MIST Participants

MIST is a weekend course where participants are stimulated to think and learn about the challenges of living and working cross-culturally, whether overseas or within Australia. MIST is designed for individuals, families, or teams going short-term (1 week – 2 years).

Topics include:

Culture stress / shock / Re-entry
Cross-cultural communication
Poverty, Justice, and Development Issues
Knowing and sharing your faith
Security in another country
Keeping Fresh Spiritually & Spiritual Warfare
Language Learning
Bible Storytelling
‘Being’ in another culture

Benefits of participating:

Experience a weekend in a creative, interactive adult learning environment
Test your cross-cultural adaptation skills in cultural simulations
Build a network of like-minded people passionate about the mission
Fantastic team-building opportunity (for teams)!

This course is facilitated by experienced mission workers drawn from a variety of agencies and churches. It is held on a regular basis in VIC, SA, NSW, QLD, NT & sometimes in WA, with the possibility of other courses if requested.

MIST PRE-READING OR VIDEOS.

The following reading or video clips are required to be completed prior to MIST.

OR:

Watch this video: Biblical Basis of Missions / God's Heart for the Nations

If you have any questions about these materials, please contact cbird@cms.org.au.

MIST ADDITIONAL READING

Watch video: State of the World / The Task Remaining

MIST PREPARATION ACTIVITIES

1. Lingenfelter and Mayers Questionnaire

Print out the Lingenfelter and Mayers Questionnaire and complete it prior to coming to MIST. This is the first priority of your preparatory tasks. Click here to download.

If you have Microsoft Excel this version of the Lingenfelter and Mayers Questionnaire will do all the maths for you. Click here to download.

2. Compare your culture and your destination culture

Compare your home culture and destination culture using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions here.

3. Prepare to Share your Testimony

Prepare a 3-minute testimony to share. You may have opportunities to share this as a part of your Short-Term cross-cultural placement.

Please use the following guidelines in preparing your testimony

Make it in answer to this question from a local contact in your intended cross-cultural location: “Why are you a Christian?”
Focus on God’s work more than just telling your “story”.
You may include how you came to be a believer. You may not remember a point of conversion or may have grown up in a Christian home. If so, praise God for Christian parents! (~1 minute)
Share a little of how your life is different since or because you are a Christian. (~30 seconds) It could also be good to say what has been a struggle for you.
Try to structure and shape your testimony so that it points to the gospel. You may then have an opportunity to go on to share the gospel.
A challenge to hearers is important. (~30 seconds)
Remember you only have three minutes

It is good to speak or “test drive” your testimony a few times before the MIST weekend.

It might not be appropriate to share this testimony in all placements and locations. Follow local advice about this.

Additional MIST Preparation Activities for MIST NSW, QLD, and SA:

Please watch:

World’s Apart Movie

Language Learning

MIST LINKS

Some Useful Sources:

Vacation Disaster Preparation Safety Guide. The guide offers lots of helpful information such as:

-Helpful and actionable tips and advice about travel emergencies and disaster awareness whilst traveling or vacationing abroad and what travelers can do to prepare for and stay safe in case of an emergency.

-Key stats and figures about travel safety and natural disasters across the world, including the countries most and least at risk to calamities, different types of natural disasters, the risk of terrorism and political unrest, and examples of major and personal emergencies to prepare for.

-Practical and useful travel safety information such as emergency hotline numbers across the world, what to do in case disaster strikes, advice if you are injured or hospitalised abroad when to contact your embassy for assistance, and other helpful advice.

-A travel safety checklist to help you prepare for emergencies and links to other useful resources and information online about overseas travel safety and disaster preparedness.