Welcome to my blog!

Each post presents a case study of a real cross-cultural worker (all names have been changed) and then I address the following:

• Analysis – exploration of the personal, social and cultural issues pertaining to the cross-cultural worker’s experience.

• A story to consider – reflection on a story from the Bible that has parallels to the case study, seeking further insight in light of the previous analysis.

• What happened? How was the cross-cultural worker cared for? – exploration of possible actions.

This is followed by further reading and references.

My post entitled Theological Reflection Cycle sets out the theory behind this pattern.

Bio

Christine has been based for fifteen years as a tutor/lecturer/mentor at St Andrew’s Hall, a cross-cultural training college in Melbourne, Australia mentoring and lecturing subjects including culture shock, re-entry and family transitions. Christine was also CMS Victoria’s Member Care Coordinator for 10 years until 2020.

Christine has been an adult educator for over two decades: in Nepal, rural Victoria and most recently, for fifteen years at St Andrew’s Hall (a cross-cultural training college in Melbourne).

Christine holds a BSc (University of Melbourne), Graduate Diploma of Education (Melbourne State College) and a MA in Christian Studies (Ridley College, Melbourne).

Christine has lived in the UK, rural Nepal, rural Victoria, Tasmania and Melbourne. Her husband and three adult children are all TCKs. She thoroughly enjoys swimming at the beach, cycling, bushwalking and being a grandmother of two grandsons.

Reflection

I was cocooned by my rain hood and woolly hat; so much so, that all I could hear were the rain drops on my hood, the dull roar of the waves beyond the sandbar and the occasional squawk of seagulls gathering around them.  As I walked along the beach rain drops landed on my glasses, obscuring my view of the calmer waters between me and a sandbar close to shore.  Drops landed on my face and then ran down and down beside my nose, collecting on my lip, until their combined weight sent them with a rush into my mouth. Sometime later, and somewhat warmer, I pushed off my hat and hood, and was assaulted by the wind, the roar of waves out beyond the sandbar and the raucous screeches of seagulls. My vision was still obscured by drops on my glasses, but even visually my senses were heightened, colours and textures burst out. Only then did I notice the shells gathered and glistening in the scalloped edges of the shoreline and the piles of seaweed. 

Bird, 2019

As member care workers, we can have our vision obscured and our senses dulled by busyness, our theological grid or our task orientation, particularly if we are from a Western culture. It is vital that we have all our senses at work when engaging in member care, observing the non-verbal cues as well as the verbal ones. Many of the case studies illustrate the importance of this.

Testimonials

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Let’s encourage each other as member carers!

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