In November I (John) had the opportunity to visit long-term workers, Andreas and Ligia and their three children, in Săcălaz, Romania. It was good to be with them, to listen to them and to be able to encourage them. I saw some of the village where they live, visited the nearest town, and had the opportunity to visit their church community on Sunday. It was a positive visit, with good, deep conversations about seeking God's way for them as they look at what new steps they can take.
All this is part of the support that the iTeams NL office offers our workers, and such a visit strengthens the mutual relationship. It is an important way to keep workers healthy in the field, despite all the challenges that life and work bring.
One of iTeam's Dutch core values is relationships. We build that relationship from the first contact with a potential new worker. Part of our orientation and training program, Access, is to further build that relationship. Once the workers are in the field, we continue to build by having regular online contact and, when possible, visiting people in the field.
Field visits provide a unique opportunity to really see the worker's life and the local situation. When we visit, we see our workers in their own environment, meet their team, colleagues and local friends, eat and drink together, and experience a little part of what daily life looks like for them. It gives us a chance to hear about their ups and downs, and that's how we come alongside. All this means that the level of care and support in our regular on-line conversations has more substance, and we can provide extra support where it is needed.