Question 9: Do students receive formal debriefing when they return from international missions?

Answer:

The Student Mobilization Team encourages field supervisors to spend the last day or two of the project debriefing with students. Topics for debriefing include:

• What God has done in and through the students
• How they adapted or struggled to adapt to the culture
• What they learned about themselves while on mission
• Reverse culture shock they might experience on their return to the United States
• How to tell their story when they return to the United States
• How to mobilize others for international missions.

A second round of debriefing comes from a pamphlet called Back Home, Now What? which focuses on re-entry and debriefing. This pamphlet is sent to students after they return to the United States.

Along with the Back Home, Now What? pamphlet, the Student Mobilization Team also sends each student and team leader an evaluation to complete and return to our office. Please encourage your students to complete this evaluation not only for the sake of improving collegiate missions but also as a means of personal debriefing.

More debriefing tips and exercises