Description:
Sojourners are people who venture far from home to live in a foreign place and culture. They have amazing adventures and experience significant fulfillment, but along with the adventure and fulfillment comes a unique set of stressors, losses, and struggles: struggles in understanding a different culture, a new language, a new identity and in figuring out how to balance many demands with legitimate personal needs. Fatigue is a frequent and understandable result.
This workbook is designed to help the new sojourner, or an experienced one, to develop personal skills for managing the stress, mourning the losses, and crafting a lifestyle that leads to sojourner health on every level.
Throughout each chapter, psychologically based coping skills are integrated with Scriptural truth and spiritual disciplines to provide a foundation for healthy cross-cultural living and effective relationships that last for the long term.
Brief description: Connie Befus, Ph.D., grew up in Africa and has also lived in Central and South America. Crossing cultures, and watching others struggle in cross-cultural adaptation led her to do her doctoral dissertation research on culture shock. She has used her research, her experience overseas and her expertise as a psychologist to train, counsel and encourage cross-cultural workers for over 35 years. She loves to help people integrate truths from God's word and the practice of spiritual disciplines with appropriate psychological research and techniques-for healthy, vibrant lives and service.