Volunteer Abroad! Mark Crockerstmleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/STMleader-Volunteer-A… · Mark Crocker 5 Executive Summary This training module covers several key areas to

VolunteerAbroad! MarkCrocker1


VolunteerAbroad!7keystogetoutthedoorandonaplaneCopyright©2012,2015MarkCrockerAllRightsReserved.Thisbookorpartsthereofmaynotbereproducedinanyformwithoutwrittenpermissionoftheauthor.ForauthorinquiriesortobookspeakingopportunitiescontactMarkCrockeratMark@stmleader.comUnlessotherwisenoted,©ImagescourtesyofSXC.Termsofusageareatwww.sxc.huCoverimage:Lebanon-Warcorrespondent.RaulA.-FlickrImagesCCUnlessotherwisenoted,ScripturequotationsaretakenfromtheHolyBible,NewLivingTranslation,copyright1996,2004.UsedbypermissionofTyndaleHousePublishers,Inc.,Wheaton,Illinois60189.Allrightsreserved.ScripturequotationsmarkedMSGaretakenfromTheMessage.Copyright1993,1994,1995,1996,2000,2001,2002.UsedbypermissionofNavPressPublishingGroup.


TableofContents

TABLEOFCONTENTS 3

STMLEADERCERTIFICATION. 4

EXECUTIVESUMMARY 5

WELCOME 6

A. SAFETYANDSECURITY 7EVALUATINGRISK 8MAKINGTHEDECISIONTOGO–AWRITTENRISKASSESSMENTPLAN 9

B. CULTURE 10THEICEBERGMODEL 10ATTHESURFACE-OBSERVABLEDIFFERENCES 11ATTHEWATERLINE-LEARNEDDIFFERENCES 11CULTURALISSUESYOUMAYDEALWITH 13WHATJUSTHAPPENED? 15

C. THEDANGEROFYOURPREVIOUSSUCCESS 19

D. YOURRELATIONSHIPWITHYOURHOST 21MINISTRYDESCRIPTION 21TYPICALWORKWEEK 21LOGISTICS 22VENTINGANDCONFLICT 22HOUSING 23

E. HELPINGTHEPOOR 24WHOBENEFITSTHROUGHVOLUNTEERMISSION? 25SOWHATDOIDO? 27

F. FUNDRAISING 29RAISINGFUNDSISASIMPLE3STEPPROCESS. 29

G. SHARINGYOURSTORY: 31EMOTIONALAPPEALS 31COMPASSIONFATIGUE 32YOURFIRSTCOMMUNICATIONSHOME: 32YOURNEXTCOMMUNICATIONHOME: 33

CONCLUSION 35


STMLeaderCertification.AreyoureadytoreachthestandardofexcellenceforShortTermMission?STMLeaderisthepremierShortTermMissionleadercertificateprogram.WemakethelifeofaSTMleaderawholeloteasierandsaveyoutimeandmoney.Ifyouarereadytotakeyourleadershiptothenextlevel,signupforournextcoachingcohort.Youcanexpectworldclasscoachingandpracticalsessionsthatareimmediatelyuseful.WewillrevealthesecretstosuccessandallthetoolsforbestpracticesinShortTermMission.

• Yougainaccesstoexclusiveresourcesyoucanimmediatelyuse.• Youreceivetheforms,templatesandtoolsyouneedtomanageanySTMtrip.• YoumeetwithadedicatedSTMLeadertrainerlive(onSkype).• Youaresupportedthroughallphasesofthetrip.Prep,on-fieldandreturn.• Youreceiveapersonalplanandalltrainingmaterialsforallteamsessions

Hostsrecognizethedifferencebetweengoodandgreatteamleaders,whichonedoyouwanttobe?Makeourexpertiseandexperienceyourstoday!Checkoutwww.STMLeader.comformoreinformation.


ExecutiveSummaryThistrainingmodulecoversseveralkeyareastohelpyousucceedabroad:SafetyandSecurity:Personalsafetyandresponsibilityisasignificantissueforsendingagenciesandvolunteersalike.Shouldsomethinggowrong,whatshouldyouexpectandwhatisexpectedofyou?Wewillworkonaplantomitigateproblemsandpreparefortherealissuesofriskyoumayfacewhileabroad.Culture:Wecarrywithusdeeplyembeddedviewpointsabouttheworld.Thebestwaytobegintorecognizeourowncultureistostepoutofitforawhileinordertoexperiencehowothersseerealityindifferentways.Thisdocumentwillsharethesimpletriggerthatindicatesanewopportunityto‘get’anewculturalperspectiveaswellasthe5stepprocesstodeepenculturalcompetencies.YourPreviousSuccess:Financialaccountmanagersfrequentlydeclarethat“Pastperformancedoesnotpredictfuturesuccess”.Thisistrueofbothinvestmentsandinternationalmission.Wewilldiscusshowyourprevioussuccesscanbeeitherhelpfulorharmfulforyourworkontheground.RelationshipwithyourHost:Thenumberoneplaceforfailureonthefieldisinrelationships,understandingthefoundationalnatureofrelationshipwithyourhostisvitalforthelongtermsuccessofyourprojectandyourself.HelpingthePoor:Manyinternationalvolunteersareaskedtogetinvolvedwiththeprojectsofourpartnersonthefield.Wewanttohelp,butareconcernedaboutsustainability.Wewilldiscussprojectsthatworkversusprojectsthatfail.Wewillreviewthebehavioursthatleadtosustainabilitywithparticularattentionpaidtoourownattitudes,andhowtheyforcesomeofthebreakdowninpartnership.Fundraising:Mostvolunteersareabletotravelabroadduetotheirpersonalsavings,aswellasthegenerosityoffriendsandfamily.Thisprocessofraisingfundsisfrequentlystressfultoavolunteer.Wewilldiscussthewaysinwhichthemostsuccessfulvolunteersraisefundstoenabletheirworkontheground.Communications:Howdoyousharethestoryofyourworkinsuchawaythatpeopleunderstand,supportandhelppromotewhatyoudo?Wewillreviewsomecommonmistakesandprovideasimplestoryskeletonthatwillhelpyouinyourcommunicationswithfriendsandfamilywhileyouareonthefield.


WelcomeMissionVolunteershaveanroletoplayinthebiggerpictureoftheMissionofChrist.Hostsappreciatethegreatenergy,specificskillsandadditionalresourcesthatvolunteersbringabroad.Volunteersworkhard,forfree,toserveothers.Therecordofvolunteershasvaried.Somehostswelcomeallpeopletocome,whileotherssharereasonableconcerns.Volunteersmayparticipateingreatsuccessstorieswhileothersexperiencehorriblefailure.WhatisthemeasureofsuccessforaMissionVolunteer?TheobjectiveofthisorientationistohelpyourealizethestandardsforShortTermMissionvolunteers.Afterworkingwithtensofthousandsofvolunteers,andhundredsofhostswewanttosharewhatworks.Wewanttoprovideyouwithpracticaltoolsforyourinternationalsuccess.Wewillrevealthecautionsofothervolunteers,andtoletyouknowwhathostssayarethemostimportantstepstooverseassuccess.Yourprocesstopreparewillinvolvethismaterialandmore.Themostsuccessfulvolunteerswillspendtimereviewingthisbooklet,reflectingastheyreadandjottingdownquestionsandcomments.Thismaterialshouldbringtomindsomeofyourpreviousexperiencesanditwillbehelpfulifyoukeepsomenotesofthoseexamples.Ifyouarelookingforgreatopportunitiestoputthisintopractice,[email protected],Iwouldbehappytohelpsetyouupforsuccess!Thetimeyouspendinpreparationisappreciatedbyyourinternationalhostandthenationalswhowillbewelcomingyouintotheircountry.Ontheirbehalf,thankyouforyourparticipation.MarkCrockerSTMLeader.com


