What Student Ministers Wish Missionaries Knew About Their Students

Student Attitudes Mentoring Students Setting Schedules Finances/Project Costs
Student Needs Setting Ground Rules Cultural Adjustment In Security Areas
Taking Student Seriously Communicating about the project – a must! Communicating Your Strategy

Student attitudes

Students want to be challenged. They want to be held accountable. They want a missionary to help them know how to behave in another culture. They want to both see someone living as a Christian, applying Biblical principles to daily life, and leading them to do the same.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

M’s need to stress whatever is important because the students are there to serve the people in the area and the M’s. Our rule was always, “Do whatever the missionary says.” (unless it was illegal or immoral). Some students get caught up in the “dangerous adventure” aspect and want to do things which could endanger the future ministry of the M’s. Helping them understand that there are real repercussions to their actions is very important.
— Suzanne Lillard, Oklahoma

As a campus minister I love it when m's share their stories with students. Students are often very encouraged by this. This generation loves and learns through stories.
— Rae Wright, Texas

One quality I consistently see with our students here is a total willingness to sacrifice. They just need some direction to help them focus their energies.
— Ashley Linne

Students will be your biggest supporters and will retell your story back home, so treat them well and you will have friends for life and the best advocates for missions under the sun.
— Ian Cosh, Arkansas

Field personnel should understand that today’s students are very group oriented (even when they claim to not be) and their experience is enhanced in a team format. Students want to serve on teams – even if they do not know the other students they will be serving with.
— Chad Stillwell, South Carolina

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Need for communication before and during the project

Although students are adults, their parents do not believe that they are adults yet. A lot of students have nervous parents that are difficult to deal with and the more communication the better. Therefore, lots of communication about travel, emergency contact info for travel days, emergency contact info for their location, their actual physical address, and more should be clearly and maybe frequently communicated with the students a few weeks prior to their departure.
— Chad Stillwell, South Carolina

Students want to know what to expect before they leave. They will understand they need to be flexible when trained to do so, but they also like to have a good idea of what they will be doing where possible. They want to be able to tell their family and friends. Their family and friends want to know how to pray for them.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

Try to establish communication between the team and the field personnel well in advance of their visit. This can be critical to the connection of the team with the field personnel and, therefore, the success of the team in accomplishing the desired work. Pictures and bios are a great way to get to know their names even before the team arrives.
— Ian Cosh, Arkansas

Student Needs

Students want to be "in touch". They have become so accustomed to instant communication to anyone at anytime they find it difficult to be in a place where they can't email, phone, or instant message their friends. If the missionaries could intentionally plan time for them to do these things in the itinerary (where possible), then the students would be more focused the rest of the time.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

FAMILY - I think it's important for students to get to meet and get to know the entire family of missionaries they are working with.
— Steve Masters, Louisiana

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Taking Students Seriously

Students have good ideas. Listen to their fresh perspectives. They will see the world through a different perspective. They may be able to give insights into the culture that were not previously realized, especially if the missionaries are new to the field themselves.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

Be open to ideas that students have. Sometimes people not as close to a situation can see things a lot more clearly. Also with respect to students I have found that they are much more creative than I. Allow them to use that creativity for the glory of God.
— Seth Lloyd, Iowa

I’ve noticed that students are excellent in reading people. They know pretty quickly if you are real or faking it. They will sense quickly if you think they are an imposition. They respond very quickly to authentic love, acceptance, a being a valuable part of the team. I have heard student after student say, “we were there and did the job, but no one felt our opinion counted.” Hey, they are students, but that doesn’t mean they are dumb and can’t be sensitive to the Spirit of God and present credible solutions to problems. Some very effective strategies have been birthed in the mind of students. So a good host will listen very attentively as a student expresses themselves. Some are very frank in giving criticism. A good host will receive criticism in a prayerful, loving, and listening spirit.
— Larry Bailey, Arkansas

Setting Ground Rules

Please ask your host families to sit down with the team members residing in their homes for the week and go over any rules that they may have. Each home each week will have different rules for these students. We have found that there are many different cultures in the USA and students may not know all the “house rules”. We have found that this early communication of rules cuts down on confusion.
— Connie Ricks, Florida

