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Lesson 5: Avoiding Reentry Shock: The RAFT Principle

Course/series

Field Resilience, Team Health, and Reentry

Audience

  • Returning workers preparing for furlough or home assignment
  • Support teams managing reentry care
  • Leaders planning healthy transitions for their people

Purpose

Teach learners the RAFT principle for reentry preparation: Reconciliation, Affirmation, Farewells, and Thinking Destination.

Learning objectives

  • Explain the four RAFT components
  • Plan a healthy reentry process before leaving the host culture
  • Identify one potential source of reverse culture shock

Core principle

Safe reentry depends on intentional transition practices, not just physical travel home.

Field problem

Workers often return or furlough without a plan, causing reverse culture shock, relational strain, and a sense of disorientation.

Key concepts

  • Reconciliation before departure
  • Affirmation for those who supported the worker
  • Intentional farewells that honor relationships
  • Realistic thinking about the next destination

Practical framework

Use the RAFT Transition Checklist to plan concrete actions in each category before leaving the field.

Scenario or case exercise

A worker rushes home without farewells and returns to old routines without preparing for the emotional realities of reintegration.

Checklist or worksheet

  • Have I reconciled unresolved conflicts? yes/no
  • Have I affirmed key supporters? yes/no
  • Have I planned intentional farewells? yes/no
  • Have I thought through the next phase realistically? yes/no

Discussion questions

  1. What relationships need reconciliation before you leave?
  2. Who should receive affirmation for their support?
  3. What do you expect to be most challenging when you return home?

Field assignment

Complete the RAFT Transition Checklist and review it with a mentor or sending team.

Further reading/resources

  • Recovering from Traumatic Stress: A Guide for Missionaries by S. Laite-Lanham
  • Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken
  • Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
  • The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

Reviewer notes

Make sure RAFT is presented as a practical tool, not legal or psychological counseling.

Risk/disclaimer notes

This material is for educational purposes and is not legal, medical, tax, accounting, counseling, or security advice. Consult qualified professionals before adopting policies or making high-risk decisions.