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Coming Home to Wealth
A high-school girl from Atlanta returned from her trip to Mexico with her group and was picked up at her church by her Dad in his BMW. When they arrived at their house in an affluent neighborhood she stepped out of the car, looked at the house and threw-up right there on the lawn.
Why such a violent response?
Even a kid who didn't feel like he had much when he got in the bus or on the plane for the mission field will struggle with feelings of guilt when he returns home. On the field, your young person will meet, and possibly build friendships with people who live not knowing where their next meal is coming from, or in a shack made of cardboard or without a home at all. Coming home to simple things like a house, lots of clothes, plenty of food and all his stuff won't be easy.
Your young person probably won't throw-up at the site of your house. But awareness of the needs in the world from such a personal experience with poverty will probably cause him or her to respond to everyday things in unexpected ways-- unexpected by you, or by him or herself.
Here are some responses you might anticipate:
- anger over throwing away leftover food
- guilty feelings about having so many clothes
- being overwhelmed by walking through the mall, or the grocery store
- frustration with parents, siblings, friends who just don't understand
Here are some suggestions for helping your young person respond constructively:
- have him or her go through their stuff and take a donation to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army
- be very deliberate in asking questions about things he or she saw that were hard or sad
- look carefully at photos and ask questions
- help him or her find opportunities for ministry and service in your own community
- encourage communication with team members who shared the experience and are probably also sharing their feelings
The longer your young person was away, the more intense the feelings of displacement and extended the time it will take to re-adjust to life at home. Your interest and understanding could be the key to your young person taking the things he or she learned on the mission field and making them apply constructively back at home.
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© 2008 Adventures In Missions
6000 Wellspring Trail -- Gainesville, GA 30506
Toll free: 1-800-881-2461 or from GA: 770-983-1060
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