Be very up front about what is acceptable and not acceptable within their home, their ministry situation, within the culture, etc. It’s better to know things on the front end. Many of our students come from homes where they didn’t get much help on knowing how to act in different people’s homes. Some think nothing of using someone else’s computer or just asking if they can use it not realizing the cost to that person or the time limitations of internet in other places. Some were not trained to be neat and clean so they leave a place worse than they found it. When we ate in some different people’s homes, I always assigned students to assist with clean up (if that were permissible within the culture). Some students are so self-centered that they weren’t considerate of other people’s need for space, food, bathroom time, etc. The families seemed surprised but were very appreciative and commented on the servant attitude of the students.
— Suzanne Lillard, Oklahoma

Provide clear structure. The vast-majority of people do well when they know what is expected of them. True freedom is experienced within boundaries. Ambiguity is what leads to tension. In calling for clarity I am not calling for authoritarianism—just excellent communication.
— John Walker, Georgia

Another suggestion I have, which applies to so many different areas (ministry, relationship building, job requirements, etc) is that the IMB personnel does whatever he/she can to ensure that the student knows what is expected of him/her. Perhaps this is just the way I'm wired, but if I don't know what is expected of me, then I feel like I'm floundering and not on track. While some people prefer to have fewer restrictions, I still think it is such a good thing for staff and students to be on the same page. What better way for this to occur than to have the staff and students talk about expectations, desires, requirements, etc? I feel that this is such an important thing that it shouldn't just happen at the beginning of the student's time there. I think it would be good to happen regularly several times during the mission project. That way, the student is getting guidance on things they are doing, and the staff person knows how the student is doing. This also has the added benefits of relationship/team building and accountability between staff and students.
— Sarah Sanders

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Setting Schedules

Have a plan of action formulated before the students arrive…it doesn’t matter if you do or don’t do the plan…but just have one ready. Seriously.
— Dr. Frank Catanzaro, North Carolina

I took a couple of students to another closed country, but this time the IMB personnel was not so helpful. This person did not understand that students need rest just as much as they need to be "doing" things. He had packed our schedule so tight that the students became crabby and the result was counterproductive. There must be time in the schedule for students to reflect, pray, and just be kids.
— Benjamin Alley, Kansas

Students like to have time to worship, time to work, and time to relax. (I just had to illiterate that.) Intentionally planning the itinerary with each of these elements will lead to the students keeping a good attitude the whole time they are there.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

It was important for breaks to be taken. Being in another culture is stressful in and of itself. We took a few days and went to the coast with a Thai friend. It wasn't fancy, but it was beautiful - and greatly needed.
— Amy Roach

Students tend to be high energy. They enjoy being on the "go" all the time. Be prepared prior to their arrival with a full agenda. Students tend to have fewer fears of street evangelism. They enjoy meeting people on the street and engaging them with the gospel. Give them plenty of opportunities to conduct surveys and to witness in street level encounters (in closed countries this might be more difficult). Give the students a day of sightseeing. After a week or more of evangelism and church planting, let them have a day to enjoy the sites. Also, give them an opportunity to use their talents...such as doing dramas and singing. If given the chance, students are willing to sing songs to the nationals, do dramas and engage in other unique witnessing methodologies because they don't have a fear of failure that many others might have.
— Phil Calvert, Ecuador

They are young and energetic, but they do have their limits and there is no sense in exhausting them with work. Try to demonstrate a balance between work and play.
— Ian Cosh, Arkansas

Set very clear objectives spelled out in writing. Include work times and hours (wake up and be on time if that is an issue) in the objectives/schedule and help students create a weekly schedule, with times and places. The schedule should also include expectations of daily prayer and devotions. Their personal schedules at school will be different enough from a field schedule that the students won’t know how to plan their day for the work unless you help them.

Plan a 3 and 10 day debriefing after they arrive to discuss problems and, culture shock, and agenda's and schedules to make adjustments to the schedule as needed and to help the students adjust to cultural issues.
— Cliff Knight, Alabama

Allowing a team to have time to meet together without the missionary is important. We had one team that was not allowed by the M to have their own meetings; it was a great source of frustration. They wanted input from the M but also wanted to have just some team time to reflect, pray, etc.
— Suzanne Lillard, Oklahoma

I would suggest to field workers to perhaps weekly check up with the students to hold them accountable for how much time they are spending communicating with people back home. Most team leaders are prepared to do this themselves, but being backed up by the M would be awesome too. It can be very tempting for students to be preoccupied with happenings back home, especially in those countries where the internet might be readily available. Again, encourage them to fully engage in the culture and stay on task.
— Ashley Linne