A. SafetyandSecurityIonceheardapersonsayinallsincerity“ThesafestplacetobeisinthecentreofGod’swill”.Haveyouheardthatoneyourself?Itseemsstrangetomethatpeoplebelievethis.AcasualreadingofScripturerevealstheterribletheologybehindthesentiment.WasPauloutofthewillofGodwhenhewasshipwrecked,beaten,whipped,andimprisoned?MostoftheearliestfollowersofJesusdiedhorribledeaths.HadtheyhadsteppedoutsideofwhatGodwanted?Jesushimselfdiedathisexecution.Thecrosswascertainlynotaverysafeplace.No,thesafestplacetobeisathomeonyourcouch.Stayawayfromthebathtubandthestairsthough,andbesuretoavoiddriving.Thoseareaccident-proneplaces.TheworkofGodisnotparticularlysafe,butthisdoesnotmeanweactivelylooktoshortenourwork.Paultookmanybeatingsbutwhenhewaswarnedoftroubleheescapedinabasket.Thedisciplesfledwhenthereligiousleaderscamehuntingthem.JesusavoidedJerusalemforatimewhenitwasapparentthattherewasgoingtobetrouble.WhilesafetyisnotguaranteedwhenfollowingthewillofGod,wisdomshouldbeexpectedSohowwillyouchoosetoproceed?Thedecisionisanimportantonetoconsiderpriortoyourdeparture.Whatisyourpersonalchoicewhenitcomestobalancingtheneedformeaningfulworkintoughplaceswhileprotectingourfamilyandourselves?Takeamomenttoreviewthefollowinglistanddecidewhatlevelofriskwouldmakeyoudecidetogohome:

o Theftfromyourhomewhileyouarenotthereo BeingPick-pocketedo Muggingwithoutviolence(shownaknife)o Muggingwithoutviolence(shownagun)o Muggingwithviolence(punchedintheface)o SexuallyGropedo PhysicallyAttackedo UnjustImprisonmentofacolleagueo Rapeo Deathofacolleagueo Deathofalovedone

Whereisyourpersonalline?Rememberitisyourresponsibilitytosharethelevelofriskyouarecomfortablefacingwithyourfamilyandfriends.Ifyouhavenotdonesoalready,pleasedosobeforeyougetonaplane!


EvaluatingRiskInordertoevaluateriskwemustmakeaninformeddecision.Howareyoudiscoveringtherealrisksofyourhostdestination?Thefollowingresourcesarehelpful:Governmenttraveladvisories.Governmentsourcesareveryconservativewhenitcomestoriskassessment.Theyusuallyinformoftheworst-casescenario,becausetheymustprotectthemselvesfromliability.Governmentwarningsareahelpfulstartingpointfromwhichwemayplanariskmanagementstrategy.

• Canadawww.voyage.gc.ca• USAwww.travel.state.gov

InternationalOrganizations.ThroughouttheworldthereareavarietyofworkersinNGO’s(Non-GovernmentalOrganizations)ontheground.Usethenoticesandopinionsoftheseotherorganizationstodeterminethelocalhotspots.AnotablewebsiteistheUnitedNationsReliefWeb.www.reliefweb.intInsuranceassessment.Travelinsurancemustbeanon-optionalrequirement.Whilemosttravelinsurancecoversthebasicsofmedicalcare,besuretounderstandyourpolicyregardingemergencytransportationorotherspecifics.Partnerperspective.Yourfieldpartnerwillunderstandthelocalpoliticsanddangers.Theywilloftenhaveplansfortheirstaffinthecaseofviolence.Askforinformationaboutthesecurityconcernsaboutyourdestinationcountryaswellassafetyandsecurityplansfromyourpartner.On-fieldhostassessment.Yourhostwillknowthecommunityattheshop-keeperonthestreetlevel.Talktoyourhostabouthospitals,travelsafetyandpersonalprotection.Theyneedtoprovideyouwithanswerstofourimportantissues:

• Whatisdangerous?• Howprobableorfrequentisthatdanger?• HowcloseamItothatdanger?• HowdoImitigateorreducethatdanger?

ScoutTripAssessment.Missiondirectors,andmissionvolunteerssometimestakeashort(1-4week)scouttriptocheckouttheon-groundrealitiesforthemselvesbeforedecidingtospendpersonaltimeandresourceswiththeagencyorproject.


Makingthedecisiontogo–awrittenriskassessmentplanYourhostsshouldinformtoyouaboutpotentialrisks,butattheendofthedayyoumustmakeyourowndecisiontoparticipateinthework.Ultimately,youareresponsibletobecomeinformedandtoaccepttheinherentrisksandrewardsofyourtravel.Donotmakethedecisionlightly.Doyourresearchandcomeupwithaplan:Mitigaterisks.Reviewtheplanwithyourhostandfinallycommunicateyourdecisiontoyourfriendsandfamily.Thefollowingstepswillenableyoutocompleteyourriskassessmentplan:Itookthefollowingstepstodiscovertherisks: 1. 2. 3. Idiscoveredthesepotentialrisks: 1. 2. 3. Thesearetheplansmyhosthasforemergencies:ThisishowIaccessmedicalfacilities: Thesearemyplansforanemergencyorviolence: ThedateIhaveregisteredwithmyembassy:

• Canadahttp://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration• USAhttps://step.state.gov/step/

ThenatureoftheconversationIheldwithfriendsandfamilyaboutthenatureofriskandmydecisiontoaccepttherisksofthetrip:

Date:


B. Culture

TheIcebergModelTheicebergmodelofcultureisametaphortounderstandhowcultureswork.Thetop,visibleportionofaniceberg,issimilartothevisiblepartsofculture.Thesearethingsthatareimmediatelydetectedbyourfivesenses.Thesightsofarchitectureandturbans,thesmellofspices,diesel,orwoodsmoke,thesoundsofvariouslanguagesandthetasteofspice.Anicebergwithoutatopwouldmeanthatboatswouldconstantlyfindthemselvesatperilforshipwreck.Similarly,observableculturaldistinctionssignalthatsomethingdifferentisinfrontofus.Movecarelesslyaroundanicebergorinanewcultureandyoumightfindyourselfintrouble.Thewaterlineofanicebergissometimessubmergedandsometimesexposed.Aculturalwaterlineoftenhidesandrevealsavarietyofbehaviours,someseeminglyobvious,whileothersaremorecomplex.

• Amanholdsthehandofanotherman.• Awomaneatswithherlefthand.• Aboymakesagesturebyformingacirclewithhisforefingerandthumb.

