To make the most of this list, the mission workers should ask themselves these questions frequently and answer them honestly. However, they also need to be asked regularly by a third person. This cannot always be done face to face, but needs to be done by a friend and someone with whom a close relationship has been built. In preparation, this list needs to be talked through with someone before a person leaves for overseas. If people are honest, it is usually possible to anticipate where difficulties might arise.
This is only an audit. It is only useful if situations that are found to be not ideal are acted upon before they get critical or out of control.
- Do you sleep well and wake refreshed most of the time?
- Do you enjoy good friendships with your local neighbours?
- Do you feel positive most of the time about your expatriate colleagues?
- Do you experience satisfaction most of the time in relation to your work and ministry?
- Do you have satisfactory ways of relaxing and taking ‘sabbath rests’?
- Do you eat a healthy (if limited) diet?
- Do you normally feel, at the end of each day, that you have done a good day’s work?
- Do you have a good sense of humour?
- Do you normally feel safe where you live?
- Do you normally feel your life refreshed when you read the Bible?
Danger Signs
- Are you frequently tired, or tired all the time?
- Do you have a lot of backaches or headaches?
- Do you get angry, or tearful, over little things, or frequently?
- Do you feel very lonely?
- Do you feel frustrated in your ministry and wish you could go home?
- Do you feel your leaders are not doing a good job?
- Do you have a sense of failure or guilt?
- Are you being defeated in relation to some particular sin?
- Do you struggle to concentrate in prayer and Bible study?
- Are you too dependent on some other person?
Displayed: January 2011