Students are winsome. Plan enough free time in their itinerary that they can be open to various opportunities nationals will want to provide young people. Most people want to share their culture with a young person who is open to learning, they will be invited to do things other age groups would have difficulty accessing.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

Be realistic with expectations. The energy, idealism and enthusiasm students bring to a situation is a gift God uses. Put them in situations to use these gifts. Expect that students will make mistakes because they often do not embrace their own limitations.
— Rae Wright, Texas

Recently I had a cutting edge student on the field. She was a self starter, excellent in language study, (she came to level 4 in a local language in 8 months), great administrator, and very effective in sharing her faith. However, she needed someone she could bear her soul to and not feel judged. Being a good host means that I open my home, really love the student, and be a good listener. In other words make quality time for them when they know that this time is just for them. Being a good host means I need to be effective in pushing them out into the culture that they are targeting, but at the same time plan segments of time where the missionary initiates a retreat setting to refresh themselves, feel a part of a family that is of their own culture, eat some food that is American, joke and hang out. They will be more effective on the cutting edge if they feel the love, support, and friends that they need. It is heart breaking to send a young impressionable sold - out - to God – students, overseas who has missionaries listed as there heroes, and have them come back disillusioned and have broken spirits. In this case, it came about because the missionary would not listen or respond to basic needs of the student, and did not make them feel that they were a valuable part of the team.

I have found games an effective way to be a good host. Career missionaries need to remember that you need to play well as well as work well. Over a game, relationships in hosting can be built. Choose a game that is not so active that you have to concentrate on the game (like spoons), but more like hand and foot where you can talk as well as play. This may mean staying up late on the night they are in your home. Some students don’t get cranked up until 10:00 p.m. That means the missionary needs to get plenty of rest before the student comes. (I have even excused myself to go lay down for a 15 minute nap so that I can be alert when that magic moment comes when they really open their hearts to talk about a difficulty or prayer request). You see, in a setting like this, they can see that you are a real person and that you can let your hair down.
— Larry Bailey, Arkansas

The supervisors that allowed us to be open with them had a time of debriefing with us every week about how things were going. This was a very important time and I thought it was an excellent idea. We would discuss the joys, the frustrations and the prayer needs we had. It was a great time to process what God was doing in our hearts and one the field. Also, I liked it best where our field supervisors collaborated with us on our daily/weekly duties, providing things for us to do but also leaving room for us to bring our own ideas to the table.
— Jennifer Hand

I would also recommend that they have scheduled times of formal evaluation: at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 months, 2 months, etc., debriefing. By formal, I seemly mean “designated”. Good supervisor relationships will have feedback going both ways informally all the time. But my experience in supervising interns in my office is that a scheduled feedback time that the intern is aware of fosters great communication. With rare exception, the times are usually full of affirmation and yield a greater sense of “team”. I expect the intern (by asking them) to comment on my leadership, asking if I have done something they don’t understand, and asking what I can do to make the situation better for them.
— John Walker, Georgia

Recognize student's need for some unstructured time to rest and reflect. Schedule prayer time into their ministry schedule. And realize that "free days" or sight seeing days can be valuable experiences for students. Let them experience the culture and history of the place. These days can provide context that helps some students more fully understand the people.
— Rae Wright, Texas

Do not leave the students alone too much the first few days....help them get adjusted.
— Cliff Knight, Alabama

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Mentoring Students

The supervisor needs to be involved in helping them to grow in their walk with Christ. Build in times where they are spending time with that supervisor in the Word etc… Also build in time for fun and play too with the students. Just don’t say here is the work/ministry and then disappear.

Be genuine with the students. Always be looking for ways to be involved in missionaries’ lives. Take time to really get to know them. Discover who they are. The students really appreciate when an adult takes time to be with them and especially help them with their walk with Christ.
— David Roland, Georgia

Give them a chance to do big things....they are willing to take risks.
— Cliff Knight, Alabama

Students will deliver exactly what you expect them to deliver, so don’t set the bar too low. Always aim high. I have never had a group of students on a mission project that did not exceed the expectations of the hosts. I think this is true because I built into them some pretty high expectations prior to going. Make the expectations challenging but do-able. Be ready for midcourse corrections. If student missionaries need to be flexible, they will learn it best from the missionaries on the field.
— Ken Dillard, Ohio

Lead by example. Have a system of accountability...not just for purity, but for work, health, eating, spiritual, etc.
Celebrate.
— Robert, field personnel

Today's students want to be in constant motion...work them to death while they are there. Encourage them to keep a journal and if there is internet access encourage them to post a blog on the web.

