Thursday, December 4, 2014

How does an Oasis work?



We are in the final stages of support raising so that we can go 
on the field to do Missionary Care through a hosted Oasis.
 

Many people have asked us:  

What is an Oasis?  
How does this work?
What is missionary care?


Well, here's our answer to all three of those questions!  

Once we land in Cape Town, we will rent a furnished apartment for the three months we are waiting for our container of household items to arrive.  During that time, we will be looking for a property to rent for our Oasis.  We envision a separate 2 bedroom guest cottage for the missionaries use.  This type of property is relatively common in South Africa - it is called a "granny flat" since families often have their parents come to live with them.  The photo above is of one such cottage that we viewed while we were on our scouting trip in 2012.

Once our Oasis is up and running, we will host one missionary (and family) at a time.  Before coming to our Oasis, they will fill out a questionnaire that will let us know what their needs are and how long they want to stay.  We will host one family any amount of time from 2 days to 2 weeks.

During their stay, if they are struggling in any area of life, we can offer them life coaching, biblical counseling, stress assessments, and a listening ear.  Of course, things might go differently once we are there - but we envision formal interactions between us and the couple during the mornings, with afternoons free for rest and reflection, and additional interactions during several of the evenings.

Our desire is to minister to the entire family.  We will host times of fun and reflection for the kids of the family as well.  Kids often desire to voice their thoughts, feelings, and struggles as well - and we want to be sensitive to the needs of the children, giving them exclusive time to talk.  Julie is able to offer guidance and insight into homeschooling, as well as hosting a homeschool resource library for families to peruse.

The Oasis will feature a lending library, a movie collection, puzzles, and lots of board games for families to enjoy.  In short, we hope to offer weary families a safe place to spend a week resting, debriefing, seeking the Lord, and recapturing the passion that led them to their ministry!

If you would like to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of missionaries in Southern Africa - join our team!! 

We would love to have you join us, once we are fully funded we will leave for the field!