Today I want to introduce a guest post from Kathy Mizen. Kathy is one of our favourite short term mission host in Honduras, if you are looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children in the public schools, send her an email at kmizen@paoc.org
What Missionary Hosts really think when they first greet you.
Will this be a good team? Will the team work well together? Will we have problems? Will they benefit our ministry, or do they have their own agenda? Will they like us? Will we like them? I hope the team leader is ready!
Those are just some of the thoughts that go through my head as I wait at the airport for the team to arrive.
The Anticipation is exhilarating (and terrifying)
Every team is unique in good ways… and sometimes not so good ways. For me as a host, I want to be open to whatever may come and be prepared as much as possible.
The more the host can know about your team the better.
Want to have a better trip?
Send your host a bio for each team member, including details like:
who they are
what they do
their gifts or skills
even random personality traits!
It doesn’t have to be detailed or lengthy (really!), just informative.
And please, send a photo of your team so your short term mission host knows who to greet at the arrival gate. It’s nice to be able to welcome a team into our foreign country with a smile and a hug, as if we already know you.
Laying it all out for your short term mission host
It is important for the team leader to communicate well with the short term mission host during the preparation stage. This helps build relationship and establishes an idea of what the leader will be like on the field.
Do not be afraid to ask questions, as much as you want a positive experience for your team, we hosts want that too!
Many times, teams come as strangers and leave as friends. We know we’ve done a good job when a team is sad to leave and has accomplished great things for the kingdom.
It’s a relief when they leave, and we feel good about our time together.
Are you a short term mission host … what are some of the thoughts you have before you meet your teams?
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If you are a host interested in hosting more short term mission teams you may want to take a moment to see how we can make your life a lot easier.
Kathy Mizen is one of our favourite short term mission host in Honduras, if you are looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children in the public schools, send her an email at kmizen@paoc.org