Also, give them some freedom to use their creativity on the site. They need structure, but they can have some great ideas for thinking outside the box. They also want to learn about the culture they are in. When I take teams to Bulgaria, I always take them to some historic sites and Orthodox churches, so that they can better understand the people they work with. Students today are also very relational. They want time to develop relationships with the people they are ministering to, especially those their own age. They need time to hang out in the cafes or coffee shops or in homes of friends.
— Serena, team leader

I would recommend is to know when the missionaries’ ability to host is impaired. We learned this on a short-term project. The host was experiencing “fatigue” and was thus short-tempered and extremely anti-social. This particular host may have been struggling with a bout of depression at the time. We had been on several projects with them and had wonderful experiences. (In my opinion, they are fantastic missionaries.) However, at that time, they were dealing with burnout and were not good hosts. I know you can’t plan for burnout, but subsequently these missionaries made adjustments to reduce the potential of future burnout (by not allowing short-termers to stay in their home). So, my counsel would be to be aware of their own limits, being in touch with what’s happening in their lives, and knowing when they need to call a timeout for themselves.
— John Walker, Georgia

Talk with students about “real life” as you are on the field. How can they pray for you and your family?
—Suzanne Lillard, Oklahoma

Invest and be around. A supervisor needs to at least be there and invest in the students. They should allow them to be included in the daily life and special events. Teach and encourage them to stretch themselves and when they fall or become discouraged be there to catch them.

I have had a not so good experience with a supervisor overseas. It really almost ruins the entire experience and was, for me hindering to my ministry there. A supervisor can not expect everyone to be able to go out on their own and start something brand new, and/or be okay on their own. That may be a supervisors style, but if it is, the right person needs to be 'paired' with them. Not everyone can thrive or even work in a situation like that.
— Emily Crumly

After the first week or so, our supervisors did a wonderful thing for us, though I thought it strange at the time. They let us fend for ourselves for food (which we could get locally) transportation and lesson plans (our supervisors gave us some ESL books with ideas to get us going). Our supervisors told us we could call if we needed to which was great! The three of us got to experience so much more of Thailand when we were on our own than if we were sheltered in a missionary's home and under close supervision. Granted, both of my teammates were seniors in college and very mature about living on their own. We learned a ton from the friends we made including kinds of food, entertainment, exercise, etc. Our supervisors did check on us periodically and took us to church most Sundays both of which were great and really helpful.
— Amy Roach

One characteristic of the field supervisors that I worked with who were excellent was that they made themselves available in a way where we felt we could be open and honest with about our struggles, frustrations, joys happiness. Also, I think it is very important that supervisors help prepare students for their return home with issues such as reverse culture shock and work with them on how to effectively share their story upon returning home. Again the SA101 program did an excellent job of this, and it helped my return home become much, much smoother.
— Jennifer Hand

It is so important for field workers to let their students know that they are needed, welcomed and wanted, and that they are all part of one team, simply serving Christ where He has directed their steps. It seems that it can be very easy for students to slip through the cracks because personnel are SO busy. They are often overwhelmed with people and organizing activities and family and so many little things that they simply don't have time to connect with their students. I don't really have an answer as to how; all I know is that it's so important. I know that missionaries have a wealth of information, wisdom, and experiences that students can learn from. Please let them know how much their presence in a student's life will impact not only the student, but also the world in which the student lives. Making disciples, that is what we are commissioned to do. May we not neglect to do that with those who are working alongside us.
— Sarah Sanders, Missouri

Recognize that students can be at very different maturity levels. The gap between freshman and senior years can be quite large.
— Rae Wright, Texas

I would also suggest to field workers to be in constant, clear communication with the student team leaders. Let them know what is going on as much as possible. They carry a heavy burden in that their main priority is the health of their team. Perhaps meet weekly with the team leader to encourage him/her and talk about the struggles that will be unique to him/her as team leader. Encourage team leaders to be sensitive to the needs of their team members, to be bold in dealing with problems, and to serve with grace. Let the team leaders be the team leaders-- they're there for a reason and can be of amazing assistance to you as a field worker.
— Ashely Linne

When a student comes to serve, the thing that will have the most impact on the student, and therefore the greatest impact on the culture and the success of the gospel is how much encouragement they give to the student. I'm talking REAL invested, scriptural, affirming encouragement to the students.

