Transitioning from a cross-cultural assignment is a process that takes time and is best achieved with the support of trained, and experienced personnel. No need to undertake this journey alone. Let us help connect you with others who can walk alongside you, providing safety and nurturing along the way.

 

MORE NETWORK BLOG

Thank you for visiting us! Please find our latest blog right below and the rest of them at the bottom of the page, organized chronologically. Enjoy!

 

ByAnna Marie Graham on Monday, June 20, 2022

Serving Leaders: Replacing Ourselves

Anna Marie Graham By Anna Marie Graham on Monday, June 20, 2022

 

How do we serve leaders? By thinking about how to replace them!

Okay, maybe some of you will think this is a bad idea.

Or you might think it’s even cruel or disloyal. I probably would have felt that way when I was younger.

But now that I am getting older and wondering how much longer I will be able to do the things I am doing, I am glad to have those around me who are thinking about how to replace me … or at least how to pass on my responsibilities.

For me, it’s partly about leaving a legacy. It’s about hoping and praying that some of the work I am doing will continue into the future. I believe if God is at work in my ministry, then my loving Father may want to continue that work. He may even want to use someone else.

Fortunately, my colleagues also saw this need for continuity and last year they recruited a younger person to work alongside me and learn about the work I am doing in building mental health resources for the Canadian mission community. I have been meeting weekly for about 8 months with this young person. This is the first time I have tried to train someone else. I am not a mentor or a trainer.

At times you could say that we are bumbling along and learning together. However, there is one thing for sure – it brings great satisfaction and joy to be able to share ideas, goals, dreams, and plans with someone who is eager and willing to learn. What a gift to work alongside another person who voluntarily chooses to learn about the work you are doing and participate in it.

I do not want to claim that what I am doing is mentoring. One big difference is that I am focusing on certain tasks and skills rather than a broader focus on spiritual development or formation. However, my prayer is that through this process of learning together and working on common goals, we will both grow in our dependence on Jesus as the one who determines the long-lasting effects of our ministry.

As I reflected about this experience, I was wondering how is this different from mentoring?

Mentoring

To better understand the ingredients of mentoring I turned to one of our friends in the mission community, Tim Jacobson, Associate Director with MentorLink Canada.

 Tim wrote:

“Often, we hear it said, “I am standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before me.” Mentoring is the act of offering your shoulders for someone else to stand on. But a distinctive of mentoring is that it is a living, dynamic, relational process. We can learn a great deal from dead mentors through their writings or even from living authors or from teachers or preachers. But the model of the Trinity and the examples of Jesus and the apostles and other biblical figures demonstrate the power of relational support in our personal formation.  Mentoring focuses on the “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” part of the Great Commission. The role of mentoring is to be a tool in the process of making disciples that capitalizes on the relational dimensions of teaching, encouraging, advising, guiding, correcting, resourcing, and accompanying another person on their discipleship journey in the process of being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.”

For more information about becoming a mentor and helping prepare the next generation for God’s call on their lives, please contact Mentor Link Canada.

https://mentorlink.org/canada/ 

Next Steps

  • Pray for someone that you can mentor.
  • Take the Mentor Link training to learn about mentoring.
  • Pray for someone to work alongside you, who is younger than you.
  • Set goals for succession planning in your agency, church, organization.

Anna Marie is a Missionary & Clinical Counsellor with the MORE Network. She has been married to Doug for 40+ years, has 2 children and several grandchildren and lives in Vancouver, BC. She has provided counselling and Member Care in Asia for 12 years in several locations. Her passion is to help missionaries and their families through grief, pain and loss while in various stages of transition. She understands just how difficult it can be transitioning in and out of cross-cultural ministry. She holds a nursing degree (BScN) and counselling degrees (Master of Arts in Counseling) and is recognized as a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Canadian Certified Counsellor. 

 



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Did you miss our past blogs? Check them out below!

 

Ministry at the Speed of Relationships

Building relationships is the first and foremost thing we should be about - everything else comes out of relationships. Building relationships with people from other cultures is so important, as humor; lifestyle; values; and beliefs are so different to ours, and don’t translate well. Living next to, and working with other nationalities, requires relationship.

Jesus taught us that building relationships is the greatest and most important thing we do - no strings attached.

So, how do we build Christ-honoring relationships in our life & ministry? In this article, Paul draws on wisdom from the Bible, underscoring the importance of humility, forgiveness, trust, and genuine care in developing deep and meaningful relationships. And he challenges us, first and foremost, to approach ministry (and life) at the "speed of relationships!"

Read more...

The Bittersweet of Travelling as an Adult TCK

Over the last year, I took more flights than I ever have within a single year. I’ve had more time to be in these liminal spaces than ever before. As an adult TCK (Third Culture Kid), this has invited me to reflect more deeply on why I am where I am in the world, and how that continues to shape my identity. In these spaces I momentarily re-enter into the journey of transition and grief.

In this article, Malik shares about his recent travels, and offers advice on how to process complex feelings while traveling and staying connected to multiple cultures.

 

Read more...

Risk-taking in the Canadian Wilderness

What first came to mind when I was invited to the “Canadian wilderness” to help lead a Wilderness Camp for adult third culture kids (ATCKs) this past July was the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.  

All spring I relished these thoughts: an adventure of “humans against the elements” with a group of young adult TCKs and ATCK co-leaders who “got it.” Overcoming challenges together is a great way to bond quickly, and with other ATCKs, I knew those bonds could form quickly in the right setting. Having grown up in the mountains of Vermont and in the highlands of Kenya, hiking, camping, paddling, and climbing in wild places is revitalizing to me. 

