Short Term Missions

Short term missions compound steep learning curves with jet lag; no local network; banking, visa and travel uncertainties; security questions and the awkward fact that there is no time to get sick or make mistakes. This series gathers ideas/tips from many who have learned, better ways to do things.

Randy Weekes

May 8

Resilience in the time of COVID-19

Let me begin by thanking CANADEM deployees and all other international workers who are working on the front lines or remotely, in your home offices. You are ...

Randy Weekes

May 7

Succeeding on Short Term Missions

What are the secrets to success on short term international missions? Long term international missions provide time to learn. Those that last just weeks or m...

Randy Weekes

May 6

The Right Stuff

Success begins with me. Do I have what it takes to succeed on international assignments? Research suggests that while 75% of us enjoy working abroad, only ...

Randy Weekes

May 5

Take Two Asprins

As a short term traveller, you don’t have time to get sick. You will get better but being sick will consume your working time and feel unpleasant. We asked...

Randy Weekes

May 4

With Eyes Wide Open

The world can be a dangerous place. We don’t want to be naive about it. We also don’t want to be paralyzed by the risks. The ideal zone of attentiveness l...

Randy Weekes

May 3

Good things come in small packings

The secret to successful packing for short term international missions is “small”. Keep it light and compact. Pack what you think you’ll need, then take ou...

Randy Weekes

May 2

Getting the Job Done

Humans survive by getting the job done. It turns out there are many ways to do that. Cultures evolve to meet human needs in different environments and histo...

Randy Weekes

May 1

Culture Shock

We are about to get a new car – with an automatic transmission! It sounds simple – you might even imagine easier than the manual transmissions we have enjoy...

Randy Weekes

Apr 30

Imagine an Iceberg

A small part of an iceberg, perhaps 10%, is visible above the waterline. The rest, holding up the visible part, is hidden below the surface. So it is with c...

Randy Weekes

Apr 29

The Home Front

Do the dishes before you leave Short term missions are a bit out of time and space. They hold their own challenges but while we are on them we get to leave ...