Workshop Tapes and CDs

"How Do I Help Them Understand? Mission Recruits Talk With Parents" is the title of a new workshop Cheryl and Diane debuted at the 2006 National Missionary Convention in Indianapolis. The workshop began with a panel comprised of one missionary and four recruits; only one of the five had extremely supportive parents. Our panel answered questions about their situations and ways they have tried to deal with them. Diane then spoke from the parents' perspective, and Cheryl wrapped all the comments together with tips for good communication.

The bottom line: Recruits greatly desire their parents' blessing. Parents fear losing an emotional connection with their kids when they become long-term missionaries before the parent-child relationship has completely transformed to an adult-adult connection. This process begins when a son or daughter enters later adolescence but is not usually completed until about age 30. There is much recruits can do as part of their preparation for the field to assure their parents that their relationship is important and won't be abandoned or forgotten.

At the same convention, we also led a workshop for parents, "How to Thrive as Parents of Missionaries." It focused on the stresses we face as POMs, the help that is available to us, and the positive actions we can take to thrive as parents of missionaries. The workshop also featured testimonies from two POM dads about the value of connecting with other POMs for encouragement, learning, and support.

Both workshops were taped, and tapes or CDs can be ordered from Christian Audio Tapes. Follow this link: http://www22.ivenue.com/catapes/productCat59980.ctlg

(The recruit workshop was Saturday at 10:30 AM, and the parent workshop was Saturday at 4 PM.)