Whether the missionary will be working beside them everyday or will send them off on their own makes no difference. The time spent touching their hearts will make all the difference in the world.

Students, especially college students, are at THE most critical time in their lives as far as deciding what to do with their lives and even how much they're willing to give to God. The missionary that loves on the student (even if the student messes up or must be corrected in some way) will get the most out of the student...and in turn the student will get the most out of his/her trip. Most, even the students that have been on multiple mission trips, only know a handful of missionaries. Their experience on the field, and in the home of a missionary, could either encourage or discourage a student from choosing missions as a lifetime career.

I've had students come back from trips and say that they had a rough time because the missionary didn't encourage them any...others became great friends or considered the missionaries parental-types by the time their time was done. The missionary will set the pace- if he starts out loving them, they are more likely to love him back and complete their tasks with excitement and joy. If he sees them just as work-horses for the summer and not potential career-missionaries, a great investment and wonderful potential could be lost. Love them!
— Sharon Rivers, Florida

Student Missionaries need to grow spiritually while on the field. Please have a plan for discipleship for them (individual and group). As the supervisor, you should plan times at least once every two weeks (every week if possible), when the group meets with you to debrief the spiritual growth material they are working on and to process what God is saying to them and doing in them. This time with mission personnel deeply enriches the student’s perspective of the summer. Assigning Journeymen or a student team member to this task should be considered the second best option (many of them are still in process and may not be trained or equipped to lead groups through planned growth times). Time with career mission personnel in this type of spiritual growth learning/processing environment deeply enriches the mission experience and connects these students with one who is investing a lifetime in mission call. There is no substitute for it. If a journeyman or student team leader is chosen to be the mentor for the group, career personnel should participate with the group several times during the experience.

Remember these student missionaries are your best potential recruiters for future volunteers/missionaries for your area – if they have a negative experience, feel unwanted or not invested in, or don’t capture the vision of why they are there and see the reason for their ministry, they will not recruit others to come and may even become negative promotion for students and others coming to serve in your area. But the flip side is also true, if they feel that they are valuable, feel that the mission personnel are investing in them and empowering them to do effective and purposeful ministry, then they will be the best recruiters for folks to come serve alongside you in the future. A positive student mission experience produces a passionate mission recruiter.
— Ken Owens, South Carolina

Be organized and maintain a good sense of humor. Be serious at times and light hearted at times. Students appreciate good planning and they are by nature flexible, but they know the difference between poor planning and unexpected challenges. If you goofed just say so and move along, don't cover up errors by using the "be flexible" copout:)!

Be prepared to share your own journey and teach as you go. Grab those teachable moments as they happen and teach, teach, teach.
— Ian Cosh, Arkansas

Give time to the students. I understand the strains on families, ministries, indigenous people, etc…but often I have gone into a country and very little time a missionary has spent with the team I have brought. Consequently, my teams to some degree have wondered, if why they came was even really appreciated. In addition, I have sent some journeymen out and one of their “complaints” is that they feel like they have given two years of their life, but no one chose to pour into their life during that time. I know the people to whom I refer to and it wasn’t necessarily a “selfish ambition” reason or whining about no one “pouring into their life”. They were mature, and honest just saying it was hard, difficult, often they have “not yet developed emotions”, where they just mentioned…I wished someone was around to pour into me and to affirm what I am doing is of Eternal & temporal value…knowing what they were doing meant something to their supervisors…and that takes time to say it….not sometimes with words alone, but also in actions…desiring to invest.