Eachactionorgestureisgivenmeaningbyaspecificculture.Thingsmaygetconfusing,whatisamalesignoffriendshipinoneculturemeanssomethingquitedifferentinanother.Usingthelefthandmaysimplydenoteleft-handedness,whileelsewhereitrevealsarudeorcoarseperson.Whatis“A-OK”inonecultureisanaggressivecurseinanother.Thehiddendepthsofaniceberghides90%ofit’smassbelowthesurface.Thedeeperrealitiesofculturealsoliedeepbelowthesurface.Thisiswherethingsgetcomplex.SurfaceandWaterlinedifferencescaneventuallybelearned,butaculturesdeepestmotivationsareunconsciouslyhiddenandanoutsidercannotasksimplequestionstounderstand.Nocultureissimpleorprimitive.Evencultureswithfewmoderntechnologicaldevicesarehighlycomplexandsophisticated.Surroundingandupholdingeachcultureisaworldview.Thisformsaculture’sunderstandingofreality.Itexplainshowandwhypeopleexist,whattheirpurposeis,whattoexpectinthefutureandhowtodeterminewhatchangesareacceptable.3


AtTheSurface-observabledifferencesEntryintoanewculturebeginswithobservingdifferences.Whatobservableculturaldifferencesexistbetweenyourhomeandhostcultures?(differencesyoucanexperiencethroughyourfivesenses)Visible: Audible: Scents: Taste: Touch: Theseinitialdifferencesarelikethetopofaniceberg,theystickout.Theseobservationsletusknowthatwearecrossingaculturalboundary.Theyallowustoprepareforadeeperexperience.

AtTheWaterline-learneddifferencesCulturalpracticesdifferwidely,theactionsofoneculturemaybeinterpretedverydifferentlybythepeopleofanotherculture.Thisispartofwhatmakestravelmysteriousandexciting.

• Weallgivegifts,butwhatdowegive:Toadinnerhost?Toasweetheart?Toarecentgrad?

• Weallhavewaystotellsomeoneoff:howdowedoitinourhome?Toourboss?

• Weallwearclothing:whatdoweweartowork?Onadayoff?Travelling?• Weallcelebrateholidays:whichisyourbiggestcelebration?• Weallwonderaboutthemeaningoflife:whatareyourspiritualpractices?

Beliefabouttheafterlife?Cultureswillanswerthesequestionsinmanydifferentways.Todigalittledeeperintooneinterestingculturepracticeletsexaminetime.Doyouknowhowtoshowupontimeinyourlocalculture?


Whenisthepropertime?

• Toshowuptoajobinterview?

• Toalunchmeeting?

• Toaparty? Cultureshavedifferentwaysofrelatingtotime.Ifyouhaveeverexperiencedanotherculturalperspectiveontimeyoumayassumethattheycannotevershowup“ontime”,youwouldbewrong!Allculturesunderstandwhatitmeanstobeearly,ontimeorlate.Itmaybeunfamiliartoyou,peoplemaybelatebyyourstandards,yeteffectivetravelerslearntounderstandthelocalstandard. A.TimeisLimited:Manywesternculturesviewtimeaslimitedandfuturefocused.Timeisapossession,aresourcetobeusedwisely.Wethinkoftimeasmoney.Wespendtime,wecanwastetime,wesavetimeandbankourhours…Theseculturestendtofocusontheclock. B.TimeisAbundantAlateteammembermayjoke,“WeareonMexicantime!”OrperhapsheorshemightsuggestAfrican-Time,Fiji-Time,Guatemala-Time,Indian-Time,etc…Atleastone-halfoftheworldliterallydoesoperateonadifferenttypeoftime.Muchoftherestoftheworldviewstimeasabundantandhistorical.Thereisalwaysmoretime.Thinkaboutit,doweeverrunoutoftime,isn’ttherealwaysmorecomingourway?Theseculturestendtofocusonthepeopleinvolved.Culturesoftenthinkthatotherviewpointsoftimearestrangeorevenrude.Whatkindofoddthinkingwouldmakeanormallyrationalpersonconsiderthatanarbitraryclockshoulddefinethestartameeting!?Everyoneknowsthattherighttimetostartameetingiswheneveryonewhoneedstobetherehasshownup,andaftereveryonehashadachancetocatchupwithoneanother.Toslavishlystartameetingatthestrokeofadigitalbatteryispitiful.“Westartontime”means,asitshould,westartwhenallarereadytostart.Thestatement‘itisimportanttostartontime’isabsolutelycorrectforbothcultures,buttheinterpretationiscompletelydifferentforboth.Nowwhichtruthismorecorrect?Whogetstodecidehowtointerpretwhatthe‘right’timemightmean?Tensionhappenswhenmyviewconfrontsyourviewoftime…andoneofusisleftwaiting…Combinepowerorfinanceswithoneculture,andguesswhichviewissoon


seenastherightview!?Considerwhichcountryyouareinwhenyoudecidewhatistherightversionoftime.Whatdifferenceswilltherebebetweenyourhomeviewandyourhostviewoftime?

CulturalIssuesYouMayDealWithWenoticethegreatestculturaldifferencesinthemostcommonactivitiesoflife.Mealtimes,driving,workethic,clothingstyles,andinterpersonalrelationshipswillstandoutandremindusofthedifferencesbetweenourcultures.Language-Languagelearningisoneofthegreatestwaystoshowinterestinthehostculture.Itisalsooneofthemostobvioussymbolsthatyoudonotbelong.Learningsomeofthelanguagebeforeyougoisoneofbestwaystobeginengagingwithothers.HINT:Whenworkingwithtranslators,speaknormally(don’tshout),andbesuretoonlyspeakonesentenceatatime.Watchyouridiom.Talktoyourtranslatoraheadoftimeandbeclearifyouwanttranslationortransliteration–goforthesecondoptionifyouhaven’tdonethismuchbefore.Ifyourtranslatorisnewtothejobexpectpeopletounderstandabout50%ofyourtopicsospeakalotsimplerandalotless.Transportation-“Ijustaboutdied.And10secondslater,mylifewasonthelineagain.I’mhurtlingfullspeeddownthehighwayonmywaytoKolhapur,IndiasittingwithAmandatthefrontofarentedvan,headingrightupthecentrelineintooncomingtraffic.Therearetwotransporttrucks-mirrorstuckedin-racinginanearnestgameofchickendirectlyatus,honkingwildly.Cowsandfamiliesonbicyclestakeupthesmallerspaces,graindriesonthefaredgeoftheroadshoulder.Ishouldhavewrittenmywill…”Whataretherulesfortravelinyourcontext?Personinthelanehasright-of-way.I‘own’thelanePersoninfronthasrightofway.LargestvehiclehasrightofwayHINT:Drivinginyourhostcultureisoftenasignificantlearningexperience.Whatlookslikechaosmayeventuallymakesenseifyouplantoassumethatthereissomeordertoitall.Keepanopenmindandtakenormalprecautions.Wearyourseatbeltorhelmet.Learnhowthelocalscrosstheroad,itmaybeverydifferentthanhome.


Food–Everyoneontheplaneteats,butfromthatbasicsimilariltywebegintowidelydiffer.1/3oftheworldeatswithchopsticks,1/3withafork,and1/3withtheirhands.Thatmeansweareallinaminorityposition.Consideryourhostculturesstyleoffood,whatisconsideredfood,delicacies,preparationmethodsandwhatiscookedandraw,howyousit,utensils,whoeatsfirst,whocooks,whenyoueat,howmuchyoueat,whereyougetyourfoodfrom…Eachofthesebehaviourshelpustogaindeeperculturalcredibility.HINT:Tryeverything.Whenatabuffet,alwaystakealittleofeverything–otherwiseyouwill‘forget’thespecialtyandadoubleportionwillbeaddedtoyourplatebythecookherself!Authorityissues–Westernvolunteersfindthemselvesfrustratedbyhierarchicalculture,itgoesagainstouregalitarianculture.Respectgiventoleaderssimplybasedontheirpositionalleadershipcanbeexasperating–doublysowhenthatunfairattentionispaidtoagroupteamleaderandteammembersareignored.Beawarethatifyouaretheteamleader,othermembersofyourteammaygetupsetataperceivedover-respectforyouasteamleaderHINT:Askhowitfeelswhenaleaderrefusesappreciationorhonourinyourhostculture.Askhowpeopleinyourhostculturehelpmaintaindignityandfeelingsofrespectforthelowest-statuspeople.Staring–Asavolunteerbecomesmoreandmorefamiliarwithaplace,theymayfeellessandlesscomfortabletobeseenasacuriositytootherpeopleintheculture.Yourfirstdaymayfeelexcitingtobestaredatlikearock-star–butsoonenough,volunteersmayfeelself-consciousandtiredofbeingondisplay.HINT:Askaboutthemeaningofeveryonecloselywatchingyou-itmaymeansomethingdifferentthanyouthink.Greetings–Volunteersmayhavetolearnwhatisappropriateorcommoninthehostculture.

