us as she said that she was incredibly happy for the time she had spent overseas but that change takes work, it’s never easy leaving your home and your family and that you shouldn’t feel bad for experiencing normal emotions. But she also talked about how along with the sadness there was a great joy that she experienced in following where God was leading and a dependency that she learned during that time where she said she cried everyday for a month. This was a great encouragement for me. Even though I’m not much of a crier, I was glad to know that I wasn’t unique in not finding huge life transitions to be easy. And if you feel like God is leading you to serve overseas, I hope you won’t let the fear of the hard times stop you from the dependence you will learn to have on God through the change and all the ways you will be able to serve Him and share the gospel in some underserved places.
Something that was shared with the new goers when I was leaving was to look forward to and make the most of this amazing time. It’s a real blessing to be able to serve overseas so easily. GoCorps and their sending partners make it far easier than I expected to serve God in an unreached country. I’ve had the chance to share Jesus with people who have never heard before, and that is something that you should be excited about! It can be easy to lose perspective when you get distracted by so many things like money, support raising, language learning, etc. But this opportunity-- if you are considering it--will give you a chance to obey God and walk closer with Him, and if it is how He works, walk along with new brothers or sisters in Christ in a country where that is an incredibly rare sight!
It would be hard to share all the words of wisdom shared with me but I hope that this little insight will encourage someone thinking and praying about joining GoCorps.
One short piece of advice that was shared with me was to be ready to change your underwear at lunch time (where I was it was HOT). Who knows where you’ll end up or the ways that new cultures (or temperatures) could change even the smallest parts of your life, but I hope that if this is where God is leading you that you will enjoy your time as much as I have.