I believe the individual would come home more confident that what they had done accomplished something. Ready to share Jesus and mentor and invest into the lives of individuals around them.
— Scott Liddell, Washington

Students need to be invested in and not just used a student missionaries. Well developed mentoring/coaching plans should be developed for student missionaries. In the past some missionaries have established weekly devotional times and have had students read missions biographies. It’s a wonderful time to really invest in students spiritually. I know that this is time consuming but it is worth the time. Student short-term missionaries become Journeymen who become Career and so the investment is for the future. These students want to learn and crave mentoring and discipling. For sure their main purpose is to serve on mission, but they also need someone to invest in them. (Honestly, these are the kinds of missionaries that we look for when choosing where our state teams will go.)
— Chad Stillwell, South Carolina

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Project Costs/Finances

Field costs should be set in advance. Sometimes field supervisors are not sensitive to fundraising concerns for students and they make adjustments to the amount of money only a couple of weeks before departure. This causes real problems for students and should be avoided. The price needs to be set before departure. Also, field supply costs should be CLEARLY stated in the request forms. Often the ON-FIELD COST section has one price, but in a vague statement in an ADDENDUM, the field is recruiting hundreds/thousands of dollars of equipment and students do not see that or are not informed until the last minute.
— Chad Stillwell, South Carolina

Be wise with the finances. Keep the costs down.
— David Roland, Georgia

Students tend to be on much lower budgets than other volunteers so plan events with their budget in mind.
— Phil Calvert, Ecuador

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In security areas

I took a group of very nervous students to China one time. Many of them were nervous about sharing their faith because China is a "closed" country. The IMB personnel on the field was so encouraging to the students. From the very beginning, he told the students to "just talk to someone about Jesus." He really encouraged them to forget that they were in a closed country and just go for it. I really think this is the type of attitude that helps timid students (especially those going to closed countries).
— Benjamin Alley, Kansas

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Cultural Adjustment

Give students a thorough do's and don't list for the culture. Plan a 3 and 10 day debriefing after they arrive to discuss problems and, culture shock, and agenda's and schedules. Warn students of making promises they can not keep and remind them to not be loud an draw too much attention to themselves.
— Cliff Knight, Alabama

We teach students in their preparation to be flexible. We emphasis that a lot, and I understand that orientation further underlines that. Being a good host, though, means that you have thought out your plan for the student and not impose on their flexibility. Let me explain it this way. A rubber band is flexible. But stretch it too far and it breaks. That’s tensile limit. Every student has that limit. The supervisor needs to think out the plan before the Lord before it is written up. Flexibility should work within the boundaries of the plan. Of course we know that plans can change, but when they change, much care should be given to carefully explain how this all transpired and give complete details on the change. Field orientation should not be taken lightly. Some supervisors assume too much because they have been on the field so long and what is not normal to the student is very normal to them. The host should take a careful look at the world they live in while considering the world that they student is coming from and draw up a plan to help the student adjust as quickly and effectively as possible. The host should be very sensitive to the student in the first days of adjustment and be proactive in being that confidant that will keep the student talking and sharing what they are sensing.
— Larry Bailey, Arkansas

If the missionaries could personally accompany the students, not every second, but at least the first few days, and teach them valuable lessons about the culture in which they will be working, that would be extremely helpful. Also giving language lessons daily helps students. They don't have to be too much, but at least how to count, how to ask basic questions, how to greet people, etc. A daily briefing in the morning and an evening debriefing is also very helpful.
— Yvette Palmer, Louisiana

Make sure that the missionary on the field gives a good introduction to the culture and potential dangers when the students arrive. For example, in Quito we talk about the crime, the traffic and general cultural norms when they arrive so that they can be safe and effective witnesses.
— Phil Calvert, Ecuador

Keep in mind that for many of the students they'll encounter, this is their first overseas trip. Some students have not been adequately prepared for their trips simply because it is an entirely new experience for them. Try to remember what it was like for you your first couple of weeks living overseas-- remember the culture shock and homesickness, and help the students focus on engaging with the culture. Help them learn and appreciate the wonderful cultural differences they will encounter and remind them that America doesn't have the "right" ways of doing things. Perhaps encourage students to use the word "different" instead of "right" or "wrong" when they are comparing their American culture to the culture of those they live with for the summer.
— Ashley Linne

Give CLEAR expectations for how to live during your stay (cleanliness, food preparation, punctuality, using bathrooms, kitchen, other facilities, any cultural no-no's around the house or helpers, etc.) Sometimes, though we're of the human race and it seems like we should know something is right or wrong, we still miss it. You can hardly over-communicate in this area! Volunteers (especially ones who haven't traveled overseas or been on a mission trip before) will get stressed out by the smallest, craziest things and knowing those constants (where to brush your teeth, when are times to read or relax, etc.) can keep them a lot more calm than if they feel like they have no control over anything (even the little stuff).
— Audra, Georgia