• Whogreetswho?Anyspecificissuesaboutgreetingorintroducingleadersyoushouldbeawareof?

• Physicalcontact?Kiss,bow,orshakehands…• Physicalcloseness?• MaleandFemaleroles?Aretheredifferencesexpected?• Formalorinformal?


HINT:rememberthatculturalformsofgreetingaregeneric.Abowmayfeelveryhonouringorakissonthecheekmayfeelverywelcoming,buteitheractionmayhavenomorenationalsignificancethanasimplehandshake.SeriousPoverty–Oftenoneofthemostsignificantissuesavolunteerwillfeeliswhentheycomeface-to-facewithseriousneeds,hopelessillness,culturalneglectordeeppoverty.Itisveryeasyforavolunteertoimmediatelymoveinto‘fix-it’modeatthispoint,andveryimportantthatpeopledonotimmediatelyjumptopersonalsolutions.HINT:Thekeyquestionforvolunteerstoavoidatthistimeisthe“Whydon’ttheyjust…”question.Besuretoaskyourhostwhatthelocalsystemsareforcaringforpeople.Digdeepforanswerstogetinformed.Whateverculturaldifferenceyoumayencounterasyouenteryourvolunteerassignment,itisimportanttorememberthatyouwillmakemistakes.Mistakesareunavoidableandinmostcasesnotsuchabigdeal,infactmistakesarethelessonsthatenableyoutobetterunderstandanewculture.Thosewhosucceedlearntokeeptheirhumour,relaxinthesituation,andaskothersforhelp.Successisnotmemorizingalltherules(impossible)itiscontinuingtopushyourselftowardsotherpeopleinadeepeningandauthenticrelationship.Spendlotsoftimemakingyourmistakes,theyaretheseedstodeepculturalcompetency.

WhatJustHappened?Everydayactivitiesoflifeinanewcultureareripewithopportunitytounderstandanewculture.Itiseasytojudgeanactionbywhatisnormalfromyourownexperience,anddifficulttorememberthatallactionsmaybenormalbehaviouraccordingtoarulethatyouarenotawareof.Anytimeyoufindyourselfperplexedatwhatseemstobewrongorstrangebehaviourisagreattimeforyoutolearnaboutthedeepervaluesofyourhostculture.Example:Youaredrivingdowntheroadwhensuddenlythecarinfrontofyouturnswithoutwarningandyoubumpintotheirrearsidepanel.Whoisinthefault?Ifyousaidthepersonwhomadetheturnyouarecorrect…atleastifyouaredrivinginNorthAmericaandWesternEurope.Youmaynotberightifyouaredrivinginanothercountryontheothersideoftheworld.Thisisnotbecausewehaveitrightandothershaveitwrong,itcomesdowntohowweviewthe‘correct’rulesoftheroad.InNorthAmerica,westronglyrelyontheconceptoflaneswhiledriving.Thismeansthatwetendtodriveasthoughwe“own”thespaceimmediatelyinfrontofandbehindourvehicles.


Weoftenwillnotviolatethisideaevenwhenitdoesnotmakelogicalsense.Forexample,ifacarisstalledinourlane,evenifthereisspaceforpeopletosqueezetogetherandcreatetwonewlanesaroundtheobstruction,wewon’tdoit.Drivinginthiswaywouldmeanbreakingthesacredpainteddividinglineontheroad.Evenwhentheroadiswideenoughtopermittraffictocontinuetoflow,itiscommonforthelanetocometoastopbehindthestalledcar.Thisisseenasastrangeandimpracticalsysteminothercountriesaroundtheworldandtheychoosedifferentsystems:• Largestvehiclehasright-of-way• Moreexpensivevehiclehasright-of-way• Vehicleinfronthasright-of-way

Thesealternatesystemsalsowork,andoftenworkverywell.Whatlookslikechaosatfirst-drivingroundtheArcdeTriompheinParis,ormakingaturnontoacross-streetinIndia-beginstorevealthepatternthatmakessense.Onceyoudeterminetheruleeveryoneisfollowing-youbegintounderstand.Whydowereacttotheseothersystems?Usuallybecausewefeelasetofnormalrulesareviolated.Inreality,youaretheonlyonewhohasbrokentheunspokenrules.Thedeepestrulesarethetoughestforanoutsidertounderstand,notbecausetheyaresocomplex,butbecausetheyaresoengrained.Theyaresonaturalthattheybecomeunconscious.Anunspokenrulefeelsrighttoeveryoneintheculture.Youmaynotlikethesystemsofyourhostnation.Youmayevenwanttoprovewhyyoursystemisbetter,moreeffective,morereasonableorsimply‘right’.Intheend,yourresponsetoanothersystemwilldeterminehowpeopleinthosesystemsrespondtoyou.Howdoyoufeelwhenanew-comerattemptstocorrectyourwayoflife?


HowtolearnanewwayIncross-culturalinteractions,yournormalinterpretationsofthehostcultureareoff-basebecauseyouhavelesssharedmeaningandexperiencetodrawon.Thefollowingstepsareusefultohelpyoutoassesswhatmightactuallybehappeningwheneveracross-culturalincidentpuzzlesyou:

• Stop• Describe• ReviewYourInterpretation• OtherPossibleInterpretation• Evaluation.

STOP:Whenyoufeelstress,celebrateit!Thisisthefirststepinculturalunderstanding.Untilthispointyouhaveonlydippedatoeintounderstandingthenewculture.Nowyouarereadyformore.Thetensionoremotionyoufeelisacluetoalocalculturalvalue.Payattentionwhenyoufeelstress.Stresswillopenupyourunderstandingoflocalculturaldifferences.DESCRIBE:Whatdidyouseeandhear?Describeitsimplyanddonotusevaluestatements.Beasliteralaspossible.IE.Sheleft,closingthedoorloudly.Ratherthan"shegotmadandbangedthedoorasshestompedout.YOURINTERPRETATION:Spelloutexactlyhowyouwouldinterpretthissceneifyouwereathome.Whatmeaningdoesyourculturebringtotheseactionsofbehavours?Whatisyournormalemotionalreactionstothescene?OTHERPOSSIBLEINTERPRETATIONS:Imagineanotherinterpretationofthescene.Makeupareasonwhythishappenedinthisway.Startbymakingupsomethingsilly,somethingyouknowiswrong.Thisisgoodpracticebecauseyourfirstobservationsareusuallywrong–sostartthere.EVALUATION:Findaculturalinterpreter(borninyourhostculture-NOTafellowoutsider)andandaskaboutwhathappened.Averyhelpfulwaytoaskthisquestionis:“Iobserved[localaction]andfelt[youremotionalresponse].WhenIamathomein[yourhomecountry]thisactionmeans[giveyournationalresponsetotheaction].Whatdoesthatactionmeanhere?Ask,andthenasksomeoneelse.Realizethatyouarepeelinganonion.Worldviewstaketimetounpack.Youwillaskthewrongquestion.Youwillmakeassumptions.Yourquestionwillbemisinterpreted.Peoplewillanswerpolitelyandyouwillmissthenuance.Youwillhaveunknownbiasesandyouwillconfirmthem.Yourfirstcoupleof


