There are a lot of things to consider when you want to serve internationally. I had lived overseas briefly before I joined Servant Group and had learned a lot about what kind of living situation, support system, and ministry focus I needed to serve well. Here are some of the reasons I found Servant Group to be a good fit.
I needed something to DO
I am not good at talking to strangers. I can’t start a conversation cold turkey, especially in a language I am struggling to learn. I knew that it was important for me to have some kind of on-ramp for building relationships with nationals. Having a role, in an established school, where I would be with the same people day in and day out was a great way for me to slowly get to know other people. It also helped that nearly everyone I met was curious about me and had no problem asking me very personal questions not long after we met. I struggle with small talk and really enjoyed jumping right in to in-depth conversations. Things like why I wasn’t married, how I felt about U.S. politics, or Kurdish politics. There were several who readily told me about their lives as well. Within my first three weeks of living in Iraq, I had a fellow teacher telling me about how her older brother had been kidnapped and killed in Baghdad and that was why her family had moved north where it was safe.
I also really enjoyed teaching. I am not a trained teacher and had only taught (really badly) once before in a classroom setting. But the rhythm of a school schedule with lesson planning, grading, teaching, and grading some more did a lot to keep me focused in my time there. It wasn’t all easy or fun, but I knew I was there with a purpose and a goal. I think if I had gone with just the vague imperative of “build relationships” or a highly structured achievement plan (meet X new people, have Z number of conversations by the end of the week) I would have constantly felt like I was not doing enough. But Servant Group never made me feel that way.
I needed a supportive leadership not a demanding one
I knew that moving to the Middle East would be trying, especially as a female. I knew how discouraging it could be to live among totally foreign people. It was important for me to find an organization that would be encouraging rather than demanding. One that allowed its staff to adapt at their own pace as well as providing guidance along the way. I had seen and experienced too many “leadership teams” who were only interested in the end goal of the organization, not the personal growth of their team as well.
I felt that servant leadership style from my very first in person interview with Servant Group. They really wanted to know me, my strengths, my expectations, and my concerns. It was made clear to me, not only in that interview but in the 5 years that followed, that my spiritual well-being was the most important factor in my serving with Servant Group. In the times that I felt stuck or frustrated the leadership team prayed with me and helped me think through solutions. When I needed to take some time off they gently and kindly recommended that I come back to the U.S. for some rest. They were not interested in what they could get out of me, but how they could help me serve the Lord to the best of my ability.
I didn’t want to spend years training and language learning
I knew that I wanted to be able to start working as immediately as possible. I have an intercultural studies degree and overseas experience which felt like a lot of training already. I had no desire to go to another two years of school to learn the methodology of the organization I was joining or a language that I could learn on the ground. Those things aren’t bad, it just wasn’t the timeline I was looking for.
Servant Group did a great job preparing me to deal with the things they could not prepare me for. We went over cultural and teaching basics, but I was told, repeatedly, that the best way to learn was to do. That suited my learning style perfectly. And because they were supportive of me making mistakes and adapting as I learned, I never felt like I was wasting my time in a classroom. It also made me hyperaware of learning the culture from the people that grew up in it while I lived in it. I was encouraged to find national friends and ask them my questions about their customs, language, and culture rather than come in already “knowing” those things. Immersion isn’t for everyone, but it was definitely what I was looking for.
I didn’t want to have to commit for life
I had previously had a … not great overseas experience. One that I was pretty happy to have end after a few months. I was nervous to commit long term to an organization and a country that I really wasn’t super familiar with. What if, after six months, I realized that this was not healthy for me? I figured I could do anything for a year. Turns out I could live in Iraq with Servant Group, happily, for five years. It was wonderful to never feel stuck.
I wanted to work with nationals, for nationals
I was skeptical of organizations that come in to a country with their own plan and agenda of how they are going to “fix” the people they are serving. What I initially loved about Servant Group was their long history of working with nationals to help achieve good things for their country. They weren’t doing flash in the pan service projects or replacing national run programs with “better” Western ones. Servant Group has always worked with Kurds to help them make the lives of their people better. They know what their society needs better than any American can and they know how to navigate their culture better too. I liked that I was going in in not as an American who knows the best way to do everything, but as a Christian who wants to learn about the culture and help where most needed.
Why I stayed with Servant Group
I’ve been with Servant Group for over 10 years now. I stayed because I feel supported and cared for. I believe that the leadership at Servant Group wants what is best for their staff as well as for the people they serve. I have seen kindness, servant heartedness, and tough decision making done with compassion. I may have been hesitant to sign up for a year, but I am so glad that I did!
