Debriefing

-Are you having any trouble readjusting? I have/did! How can we ease the tension? Do
we want to do that?
-How can we use the momentum gained in the mountains to impact where we live?

Rebuilding life here:

Reconciliation…Have I done anything to create tension in our relationship?
Affirmation…What did we do well, specifically (specific people!)?

What to expect in our conversations in the next few weeks?

Four kinds of people:
-those who didn’t know you were gone
-those who thought you were on a vacation
-those who knew your purpose but a 2 minute summary will
suffice for them
-those who are really interested and want to hear details
If we ignore the first three and only focus on the last group, we will not
raise awareness in our church/community! We must be patient with those
who don’t know or care and patiently pray for God to raise their awareness
of what He is doing around the globe.
Be careful! Our attitudes can be jaded! We will be edgy when we encounter
indifference. And we will encounter indifference! Attitudes such as:
-disappointment: when people don’t understand or when things
once exciting here seem ‘ho-hum.’
-rejection: us and those who don’t understand
-nostalgic: God did great things with us, but He will continue to do
good things with new teams in the future.
-negative: about reactions from others or things developing in
yourself. Guard against negativity in your conversations
and thoughts.
-alienated: from your friends because of changes in you
-judgmental: you judge because others don’t share your view
-argumentative: tackling those who don’t agree totally with your
new worldview.
-spiritually superior: feeling ‘higher’ than those around you b/c of
the ways God used you on the trip.
Humility must win the day!! Let’s pray for each other that these
destructive attitudes won’t take hold in us!
Write your story! Here are some questions to guide you:
-What were some of the most enjoyable things that happened?
-What were some of the most deeply satisfying things that
happened and why were they so satisfying?
-What were your major accomplishments?
-What did you most like about the other people on your team?
-What did you most like about the nationals you met?
 -What were some things you feared that turned out to be good?
-How do the above fit with the rest of your life story up to this
point?
-How do you think God might use these good experiences as
stepping stories into the next chapter of your story?
Ask, “How have I changed as a result of this trip?” Here are some
questions to help you as you evaluate your answers:
-How has your view of missionaries changed?
-How has your view of missions changed?
-How has your view of our church (here) changed? Is it more
complacent than you thought before or does it have more of
a missions heart than you were aware of before?
-How has your view of yourself changed? (stronger or weaker in
your faith?)
-How have you changed emotionally? (new compassion or
heartbreak?)
-How have your beliefs about God been changed? Do you read the
Gospels differently now (Jesus’ story)?
-How has your world view changed?
-How has your view of our culture changed?
-How has your view of Peru/Peruvians changed?
-Which of the above changes do you think are permanent and will
last the rest of your life? Which are temporary and will
wear off?

What now?? How will your praying, giving, and serving change in our church and in our
community? Will you continue praying about how God wants you to serve? What we
saw was extreme! But we serve an extreme God! He does not ask for randomly
scattered good will trips! He asks for our lives. I know I don’t need to say these things
to you, but I want to re-iterate that what we saw there is and should be the norm for us
here. How can we make THAT a reality in our lives and in our church?