Coming home from missions is the hardest part of missions. You expect devastation and poverty when you go, you expect hard times and culture shock. You have prepared and braced your self for a shocking situation, you have a team around you for support, people you can talk to, people who see what you see, who understand what you understand, people who will listen. A mission trip can rock your world, change your life and set everything knew upside down. How do you come home from that?
I will never forget my first mission to Dominican Republic. I saw starving people, I saw a medical facility that would wouldn't be fit for a first aid station, I saw tin houses and wild pigs and goats. I stayed at a nice hotel, and spent my days digging in a trench. I spent my time around my team, I made friends with locals, I talked to a few members of the team, I learned some Spanish. Then it was time to fly home, I got on the plane to fly and was sick. I couldn't cry, I couldn't talk, I couldn't participate. I withdrew inward, I ate my in-flight meal wishing I was home where I could talk to my family. I spent 18 hours traveling, I arrived home around 2am. No one was up waiting for me, so I showered and went to sleep. The next morning hugs went around and I started to talk, but no-one really wanted to hear. No one wanted to see the pictures, sure maybe a dozen or so but no one would talk to me about it. They didn't understand the raw emotion, the hurt, the wonder the sense of being lost. they didn't get it.
People will ask you " How was the mission trip? Did you have fun?" or say "you went on a mission? where?.....well my daughter went to mexico! blah blah blah" Remember this is important to them. They cannot connect with you about your trip but the person they knew they are relating to. Let them talk, listen, and try not to make it all about you. I recommend you have a 45 second sound byte, when people ask you "how was the trip?" you know what to say, then if they are still interested you can go on about what parts they show interest in. Don't be disappointed if they don't want a detailed explanation. You do need to talk about it, you need to talk thru and process what you went thru, don't diminish that. Find a close friend, tell them that you need to talk it out, and that it might not make sense but you need to talk it out and then sit down and talk.
Other people haven't experienced what you did. Bosses will be just as mean, people will be just as aggravating, people will be upset about the stupidest things and you will want to snap. Don't be afraid to excuse yourself, often that is the key. People here at home will have a much easier time understanding you can't handle whats going on right now if tell them politely (even if it kills to be nice), then excuse your self. Don't make people go around you, if you have the problem it is best to remove yourself from the situation.
And mostly I beg you to get into a devotion. Go to the Lord in prayer, go to the BIBLE. It is the #1 best thing you can do. Read the bible, reading takes your mind off of other things and provides an escape. Reading the Bible is the greatest tool to coping with the post stress. It might be a week, 2 weeks or even a year, or years but God will get you thru this.
Thank you for serving