yearsinanewculturewillresultinmanymistakenconclusions.Time,experienceandstudyyouhelpyoumakemanymoreinformedguesses.Finally,considerhowyouarethinkingaboutthenewculture.Areyouthinkingofthepeoplethroughapositiveornegativelens?Bothmaybeunhelpful.Areyoubeingidealisticandnaive,orpessimisticandfrustrated.Itisnormaltofeelawiderangeofemotionsaswetrytounderstandanewculture.Re-affirmyourcommitmenttolearning.Constantlylearning.Repeatingthisprocess,anddiscoveringnewclues,overyears,leadstodeeperculturalunderstanding.Thereisnoshortcut.Youcan’tdoitinweeksormonths,soenjoytheride,takeyourtimeandgiveyourself(andothers)abreak!


C. TheDangerofYourPreviousSuccessSuccessfulbusiness-peopleandpastorsareactivelyrecruitedtoparticipateininternationalmission.Missionaryhostsandnationalpartnersareseekinginsightsandsupportfortheirprojectsonthefieldandsearchforpeopletohelpthemmakeithappen.Youmayhavebeenspecificallyaskedtoparticipateinyourhostprojectandthisworkismotivatingandevenflattering.Oneofthetensionsthatotherleadershavefoundinthisposition,istheirownassumptionthatthesuccessfulpracticestheyhavebuiltoveralifetimearenotalwayseasilytranslatedintoanotherfield.Thetruthisthatyourprevioussuccessinministryorbusinessmightbealiabilityandcanleadtosignificantfailureonthefield.BruceWilkinsonfoundthistobethecase.Buoyedbyhissuccesswithhisbook,“ThePrayerofJabez”,heattemptedtodevelopabrandnewphaseofcommunitydevelopmentinSwaziland.Hetoldthepressthat‘BecauseIdon’tcomeoutofthisarenaofhumanitarianaid,Ihaveafreshpairofeyes’.Grandplansweredeveloped,partnersidentifiedandprojectsstartedtogreatfanfare.Acoupleofyearslaterhereturnedhomedefeatedandhumbled.Hissuccessinwritingabest-sellerdidnottranslateintosuccessfulcommunitydevelopment.IntheveryrealworldofSwaziland,hisconfidencewastriedandfoundwanting.Ironically,hisprevioussuccessleadtohisdefeat.ExpertiseasaNorthAmericanauthorisnotexpertiseinleadingadevelopmentprojectinSwaziland.Thereisarealdangerwhensuccessfulpeopleenteranewcircumstancewithtoomuchconfidence.Coupleself-assurancewithaspiritualassurancethatwhatwearedoingisGod’swork,andthisisevenmoredangerous.Weshouldbeboldinourattemptsatengagementandtrytostrikeoutinnewandinnovativeways,butitisvitaltorecognizethatyourprevioussuccessinyourculture,doesnotprepareyouforanewculturalcontext.Successfulvolunteersarehumbleenoughtoadmitthis.Theypayattentiontothewisdomofotherswhohavelocalunderstandingandexperience.Workersaroundtheworldagreethatthemostcommon,andthemostdamaging,attitudebroughtinbyoutsidersis‘Iknowhowtofixyourproblems’.Thosewhohavesucceededinternationallyrecognizethistemptationandworktoavoidit.Ifwebelongtoaculturewithfinancialwealth,systematictheologiesandtechnologicalexpertise,wewillthinkthatthoseresourcesarethesolutiontothelocalproblem.Wewontevenlookforthelocalsolutionifwesubconsciouslybelievethatweneedtobringonein.Itsoundsnobleandevengeneroustohelpoutthosepoorpeopleoverthere.Adesiretofindeasy,quickandsimplesolutionstoproblemscreatesunhealthysimplificationsoflocalproblem.Century-oldissuesofpovertydonothavesimple


solutions;theyrequireawisdomandperseverancethatcannotbefoundinaone-timegift.ThesolutionsmayrequirealengthoftimelongerthanaVolunteerinMissionhastooffer,andmayrequireasignificantnewcommitmenttotheproject.Thesimpleactofgivingmayrevealtheattitudeofthegiverasmuchasitofferssupporttoareceiver.Givingrecklesslycanharmthehealthoflong-termprograms,short-circuitcarefullydevelopedpracticesandrelationships,blunderthroughculturalpracticesandwinduphurtingwherepeoplehopetoheal.Describehowyourcurrentsuccessmaybealiabilitywhileonthefield: Describehowyourcurrentfailuresmaybealiabilitywhileonthefield:


D. YourrelationshipwithyourhostIfyoudonothaveahost,[email protected]!MissionVolunteershaveadeepappreciationandrespectfortheworkofthehost.Yourhostinspiredyoutocome,andwithoutyourhostyouwouldnothavethesameopportunityformission.Ifthingsgowrongwithyourhostitcanfeellikeasortofbetrayal.Themostcommonfailuresinmissionarefoundintherelationshipbetweenpartners.Oftenthisisduetounmetexpectationsandtensionaboutsharedvision.Thankfully,mosttensionsbetweenpartnerscanbefixed.Thebestwaytoavoidtheseissuesistoensureanopenclearcommunicationbetweenallofthepartnersinvolved.Hereareafewwordsofadvicefromprevioushostsandvolunteerstostrengthenyourrelationshipfromthestart.

MinistryDescription• DoyouunderstandyourHost’slong-termvisionandYourplaceinit?• Yourhostmaysay“we’llfigureitoutwhenyougetthere”,butitisbetter

todothisbeforeyouarrive.• IftheHostisunabletowriteyourministrydescription,writeupthefirst

draftyourselfandsendittoyourHostforreviewanddiscussion.• RealizethatministrydescriptionsWILLoftenchangeonceon-field

MyMinistryDescription:

TypicalWorkWeek• HowmuchtimeareyougoingtospendwithyourHosteachweek(if

any)?• Willyoumeetdaily?Whatwilleveningslooklike?Areyoutravelling

togetheranddoyouhaveanytimeoff?• Makesureyouunderstandwhathourstheywork,specificdetailssuchas

kidsandfamilyscheduleswillimpactyourtimetogether.


• IfyourpreviousexperiencewasonanSTMteam,youmayfindthatyourrelationshipwithyourhostmaybequitedifferent.Whatareyouhopingtospecificallylearnfromyourhostduringthetimeyouspendtogether?

Iwanttolearnthisfrommyhost: IanticipateIwillmeetwithmyhost(xtimesperweek):

Logistics• DoyouknowhowtocontactyourHoston-field?Whatwouldhappenif

therearetraveldelaysandyourHostisn’ttheretopickyouupuponarrival?Askyouhostforbackupcontactinformation.