Help students remember that each country has their pride, so they shouldn’t ever criticize anything.
— Omar Almonte

Students have a tendency to call anything that is different from their norm “weird.” Help them remember that most cultural differences are not “weird,” but just different. That perspective can help cut down on culture shock issues and criticism of the host country.
— Felicity, Virginia

Whenever a student first arrives in the country, have at least one person on the staff meet them at the airport, take them to where they will be staying, and do whatever they can to make them feel welcome. A few ideas are helping them and teaching them how to: get money converted, buy stamps, groceries, toiletries, etc., use local transportation. Those first couple of days are so crucial because everything is new and overwhelming and different. With an American there who knows the language and culture, it can tremendously help the student begin to get settled.

As for ministry, I think it is so important for the IMB personnel to know where the student is in their knowledge of the religion of the people in which they will be ministering, i.e., how much do they know about the religion? are there local customs, beliefs, or folk practices that they need to be aware of? do they know how to share the gospel with the local people (in a way that is culturally effective)...not just to a people group as a whole? For example, knowing about Islam practices and actually knowing how to minister to someone who is a devout Muslim in an animistic Islamic
society are two very different things.
— Sarah Sanders, Missouri

Good “pre-search” is great blessing for the students. Before they come, send them stories of the work there. Send them pictures, give them names, direct their prayers and their bible study in preparation for their trip. Students are also fans of the random… give them tidbits of the culture that would spark some interest or uniqueness toward the people and place where they will be going. Always, the more information the better. What do they need to bring… specifics? What is the weather like? How much money will they need daily and the best place and time to exchange it? Medical conditions… Challenge them to be adventurous with their sleeping conditions, eating habits, and language skills.
— Ken Dillard, Ohio

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Communicate your strategy/end vision

MISSIONARY STRATEGY - I think it's important students have a basic understanding of what the missionaries are trying to accomplish and how they are attempting to accomplish it.
— Steve Masters, Louisiana

Students really want to make a difference. They want to know they are doing something significant. It helps most of them to be told how their project fits into the big picture. If they are told before the go, while they are there, when they leave, and after they get home they will be more likely to grasp the significance of their trip. As they are reminded of the strategic way in which God is using them, they will be moved to do even more for Him.
— Meg Nelson, Georgia

Let students know they are a part of your “big picture”. Students who will make a difference want to be involved in a movement more than a trip so they want to know that what they are doing is part of your strategy. They don’t have to know the whole strategy but just know that they are just doing “busy work” but something that will make a difference in eternity.
— Suzanne Lillard, Oklahoma

Consistently recast vision for the broad theological goal of missions (God's glory in the nations!) and for the specific approach in this setting. If they are on a preparatory stage (say pray and mapping of the area) remind them of what they are doing and why it is important and where you hope this will take you in terms of future stages of ministry. It is really easy for volunteers to lose sight of the forest because of the trees!
— Dusty Thompson

I would tell a room full of missionaries to be sure and share their heart for their country with the students that are working with them. I know that when I went to a country in Southeast Asia in 2000 with a Discovery team, it was the directness of the missionary's request to pray that God would break our heart for his country that led me to have a heart for it like I do. Of course, at the time, I thought that he was crazy, but God thought differently. I think that the zeal that the missionary has for his people communicates more than anything else. Our students have had tons of Bible studies, for the most part, here at home. It is seeing missions in action that brings them to the next level.
— Yvette Palmer, Louisiana

In my experience one of the more crucial roles of the field personnel is to let the volunteers know two things: 1. You are necessary. What you're doing here is helping our ministry and thus the Kingdom (hopefully). We're glad you're here. You aren't just another team of generic folks from America who signed up to help somebody in another part of the world.
— Audra, Georgia

It is important for student's to understand the m's or project vision and how they fit into it. Probably this needs to be restated and reinforced through out the trip. At debriefing m's should talk about how they saw God work to accomplish the vision and specifically how he used students.
— Rae Wright, Texas

They need to see your vision so that they can embrace something larger than just their “trip experience”. They need to know how their being there fits into your vision. How their being there creates something that you cannot do on your own, or at the very least within that period of time. Time to students is a precious thing. They want to feel their contribution is significant to the greater vision more so than just filling up a few weeks of effort in a “foreign place”.
— Ken Dillard, Ohio

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