Re-entry Conference
Ever since we began thinking about a year in America, we started researching reverse culture shock. It is common that people moving back to their home country after living overseas experience MORE culture shock than when they first move overseas!
When we move into a new culture, we expect things will be different, and we are extra sensitive to learn how people relate and how things work. In the process, we start changing, adapting to our new environment, so that it becomes more and more “normal” for us, and we fit in.
When we move back to our home country, we expect that we already know how to fit in, and that the culture and we are the same as when we left, and we can pick up where we left off.
Of course, it’s not that easy, and many people experience a lot of pain and frustration in the process.
We attended a weeklong conference at a retreat center in Colorado focusing on “re-entry.” Our purpose was to be aware of the issues that might blindside as we settle back into the US – to be more aware of how we have changed through living overseas for 10 years, and aware of how American culture has changed.
It was a really refreshing and insightful week for us, and we were with a lot of missionary families facing the same transition from other countries around the world. There was good instruction, lots of interaction, and personal counselling from experts to help us prepare for the year and what the Lord has in store for us.