• Whenyoufilloutyourarrival/visacardontheplane,you’llneedtoknowsomeimportantdetails.Ifyoucheckthewrongbox,youmayfacecriminalchargesorpayalotmoremoneyforyourvisa:

§ Address§ TypeofVisa§ Occupation§ Tourist/Business/Other

Hostcontactinformation: Visadetails:

VentingandConflict• Traveliscomplexanditistypicaltogothroughtoughtimes.Youwill

needtoventandthiscanbehelpfulorharmful.• Yourcoachshouldbeafirstchoiceofapersontoventto.Weareusedto

theseconversationsandcaneasilyholdwhatyousayinconfidence.Whateveryouaregoingthrough,we’vedealtwithitbeforeandwe’rehappytotalkyouthroughit.


• Whowillyoutalktowhentroublearises?Inorderofpreference,listwhoyouwouldtalktofirst:yourhost,bestfriend,parents,spouse/sigother,locals/nationals,closefamilymember,othermissionariesinthearea,othervolunteers,otherfriends,aSTMleader.comcoach

WhoIwillventwithfirst:

Housing• ShouldyoulivewithyourHostornot?• Livingwithyourhost:Itiseasyandquicktosetup.Livingwithyourhosts

islivingintheirspace,itcanbetiringforyouandyourhosttofindarhythmthatworks.You’llhavetobepurposefultojustrelaxsometimesandnottalkaboutyourworktogether.Livingcostswillbelower.

• Livingonyourown:Youwillhavealotoftimealone,usuallyinasettingwherethereisalanguagebarrier.Agreaterdegreeofindependenceandadaptabilitywillberequired.Cooking,laundry,housekeepingmaybedifficultinaforeignsetting-differentappliances,differentingredientsanddifferentwaysofdoingthings.Livingcostswillbehigher.

• Forshorttripsofaweekortwoitmaybereasonabletostayatthehomeofyourhost,butforlongertripswerecommendyoutogetyourownspace.Thisallowsfordowntimeforallofthepeopleinvolved.

HousingArrangements: Mosthostswilltellyouthatyouwillsortoutthedetailsafteryouarrive.Youwilldothisforallmannerofissues,butitneverhurtstobegintheprocessbeforeyougetthere.Don’tbeafraidtocheckinwithyourhostwithyourquestionsbeforeyouleavehome.Themoredetailyouareabletoclarifybeforeyouleavewillserveyourlong-termimpactonthefield.


E. HelpingthePoorIhavenotmetasinglepersonwhohassaidtheywanttodointernationalworkbecausetheydisrespectotherpeople'sculture,donotcareaboutsustainabilityorbecausetheywanttoimposeaprogram.Everyonewhodreamsofinternationalworkhasagreatphilosophyofparticipation–enteraslearners,meetthepeople,discovertherealitiesandworkwithotherstofindsolutions.This,intheory,isthewayallvolunteerswanttooperate.Whythendosomanyvolunteermissionprojectsfail?WhenIcoachpeopleforinternationalwork,Ioftenaskpeopletorole-playascenario.Iaskthemtoimaginetheirownarrivalinapoorcommunity.Theyhavepreparedformonthsforanewproject,butwhentheyshowupthelocalpeopleaskthemtohelpoutinthesamewaythatapreviousmissionaryhadhelpedout.“Willyouuseyourcartodrivemysickmothertothehospital?”Tocomplicatetheroleplay,Imakesurethattherequestseemsurgent,isbasedonarealneedandiftheysayyes,thevolunteerwillbedoingsomethingappreciatedbyboththelocalcommunityandbytheirdonors–theonlycomplicationIaddtothescenario,isthatwhatisbeingaskedofthemreliesonresourcesfromoutsideofthecommunity.Mosttravellershavefacedthisscenario;theyhavewelldevelopedphilosophiesofcommunityinvolvement.Theybegincautiouslyaskingquestions.Theyknowsomethingisup–probablysomethingtodowithsustainabilityanddependency.Iwatchthewheelsturnastheybegintoassesstheriskofsteppingintohelp.Theyknowthatiftheysayyestotherequest,thentheyarehelpingcreateunhealthydependency.Ontheotherhand,iftheyrefuse,theyworrythattheywontbehelping.Theyfeeltorn.Almosteveryonewaffles-manytrytobreakoutoftherole-playandbegintotellme‘whatIwouldsayinthissituationis...’.Othersstall,askclarifyingquestionsandattempttosharetheirphilosophy.Ipushbackincharacterandcontinueaskingforhelp.Thereisusuallyastrongtension.Iremindthemthatthisisexactlywhattheywillfaceonthefieldafterall.Irefusesimplesolutionsoraphilosophyofinternationalparticipation.Iaskthemtorespondtotherequestdirectly.Somepeoplesay‘Yes,Iwillhelp.Getinthecar.'Veryfewsay‘No,Iamhereforanotherpurpose.’Whyisthisscenariosodifficult?Ibelievetherearemanyanswers,buttheycometogetherinasingleclarifyingthought:


Goodmissionismorethangoodphilosophy.Thedesiretobeinvolvedingoodmissionisnotthesameasknowingthepracticalstepsofgoodmission.Likemostoflife,goodintentionssurroundingpovertyarenotenough.Misdiagnosisharmspeople.

WhoBenefitsthroughVolunteerMission?Thequestionisfrequentlyasked:“Ismissionsmorefortheonegoing,orfortheonereceiving?”Whobenefitsthemost?80/20forme…20/80forothers…50/50forus…Overtime,Ihavecometotherealizationthattheansweris“yes”.Missionisalwaysfortheonegoingaswellastheonereceiving.Firstandforemost,itisvitaltochangetheperspectivethatmissionisourefforttoaccomplishtasks.Missionisintendedtodeveloprelationship.Toseemissionsasacost-benefitequationorameanstosomethingelseissimplywrong.TheBiblicalcallisforourpersonalinvolvementinmeetingwithotherpeopleinordertosharejustice,peace,love,respect,andmanyoftheotherfruitoftheSpirit.Toaskwhobenefitsbytheexperienceistoputtherelationshipintosecondplace.Thequestionshouldbeasstrangeasaskingyouwhobenefitsmoreinyourrelationshipswithyourfriendsorwithyourspouse.Thequestioniswrong-benefitshappeninarelationship,buttheyaretheoutcomeofahealthyrelationship,notthepurpose.Whentheybecomethepurposethenwearetreadinganunhealthylineofseeingothersastoolsornetworkingassets.Seriouslyconsiderwhatyouaregettingfromtherelationship.Itmayactuallybeareversesenseofracismtothinkthatthereisnothingthatapersoninthemidstofmaterialpovertycouldgiveyou.Thereispowerinreceivingfromthepoor.Thereissomethingfundamentallyhealthyaboutrelationshipswherethereismutualityingivingandreceiving.Allowotherstheblessingofbeingthegiver.Whilethanksandappreciationareimportant,becarefulthatyoudonotmerelythinkthatthisistheonlythingyoushouldreceive.Asenseofpersonalsatisfactionisnotsomethingthatothersgiveyou-itisagiftyouhavegivenyourself.Thebestmissionengagementtakesplacenotasa50/50split,butinsteadasa100%to100%exchange.Webothgrowandbenefit.Webothgainandgrowfromoneanother.

Misdiagnosing the underlying illness and prescribing the wrong medicine [...] will result in the patient not getting better and possibly getting worse. When Helping Hurts


Whoareyougoingtomeetthroughthisvolunteerassignment? Whatareyoulookingtoreceivefromthem? Whatareyoulookingtogive? Wheremightyouneedtoreduceyourpositionalleadershiptoensureequalityinthisexchange?


