Holidays and cross-cultural workers

Cross-cultural workers need holidays. Cross-cultural workers take holidays. It seems obvious.

But cross-cultural workers often find it difficult to take holidays. People in ministry generally do, but there are some extra factors that make it more challenging for cross-cultural workers.

1. Location — this depends on where someone is working, but if you are stressed because of cross-cultural issues, it is challenging if you can't escape it, just a little, when you go on holiday. There can also be a lack of suitable holiday accommodation in-country. Many countries just don't take lengthy holidays like Australians do.
2. Cost — typically cross-cultural workers are on a low wage and dependent on others for support. It isn't easy to make holiday plans if you are on a tight budget.
3. Time — ministry is demanding and relentless. It is often hard to prioritise your needs above those around you in order to take time to rest.
4. Friends and family — cross-cultural workers typically are not located near friends and family. Therefore they will want to spend time with these people during holiday time. Time spent with friends and family isn't always relaxing. It is challenging to balance the need to spend time on your own and spend time with these precious people.
5. Travel — often a considerable amount of travel is involved if family and friends are to be seen or you want to travel away from the cross-cultural situation for a time. This is tiring on what is supposed to be down-time.
6. Replacement — during your absence, ministry needs to continue in a place like a church, hospital, or support ministry. It often isn't easy to find replacements. Thankfully this isn't a problem for teachers.
7. Cultural norms — not every culture has the same attitude towards holidays that Australians have.
8. Climate — not every ministry location is a good place to take a relaxing holiday. When we first arrived in Hokkaido, we were surprised at how all the missionaries seemed to holiday between June and September. Some of that is related to school holidays, but the rest is that for those in Hokkaido, it is the only time when it is warm enough!

I'm sure if I thought a bit longer I could come up with more!

For those of us in Japan, numbers one and two are a big issue. As is the lack of self-catered holiday homes or units here. Japanese typically take only a few days holiday at a time and often spend them in expensive hotels. The solution to this for many missions and missionaries is to acquire houses/cabins in-country for budget holidays. We've also taken up tenting holidays. Flying to Australia from Japan is also expensive, that is the main reason we don't holiday in Australia every year.

With regards to number three. I always think of the passage in 1 Corinthians which reads:  

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (Ch. 3:16,17, NIV)

These are harsh words by Paul, but it's clear I have a responsibility to look after my body. If I don't, then not only will my ministry and others suffer, but I'm sinning against God.

Number four was an issue for us this last trip. One of the reason we hired a motorhome and drove to Uluru was so that we could have some time "on our own".  We met some Australians who have been involved in cross-cultural work within Australia. They expressed the same tension,   "How can we organise a holiday that doesn't involve meeting scores of friends and family without offending people?"

I didn't mention cross-cultural adjustments. Entering your home country again after being away for a while takes some adjustments. That can be stressful (although we didn't find it so this last time).

What other challenges do you think might face cross-cultural workers in trying to take time off?