Soon we are going on a
year of furlough. I’m trying to prepare
myself for re-entry stress also known as reverse culture shock
These are excerpts
from a good article I found by Alison
Palmer :
“Very often the
process of re-entry into the home culture is difficult for a missionary.This
can be true even when the missionary wanted to return.The extent of the
difficulties, and the time it takes to adjust, depend on a number of factors,eg.
how long the missionary has been away, how deeply she was involved in the host culture,
the circumstances of the return, her personality, how quickly she gets into another
occupation, and the effectiveness of her support system.
The
sense of loss can be like an “amputation.” There are physical losses - the
adopted culture, familiar surroundings, home, and close friends. There are
other, often deeper, losses: a job or ministry, or an identity and role.
Missionaries
often live in situations where their physical appearance or accent marks them
out as different. They often feel that they have a valuable contribution to
make and feel valued by the people they work with. This can make them feel
quite ‘special.’ But at home they may no longer feel valued - if they stand out
at all it’s probably as misfits. A busy, useful lifestyle on the mission field
may have been replaced by a protracted period of seeming uselessness, and with
little obvious purpose to everyday life. There may be a real identity crisis.
As
a result of multiple losses, many missionaries exhibit signs of grieving - over
emotionalism,
loneliness, a sense of homelessness and lostness. Few people understand, few people want to hear
about it, and the missionaries themselves may not understand what is happening.”
To find the full article:
http://www.sgm.org.nz/Research%20Papers/Issues%20Facing%20Returning%20Missionaries.pdf