SoWhatDoIDo?ManypeopleaskmewhatIactuallydowhenIshowupinanewcountry.DoIpickupthetoolsandhelpoutinagardenproject,doIbuildthewallsorhirepeopletobuild?AmItrainingpeopleonhowtostartanewbusiness?Handingoutfood,water,clothingandblanketsfromthebackofatruck?Whatdoesitlooklike?IfItrytoexplain“communitysensitization”and“needs&assetassessment“,Iwatcheyesglazeover.AsinterestingasbeinganaccountantIsuppose…SomepeopleaskwhyIdon’t“juststarthelpingpeopleout!?”Ihaveonereallyimportantreasonwhy:IwanttheprojectsthatIaminvolvedintolastbeyondmeIwantsomeoneotherthanmetoowntheprojectbecauseIdon’tlivethere–IcomeinforashortwhileandthenIleave.Ialwaysleaveandsowillyou.Ifyouliketheideaofstartingasustainablepartnership,thenhowyouthinkaboutaprojectwillmakeitsucceedorfail.

• Whoeverstartsaprojectownstheproject.• Whoeverpaysfortheprojectownstheproject• Whoevermanagestheprojectownstheproject• Whoeverproblem-solvestheproject.Owns.The.Project.

Justlikehere.Sowhat’stheproblem?Somepeopleask,whynotjustowntheproject?Simple.Whoeverownstheproject,ownsallthefutureproblemsofthatproject.Haveyouheardmissionhorrorstoriesofwellsthatwereputintoacommunity,butthehandlesweresoonrippedoffandthepumpwasshatteredwithinayear.Orbuildingprojectswhereafterthekeysarehandedoverandtheteamleaves,thestructurebeginsfallingdownandnoonemaintainsit?Ofcourseyouhave,wetellthosestoriesofinternationaldevelopmentallthetime.Idon’twanttoownprojects.Iwanttohelpthedreamsofcommunities.Ican’tdothatifIamtheonewhodecideshowthatcommunitydevelops.Sustainabilityisatoughpractice.Peoplesaythattheywanttobeinvolvedinlocallyownedandsustainableprojects,yadda,yadda,butwishingwon’tmakeithappenHereiswhatIwilldo.Thismaybeagameplanforyourprojectaswell

• Ispendwaymoretimeintothebeginningofaprojectthantheprojectitself–sometimesyears.Themoretimeyouputintopre-project,thegreaterthechancethattheprojectwilllast


• Unlesspeoplearegoingtodietodayortomorrow,Iignoreimmediateneedsandinquireaboutpeoplesdreams=thereallocalpriorities

• Ilisten• ***KEY*:Ilookforpeopleinthecommunitywhoarealreadysuccessful.I

highlightwhattheyaredoing.AndIpointtothemasapossiblemodelforothers• Iaminspiredandlearn• Ifindtoolsandresourcestohelppeoplediscoverandputvoicetothekindof

futuretheyhopefortheirchildrenandgrandchildren• Iamofferedmealsandrides• Ioffertoolsforpeopletouse(ornot)• Ishareexamplesofothercommunitieswhoaresuccessfulandinviteothersto

beinspiredbythestories• Iamtaughtevenbetterideasfrompeopleastheyexploreandsharenew

innovativewaystodealwitholdproblems• Iwalkalongsideandsharemyownexperiencesandresourcestohelppeople

fulfilltheirdream• Ireceivenewwaysofseeingtheworld,newskillsandabilities,newplaceson

theplanettovisit,andanincrediblestorytoliveIfIcomeupwithmyowndream,peoplewilloftenwelcomethem,buttheywon’townthem.Theyaremydreamsafterall.Myworkiswithcommunitydevelopmentandgreatcommunitydevelopmenttakestime.

Whatisyourgame-planfordevelopingasustainableproject? Priority1 Priority2 Priority3


F. FundraisingAninternationalvolunteerisaspecialperson.Plentyofpeopletalkabouttravellingoverseastohelpout,butMissionVolunteersareunique.Ittakesgutstomakethefirststep,youmightevenneedtobeabitstrange.Afterall,whoelsesays“IthinkIshouldleaveeveryoneIknow!GotoaplacewhereIdon’tknowifIwillbewelcome!Andpayfortheopportunity!”Manypeopleneverfollowtheirdream,butMissionVolunteersreallydotakethatsemesterofforbooktheflighttoTimbuktuontheirfirstdayofretirement,theyaretheoneswhomakedreamshappen.Thisisacommitment.Itmeansputtingdollarsorpoundsorpesosonthetabletostartajourneywhereyoudon’tknowthefinaldestination.Howdosuccessfulvolunteersfigureoutthefinancessotheycanstayonthefieldlonger?Howdotheysharetheirstoryinsuchawaytoinspiredonations?

Raisingfundsisasimple3stepprocess.Areyoustressedbythethoughtofaskingpeopletosupportyourwork?Mostpeopleare,thethoughtofaskingyourfriendsandfamilytogiveyoumoneytovolunteerabroadisterrifyingtomany.Thankfully,thefirsttwostepswillnotinvolveyouaskinganyoneforanything:

1. Spendlessmoney–decidehowyouwillpersonallysavemoneyforyourtripoutofyourcurrentincome.Thisshouldnotbecomplicated.Bringingabaglunchonedayaweekratherthaneatingoutcaneasilyraise$40amonth.Ifyouareleavingin5months,thatisanextra$200toyourtrip.AddupsomebirthdayorChristmasgiftsandthefinanceswillstarttobuild.

2. Makemoremoney–Askyourbossforanextrashift.Tellaclientwhatyouaredoingandaskiftheywillbuyanextraproductorservice.Coverforaco-worker.SellsomeofyourextrastuffonEBay.Leaveyourapartmentamonthearlierthanyourtrip.Littlethingsaddupovertime.

3. Askyourfriendsandfamilytosupportyou–Thisstepwillonlyworkifyouhave

alreadydonestepsoneandtwo.Youbuildcredibilitywhenpeoplehavebeenhearingyousayformonthsthatyouaresavingforyourvolunteertrip.Whenitcomestimetoactuallyinviteotherstohelpout,theywillbelieveinyou.


Itallstartswithyou.Howhaveyouspentlessmoneytosaveforyourtrip? Howhaveyoubeenmakingmoremoneyforyourtrip? Formoreinformationaboutfundraisingandtoviewaslideshowofthesetechniques,pleasegoto:http://stopover.ca/3-steps-successful-volunteers-take-to-raise-money/


G. Sharingyourstory:MostMissionVolunteersareexpectedtosharethestoryoftheirworkwithfriends,familyandsupportersbackhome.Thiscommunicationmaytakeplacethroughwrittenmeans:blogposts,emailandsocialmediaupdates;aswellasspokenopportunities:preaching,seminars,orsharingwhatyouhavebeenuptooveracoffeewithafriend.Howareyouplanningtoshareyourstory?

EmotionalAppealsAfewyearsago,IspentsometimewithFodayinSierraLeone.Anamazingguy,Fodaywastallandlanky,arefugee,workedtheSierraLeonediamondminesandtookcareofthekidsandtheguesthouselikeyoucanonlyimagine.Andthatistheproblem,youcanonlyimagine.AllofthewarmthoughtsIholdwhenIthinkofFodayaredistantideasforsomeonewhowasnottherewithme.Frankly,IfyoudidnotmeetFoday,likeIhave,itisdifficultforyoutocareverymuchabouthim.Thepeopleyouwillmeetonthefieldwillimpactyourlife.Howdoyoutakethedeepfeelingsyouwillexperienceonthefieldandtranslatethemintocompellingstoriestosharewithfriendsandfamilybackhome?Manypeopletellthestorythroughafewcommonvariationsonthetheme,'herearepoorpeople,andthisiswhatwedidforthem'.Forexample:

• Beginwithaheart-wrenching,emotionallyappealingstoriesofmarginalizedpeople.‘SextraffickingisanawfulprobleminWestAnthropos,Sallyisapersonwhoexperiencedthisproblemfirsthand.Whydon’tyougivesomemoneysoshecantakeasewingcourseandchangeherlife.Wouldn’tyouifyoureallycareenough?’

