Re-Entry: Making the Transition from Missions to Life at Home

by Peter Jordan

When you arrive home, you must establish a new support structure. Until you do, the silence can be deafening.

Instead of pushing you closer to God, re-entry stress tends to push you away from Him. A

astronauts today are no longer viewed as returning national heroes.

Closure is the art of bringing to a satisfactory conclusion the passage of life through which we have just passed. Closure enables us to move from one passage of life to another without carrying burdens of guilt and false expectations. It allows us to build on previous experiences instead of camping in the emotional fog of past memories.

It is difficult to move successfully into the next passage of your life if you have not brought closure to the preceding passage.

missionaries seldom have the opportunity to leave with their work completed. Most of a missionary’s job involves working with people, and people are in a constant state of change.

From being daily surrounded with Christian encouragement and fellowship to deriving your fellowship and encouragement from Wednesday evening and Sunday morning church services.

their identity should come from who they were (children of God), and not from what they had done.

We are sons and daughters of God. Whether we were missionaries or not has nothing to do with how God views us.

Learn to derive your identity from the fact that you are a child of God, not from the fact that you are a missionary.

be prepared to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, and not to follow some formula of ministry that had worked in another situation.

nobody wanted to be dragged down by Sherry’s constant criticism.

Remember, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). A returning missionary should come home humble, not haughty.

“Pastor, I’m committed to this church. I’m committed to your leadership. I want to serve you and this body of believers. I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”

The best credential you can hold forth is your Christlikeness, which is ultimately best demonstrated through servanthood, since Christ was in essence a servant.

Don’t say to yourself, I’ve become strong as a result of my time on the mission field. I can handle things. You are not strong, and you cannot handle things alone. You are not superhuman. You are not immune to life’s temptations.

What is the way out God provides? I believe it is accountability. It is holding yourself open before others; sharing your emotions, your temptations, and your weaknesses; and asking these friends to help you bear them. It is asking your friends to hold you to account in all areas of your life so you do not cave in to temptation.

Rather, reach out to people. If they don’t seem interested in what you did during your time away, become interested in them.

The work of the missionary and the work of the intercessor go hand in hand.