Laura Power spent several years in Kenya after graduating from college. Her commitment to the Lord was firm, but her training hadn’t prepared her for the culture shock she experienced.
Laura shared, “My time in Kenya was very difficult. I believe that if my team had attended a Campus Outreach Pre-Deployment training, our years in Kenya would have looked drastically different.”
Laura attended two months of pre-deployment training with a well-known missionary organization, but she said:
“The eight days that these staff get to attend are far more valuable than anything I did before deploying. Healthy missionaries can do the most good overseas. Free from worrying about the little things, they focus fully on sharing the gospel and equipping laborers. And that is ultimately what we are about, glorifying God by building laborers.”
The training: 1. New Staff Orientation — 5 days - Staff learn the history of Campus Outreach, office policies and processes, how to raise support, and basic Campus Outreach procedures 2. Pre-Deployment Training — 8 days - After raising support, new staff discuss the importance of gospel identity at the center, which drives community and mission. They also learn about team expectations, emotional and physical health while overseas, and cultural adaptation. There was even an introductory cooking class, among other activities.
“They need every single thing that we offer them in these trainings, from how to reimburse business expenses to how to share the gospel in a way that those in the host culture would be best able to understand,” Laura shared.
Feedback from veteran overseas staff and incoming staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Teams can reach campuses for Christ more effectively.
One new staff member shared, “I walked away excited for the future. How exciting to know that a team of people is behind me.”
Another said, “I hope the LEAD people come to this training again and again to root themselves deeply in Jesus. The way the cultural adjustment curve was explained made a big impact. I think it was one of the most practical tools to revisit in the field. I feel prepared!”
Encourage someone you know by sharing this story with them.
Please direct them to the blog or click here to print a copy of the story to share!