• Shareadirestatistic,matchingafacttotheiraudience’severydaylife.InTrans

Indus300childrendieeverydayfrompreventabledisease,youcouldcurethemforthecostofacupofcoffeeaday.

• CompareacommonstandardofcareintheWesternworldandrevealhowthat

samestandardisnotmatchedbythecountryyouareprofiling.InSoutheasternGuan-Phillis,thepeoplearetoopoortoeatmeatexceptevery3months,thisproteindeficiencyreduceslifeexpectancyby15years

Whenitcomestosharingstories,thesethreetechniquesdoraiseshorttermawarenessandfunds.Unfortunately,thesetypeofcampaignsalsoprojectahelplessnessandpassivityforthepeopleweareworkingalongside.Factsandfiguresmaybetrue,buttheydonottellthewholestory.Thepeopleinthestories,treatedmerelyassubject


mattertoraisefunds,frequentlycomplainthattheydonotwanttobetalkedaboutinthisway.

CompassionFatigueStoriesofneedalsotendtocreateasaturationofinformation,alsoknownascompassionfatigue.Becausetherearesomanyproblems,andsomanyvoicescallingustodealwiththem,itiseasytofindourselvesoverwhelmed.Ratherthantryingtodealwiththeinfinitenumberofissues,itiseasiertoignoreanotherstoryaboutpoorkids.Itbecomesbackgroundnoise.Thisisrealityforeveryone,regardlessofourgoodintentions;weallhavechangedthechannelonachildsponsorshipcommercial.Still,thisshouldnotbeanexcuse,tensofmillionsofdollarsareraisedeveryyearforpoverty.Ifyoursupportisdwindlingitmaybebecauseyouaretellingyourstorywrong.Organizationsthatavoidcompassionfatiguedosobytellingthestoryinanewway.Theyhighlightthesuccessesofpeopleonthegroundandsharecompellingstoriesofwhatpeoplearedoingtochangetheirowncircumstances.Anopportunitytoparticipateinalocalperson’ssuccesswilldrivethemessagemuchdeeperthananotherstoryofhowlifeistoughandunfair.

Yourfirstcommunicationshome:1. Sharetheultimatepurposeofyourhost.Whydotheyexist?Whydothey(and

nowyou)dowhattheydo.Focusonthewhyyoudowhatyoudomorethanwhatorhowyoudoit.

2. Describewhereyouare.Usepositiveadjectives.Youmaybelivinginan

“…impoverishedareaofGuadeloupe.”whilethisismostcertainlytrue,is‘impoverished’theonlydescriptorthatwecanuse?Hereareacoupleofexamplesofhowotheragenciesaretryingtorewritethesedescriptorsfromtheperspectiveofthepeopleinthecommunity:

a. AIDSvictimsbecome-apersonlivingwithHIVb. poorandhopelessorphanbecomes-achildwhohaslearnedhowto

survivethedifficultyoflosingparents.c. Filthybrokenstreets–ruralrusticliving


3. Highlightothers.Areyourunningthelocalministry,orareyouassistingthelocal

partner?Whoisinchargebeforeyougetthereandafteryouleave?Asmallchangeinwording,butitisbesttohighlightthatthelocalpartneristheconstantleader,andyouarethevisitors.Definitelytalkaboutwhatyouaregiving,butalsomentionwhatyouarereceivingfromhim(notagoodfeelingofajobwelldone…somethingsubstantialfromhisexpertise).

Yournextcommunicationhome:Highlightalocalpersonfromthecommunity.Thisisnotanexpatormissionary.Talkabouthowtheyareengagedinactivesolutionsandarebringingsuccessinthecommunity.

1. Astorystartswithahero.Tellmethefirstandlastnameofapersonfromyourhostcountry(bornandraised)thatinspiresyou.(notamissionaryoranyotheroutsider)

2. Describeyourherotome.Share3backgrounddetailstofleshthemout:(e.g.

Whattheylooklike?Whereyoufindthemmostdays?Howtallarethey?Dotheyspeakfastorslow?Whatdoestheirhairlooklike?Sharingsimplephysicalattributesmakesapersoncomealive.ANY3Details)

3. Whatistheonethinginlifethatyourherowantsthemost?whataretheir

dreams,whatisthebigthingtheywanttoseehappenintheircommunity?

4. Whatisthebiggestobstacleinthewayofyourhero?Nametheproblemorstrugglethatkeepsyourherofromhisorherdream

5. Whatisyourherodoingtoachievehisorherdream?Describewhattheydo

everyday?everyweek?Whataretheydoingaboutitnow?

6. Whoishelpingtheheroout?Namethesidekicks(HINTthisiswhereyoucomein!)Tellmewhatthesidekicksaredoingtohelpthehero'sdream.

7. Whatistheresultoftheheroesactionsofar?Hasyourherosucceeded,failed,

orisittoosoontotell?Givemethedetails!

8. Whoareyouandhowareyoupartofthestory?Whydid/doesitmatterthatyouarethere?

9. Wrapitup.Whatisyouronesentencemoralofthestory?Whatisaone

sentencequotethatyouwanttoshare(fromtheheroofcourse!)


10. Doyouhaveapictureofyourhero?inordertotellaGREATstory,ithelpsifwehaveapicture.

Youhaveastorytotell.Agreatstory!Thekindofstoryyouattractsattentiontothecausesyoubelieveinandsupportsyourworkinthelong-tem.Nowshareyourstorywithothersandmakesureyousendacopytousaswell!Wantmoreinfo?Checkout:http://www.slideshare.net/crockermark/how-to-tell-a-story-so-people-pay-attention


ConclusionThetrueexpertsininternationalworkunderstandthatthereisalwaysmoretolearn.Successfulvolunteersparticipateaslearners.Theyattempttoseetheirhostcountryforwhatitis,ratherthanwhattheyhavebeentaughttobelieve.TheyrealizethattheyareparticipantsintheworkofGod,notthedirectorsofthatwork.Theyfindthemostsuccesswhentheyspendmuchmoretimelookingforthelocalsolutionratherthansubmittingtheirownideas.Yourtripisshortbutyoushouldtakethelongperspective.Spendmoretimethanyouthinkyouneedtoinpreparation.Giveyourselfaplanforself-learning,askotherswhereyourownblindspotsmightbe,expectthelocalculturetomakesenseevenwhenyoudon’tunderstand.Regardlessofyourpreviousexperience,makesureyouareexpectingtolearnagreatdealfromthelocalpeople–Itishealthyforyoutogainsomethingthroughthisprocess.Itrustthatthismaterialhasbeenhelpfulasyouprepareforyourjourney.Theeffortyouputintopreparationisappreciatedbyyourhostsandthenationalsalike.Mostimportantly,Ilookforwardtohearingyourstoriesfromthefield.MarkCrockerPs:Ifyouarereadyformore,comejoinusatSTMleader.com

Volunteer Abroad! Mark Crockerstmleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/STMleader-Volunteer-A… · Mark Crocker 5 Executive Summary This training module covers several key areas to

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