Journals
Posted on June 1, 2023 Assignment: America
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Heading Back to America! 

Hello from Chiang Mai! The big news for our family is that we have been approved to head back to America for a home assignment! Our first term here in Thailand is coming to end and we will be back in the US for about six months beginning this summer. Even though we were back for a few months last year, this will be our first official home assignment. So, we are very much looking forward to the experience and reconnecting with our friends and church families. Since this is a first for us, you may not know what a “home assignment” entails so we decided to format this email by answering some common questions:

What exactly is “US Home Assignment”?

For our first term of service, IM has a cycle of 4 years in the host country (Thailand for us) and then up to 1 year back in the sending country (America). But coming back to America is not a vacation, we have a lot to do. One of the things that drew us to IM in the first place was how intentional IM is in working towards the mental, emotional, physical, and social wellbeing of their global servants. We see this reflected in the US home assignment structure. It is a time for us to have some organizational “check ins”, counseling/evaluations, and most importantly – to reconnect with churches, friends, and family. 

What will your family be doing?

Will you schedule church visits?

Spending time with our partners and sharing about how we have seen God move in Thailand is a major part of why we are returning for a few months. Unfortunately, we will not be able to see everyone, but we will be on the same time zone and can communicate better and send videos. 

Will you be returning to Thailand?

God willing, we plan to come back to Thailand in early January and pick up where we left off. Honestly, part of us is a little conflicted about our time away, we feel like there was a lot of momentum building and we look forward to returning and continuing building upon that. We are making lots of connections, both personal and professional.

Will you still need financial support?

Yes, we still depend on your financial support while in the US. It is actually more expensive for us to live in the US than in Thailand. Plus, we will continue to need your support while we go back to Thailand.

What is happening in Thailand while you are gone?

What are you looking forward to in America?

Not you, the kids, what are the kids looking forward to in America?

-Alise & Mark Juanes