We were headed into all the key elements of adventure: horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, and hiking in the mountains where elk, moose, and grizzly bears roamed, living in tents that had just been resurrected after a literal crushing storm. In between, we would split wood and help with cooking, and immerse ourselves in outdoor life—axe throwing and bonfires, outhouses (let’s be real) and camp cooking, fast changing weather, and the sweetest air you could imagine. For me, that kind of life isn’t about a contest so much as it is about finding harmony with elements that can give wonderful gifts and can also kill you. Risk in its essence...

Read more...

Wilderness ReBoot: What to Expect

Designed for adult MKs (Missionary Kids) seeking a deep encounter with God amidst the beauty of the Canadian back country wilderness, Wilderness ReBoot is a co-ed retreat for MKs (Missionary Kids) ages 21-35 willing to be challenged physically and spiritually, while deepening their relationship with God by seeking His direction in their lives. 

Benjamin Reed, the Program Director for Wilderness ReBoot shares the purpose behind the retreat and a behind-the-scenes look at what you can expect. 

Read more...

Updates & Reflections from My Trip to India

Paul shares stories, updates and reflections from his recent trip to India. God is at work!

Read more...

Wilderness ReBoot: Solitude, Community & Mission

Ben shares about how his love for the wilderness first started, and gives insight into what adult MKs (Missionary Kids) can expect at Wilderness ReBoot. 

Read more...

The Busyness of an MK (Missionary Kid)

I love airports.

The hustle and bustle. People of every nationality streaming past me. The endless possibilities of flights to every corner of the world.

As an adult now, I can admit that in trying to get my family from one country to another, an airport can be a stressful place; endless lines, tight timelines, lost luggage, too much opportunity for things to go wrong.

But, as a Third-Culture Kid (TCK), and specifically a Missionary Kid (MK), the airport glitters like a yellow-brick road into the unknown, and it excites me, especially that hustle and bustle, that busyness of international travel.

Airports are synonymous with the word “busy”. This word, busy, seems also to be the first word used by people to describe life where I now live, Southwestern Ontario. If you have a casual conversation with just about anyone older than 20, they describe life as busy. Life is busy ... but why? I can’t speak about your particular situation, but I can tell you about my situation: there are just so many things to do. Good things. Important things. 

How do you figure out what God is specifically calling you to do when there are so many ‘good’ things that need someone to do them?

Read more...

Adult Third Culture Kid Research

One of the main reasons I decided to pursue doctoral studies was to conduct research. Not just any research, but "Adult Third Culture Kid" (ATCK) research. For many years, I worked with children, teens, and adults from various mission agencies, preparing them for international ministry and helping them transition back to Canada.

As I listened to their stories of joy and heartbreak, accomplishments and struggles, I realized that there is so much more that we, as caregivers and organizations, can learn from these international workers and their families to contribute to their transition and healing. In particular, we need to find new ways to help them help themselves, long after the end of the transition retreats and workshops we offer.

The question I am exploring for my research is “How can spiritual self-leadership encourage identity development and sense of belonging in ATCKs in order for them to fully realize their potential and value contribution in the workplace?”

Read more...

6 Gospel Truths for TCKs

Ethan, an adult Missionary Kid, shares 6 gospel truths for Missionary Kids & Third Culture Kids ...

"While there are many positive things about growing up as Missionary Kids, we face unique challenges and personal needs that sometime seem impossible to meet. Yet there is someone who promises to be able to meet those needs in a meaningful way, Jesus. The good news of Jesus is He can meet every need of our heart arising from growing up cross-culturally."

 

Read more...

Ministry at the Speed of Relationships
Building relationships is the first and foremost thing we should be about - everything else comes out of relationships. Building relationships with people from other cultures is so important, as humor; lifestyle; values...
Read more...
The Bittersweet of Travelling as an Adult TCK
Over the last year, I took more flights than I ever have within a single year. I’ve had more time to be in these liminal spaces than ever before. As an adult TCK (Third Culture Kid), this has invited me to reflect more ...
Read more...
Risk-taking in the Canadian Wilderness
What first came to mind when I was invited to the “Canadian wilderness” to help lead a Wilderness Camp for adult third culture kids (ATCKs) this past July was the book  Hatchet  by Gary Paulsen.   All spring I reli...
Read more...
Wilderness ReBoot: What to Expect
Designed for adult MKs (Missionary Kids) seeking a deep encounter with God amidst the beauty of the Canadian back country wilderness, Wilderness ReBoot is a co-ed retreat for MKs (Missionary Kids) ages 21-35 willing to ...
Read more...
Updates & Reflections from My Trip to India
Paul shares stories, updates and reflections from his recent trip to India. God is at work!
Read more...
Wilderness ReBoot: Solitude, Community & Mission
Ben shares about how his love for the wilderness first started, and gives insight into what adult MKs (Missionary Kids) can expect at Wilderness ReBoot. 
Read more...
The Busyness of an MK (Missionary Kid)
I love airports. The hustle and bustle. People of every nationality streaming past me. The endless possibilities of flights to every corner of the world. As an adult now, I can admit that in trying to get my f...
Read more...
Adult Third Culture Kid Research
One of the main reasons I decided to pursue doctoral studies was to conduct research. Not just any research, but "Adult Third Culture Kid" (ATCK) research. For many years, I worked with children, teens, and adults from ...
Read more...
6 Gospel Truths for TCKs
Ethan, an adult Missionary Kid, shares 6 gospel truths for Missionary Kids & Third Culture Kids ... "While there are many positive things about growing up as Missionary Kids, we face unique challenges and personal ...
Read more...
Behind the Scenes (at MORE Network)
 A behind the scenes look at God's faithfulness in the MORE Network and an invitation to pray with us!
Read more...