Dear Mission Teams and Churches,
When my family of six returned from serving overseas, we thought we knew how to transition. We had read all the books, navigated home assignments and job changes, and made fifteen moves in twenty years.
But this time was different.
What I didn’t realize then—and what our research now confirms—is this: Re-entry isn’t a single event. It’s a layered journey, often marked by loss and disorientation, and it lasts much longer than anyone expects.
Even though we had chosen to return and had prepared for it, parts of re-entry were deeply painful. We lost relationships, purpose, and stability—and we weren’t prepared for how disorienting this season would be.
I often wondered: Why was this so hard? Why did the hardest part hit months—even years—after our return? Why did no one warn us of the deep losses we might encounter, simply because we were “back in America”?
At the time, I kept hearing statements like, “Re-entry is the ugly duckling of the missionary life cycle” and “It is soul sucking, but no one wants to talk about it.”
So I decided (or perhaps God nudged me) to start gathering stories, walking with other returnees, and collecting data myself. What emerged confirmed what many have felt but few have voiced: Re-entry is a long, complicated, and sometimes isolating season that impacts every area of life—identity, finances, mental health, family, and even faith.
Here’s what the data is telling us.
1. Half of Re-entries Are Unplanned
50% of missionaries return unexpectedly—often due to crisis, health issues, team conflict, visa challenges, or burnout.
What this means: Many families return suddenly and without adequate preparation. This demands flexible, compassionate, and sustained care—especially in the early months.
2. Re-entry Is a Long-Term Process, Not a Quick Transition
40% of returnees still don’t feel settled after 5+ years.
What this means: Re-entry care shouldn’t be something we “check off” in a few months. It must extend over years and include spiritual, emotional, and practical support.
3. Loss of Purpose Is One of the Hardest Battles
70% of returnees lost their sense of purpose after leaving the field.
What this means: Leaving the field often means losing not just a role, but a deep sense of identity and calling. Missionaries aren’t just changing jobs; they’re grieving what was.
4. Emotional Health Often Remains Fragile for Years
Over 50% rated their emotional adjustment between 1–4 on a 10-point scale.
What this means: Re-entry is not just reverse culture shock. It includes grief, disorientation, and sometimes trauma.
5. Financial and Career Stability Are Major Stress Points
Over 50% feel unstable in their career or financial future.
What this means: Returning home often feels like starting over—without savings, direction, or networks.
6. Family Adjustment Is Hard
65% rated their family’s adjustment on the low end of the scale.
What this means: Re-entry affects the entire family system. Families need intentional support, community, and care to thrive.
7. Long-Term Expectations Were Shattered
Almost 70% thought they would live overseas indefinitely.
What this means: Many global workers envisioned serving for life—raising children, retiring, and even being buried overseas. When re-entry comes unexpectedly, it feels like more than just a transition; it’s the loss of a future they had built their lives around. This makes the process deeply disorienting and often layered with grief, identity struggles, and spiritual questions.
8. Churches and Missions Organizations Are Often Unprepared
75% said their sending or supporting churches were not helpful during re-entry. 50% said the same about their sending organizations.
What this means: Too many returnees feel left to navigate one of the most vulnerable seasons of their lives alone.
Together, We Can Change These Statistics
Our findings show that re-entry is long and layered, impacting every part of a global worker’s life. But that also means there is an opportunity for real change.
Churches and organizations have the potential to make a profound difference—not by doing everything, but by doing a few things intentionally.
You might be thinking:
- “Our church is small.”
- “Our missions care department is overwhelmed.”
- “We don’t have the time, money, or training.”
Here’s the good news: When even one group, such as a sending church, a mission organization, or a care professional, understands and actively engages in re-entry, 85–90% of returnees feel significantly more prepared to navigate the transition.
And when churches, mission organizations, and care providers partner together, the burden doesn’t fall solely on one group.
Imagine what could happen if we:
- Created emotional and spiritual discernment spaces where returning workers felt safe to share their stories.
- Offered support that went beyond the initial “landing stage,” so no global worker felt like they were losing everything if they came home.
- Connected returnees to mentors, peer cohorts, or re-entry-informed coaches and counselors to process loss, rediscover identity, and reimagine calling.
- Invited them into their next season with hope.
Re-entry Experts was founded by people who have walked this road themselves and know firsthand how difficult re-entry can be without support. We believe it doesn’t have to be that way. What began as a personal journey is becoming a movement.
Our vision is to walk alongside global workers—regardless of their organization, church denomination, or passport country—and to equip the networks that care for them. We know we can’t do it all, which is why partnership is at the heart of what we do.
We love partnering with:
- Churches and mission organizations that want to build intentional re-entry care
- Coaches, counselors, spiritual directors, and retreat centers who feel called to serve returnees
We are building the Re-entry Care Network—a connected system of support so no global worker has to walk this journey alone. After completing our training, care providers are added to our network database, making it easy for returnees, churches, and organizations to find the help they need.
Together, we can become a community that doesn’t just send well, but also receives well, heals deeply, and restores purpose.
Let’s walk this road together.
In Hope,
Shonna Ingram, PhD
Founder & Director, Re-entry Experts
Shonna’s new book Navigating the Re-entry Journey: Trauma-Informed Care for Global Workers in Transition shares the “Re-entry Experts” approach to the four phases of re-entry, along with practical tools for churches, organizations, and care providers to create healthy, sustainable care systems for those returning from service.
~~~~~~~~~~
Shonna Ingram is the founder and director of the Renewed Hope Approach, a program that offers a practical path to post-trauma care. She has served in ministry and the global missions community, both on and off the field, for over 20 years. A spiritual director and board-certified master trauma-informed mental health coach, Shonna holds a PhD in faith-based trauma care and has trained hundreds of people in more than 30 countries to integrate mental health within a biblical framework. Her heart for global workers in the re-entry season inspired her to create a non-profit called Re-entry Experts, helping global workers discern their next season—whether inside or outside vocational ministry. Shonna’s first and favorite ministry is to her husband and being mom to four amazing adult children and one wonderful daughter-in-law.
