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*Photo by zelnunes
In missions you learn how to introduce yourself and how to say goodbye. Those two events occur over and over. Missions is such a transient lifestyle. You literally can meet hundreds of new people a year and say goodbye to hundreds. Slowly you can become calloused, retreating from meeting new people and saying goodbye to them. This is not good for you and them.
If you’re like me, you tend to hold back when you meet someone new thinking they’ll be leaving soon so why invest in them. This is an unfortunate habit that is developed over the years of greetings and goodbyes. Here’s how to recognize and reverse some of those tendencies that can end up making you feel isolated and alone as a missionary and make others around you feel less important or not valued.
Learn to look people in the eye and give them your full attention. “This person is the most important event that is going on right now,” I try to tell myself, instead of trying to think about other errands I could be doing. Give them your full attention and refuse to do any kind of passive listening like fiddling with your phone or reading a magazine while having a conversation with them. Be focused and intentional with your thoughts and eyes.
Ask questions. Get to know them. So what if they’re leaving in a few weeks. God has brought them into your life and you could learn from them, or visa versa. Don’t blow them off so you can continue doing what you feel is more important, pushing them back on your priority list.
Get together by asking them to dinner, a movie, or an outing. Involve them in your life so you can learn more about them and find ways to invest in them. Don’t think they’re less important because they’re only going to be around for a short time.
Buy them gifts. Find out what they like and keep your eyes open. Giving someone a small gift as gum can make them feel like they really matter to you. It can make their whole day.
It’s not about tricking people into making them think you like them or finding ways to deceive people into liking you. It’s about stewarding those that God has put in your life. If ministry becomes more important than the community God has placed you in than it’s time to reassess what it is you’re actually trying to accomplish. Making people feel important is ministry. Whether their long-term or short-term missionaries, long distance or local, they’re worth your time.
How do you stay away from guarding yourself against the transient lifestyles of missionaries? What are ways you make short-term volunteers important in your ministry?
Original post http://missionsmanual.com/2012/11/greetings-and-goodbyes/
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