Training mentors

On Sunday I led a training afternoon for mentors. The Latin Link Stride programme includes a mentor for each Stride volunteer - it's someone that they can talk to about how they are adapting to the culture, coping with living with a family, developing in their work situation, and in their relationship with God. I look for people who are mature, and have some experience of living and adapting to a new culture, so that they can help Striders through this process.

Sometimes it's hard to do, and it does involve investing time in meeting with the volunteer, but it's worth it in seeing Stride volunteers progress in different areas of their lives. Here in Guatemala, where we have a very small team of long term Latin Link members, we rely on the help of others - not just mentors but host families as well - to provide all the support that Stride volunteers need.
So this weekend it was great to be able to thank and encourage the mentors - both those who have done it before and those preparing for the role. We had a fantastic lunch, and then several dramas -thanks to the present Striders -- giving an idea of how not to do mentoring. Then we gave the mentors chance to practice doing it better. It was a really good afternoon, a lot of fun and from the feedback, it seems everyone found it helpful too.