Christian ministry workers in cross-cultural contexts do their jobs under extreme circumstances. They are working in a country that is not their own — adjusting to a new culture, learning a new language, and often enduring an endless string of exotic diseases. They are living far away from their usual support structures, like family and church. And, there’s a good chance they are doing all of this with not quite enough financial support. Because of this, global workers tend to have two to three times more ongoing stress than what is normally considered the maximum threshold of dangerous levels of stress. (Dodds, 1999)

Additionally, many workers get immersed in the trauma of others as they are helping them, and most have experienced traumatic events themselves. Often, they are exposed to violence, human misery, and devastation that their family and friends back home have only read about. One study found that 80% of global workers have experienced traumatic stress sufficient to overwhelm normal coping capacity. (Irvine, Armentrout, & Miner, 2006)

We believe ministry workers are strengthened when they include seasons of rest in their life of sacrificial service. At the Oasis of Peace, our aim is to provide Christian global workers a place to rest, spirit, soul, and body as we encourage them with skilled, personalized care.