Many Hats of a Consultant: Caring for Families from the Home Office, Part 2

Continuing with our “Many Hats of a Consultant” series, we’re sharing Part 2 of our focus on education consultants who do their work from the home office of an agency. This role can be very different from those who serve outside of their passport countries as consultants. So for those of you serving families in this way, here again are two very experienced consultants, Carolyn Eumurian and Terri Harmon, who will share their insights into the role as they have experienced and shaped it.

What challenges do you find in working at the home office of your organization?

CE: My role has evolved and my workload has increased, largely due to my presence here and my eye for areas where we can/should be doing better by our MKs. For example, I pushed for greater awareness of child safety and protection issues, which means that I handed myself a great deal more work. If I hadn’t worked from the office, my role would have remained more self-contained to the area of MK Education.

TH: I have been away from my overseas life since 2006, so a challenge is to give fresh examples as I share with new families and consultants. I can’t just assume that what I have to say is still relevant as missions is always changing. Another challenge is staying relevant in my delivery to a younger generation since I turn 50 this year J With age comes wisdom, but that wisdom will only make a difference if I can build a rapport with my audience that causes them to want to listen! One last challenge is to not become cynical. Since I have served in our mission for 25 years I have seen a lot of things. Knowing the ups and downs of a ministry life can make me forget the excitement of when I first went to the field. As I talk with new missionaries I have to keep a balance of what was, what is and what might be. Their story is still being written and my job is just to help them along that journey.

How much, if any, travel do you do every year?

CE: I attend annual MK Educator meetings, and a regional conference somewhere in the Avant world every year. (I do have a fair amount of other travel, but that is because I have elderly parents in California, and I am on two non-Avant-related boards that require travel to attend meetings.)

TH: At this point I don’t travel overseas as we have consultants in most areas of the world. I am the point person in the U.S. for consultants and our communication is mostly done via email. There is also an open invitation for consultants to visit the home office as needed.

What advice would you offer someone new in a home office support role?

CE: Be content to make small steps of progress. In my case, I was the first MK Education person, so anything I did to help our families was more than had been done previously. ⇨Go to IMKEC (Inter-mission MK Educators’ Consultation) annual meetings, the best way to connect with others who have a similar role, and learn from them. That is how I was able to develop my role—others showed/told me what I should be doing. And they were right! ⇨Be careful to be a team player; support the goals of your office colleagues as you develop your role, rather than pushing for your own agenda. What you do in the area of MK Education must fit within the goals and structure of your organization, and this only comes if you spend the time listening and asking questions of others.

TH: My advice would be to keep information you are sharing current. I make a lot of resource lists on various topics and my goal is to have them updated annually. I feel that one of my main jobs is to do research and make resource lists that our families will be able to use confidently. If I am doing my job correctly, it should save the missionaries and consultants a lot of time.

What are some ways that you have found to advocate for families within your organization?

CE: Our organization is small enough that I can do this with one email, or by stepping out of my office and into a colleague’s. Advocacy needs to be done with a learner attitude; not striding in and making declarations, but simply giving your observations and recommendations. I do not hold all truth about a family or situation—God does. My colleagues and I might each have a piece of that truth, and we all need to hear each other. Build other’s trust in your experience, abilities and expertise. That means that as you begin, they might not consider your input on behalf of families as important as they will once they have seen/heard you at work.

TH: I survey our overseas families on various topics so that I can keep field relevant and pass on their thoughts to new missionaries and mission leaders. I feel that they can be their own advocates as long as I record and deliver what they say to those who need to hear it. I love the fact that I can be a voice for our families and that changes have taken place because I was able to pass on what was shared with me.

In your opinion, how have the needs of families on the field changed during your time in this role?

CE: The areas families are being assigned are less likely to have already-established MK schools/English-medium schools (with affordable prices). So, national school and home schooling are the more likely options, thus requiring additional preparation for parents and attentiveness/resourcing on the part of consultants. Adults more often come from their own backgrounds of brokenness (divorced parents, addiction, etc.) This can mean they need more help in their parenting.

TH: I was one of the first people in our mission to serve as an education consultant to help homeschooling families. Before that time (2002) most families used schools. Once families began making that change, more resources and support for them was needed. At first it was mostly for elementary grades, but as the years have passed more and more are homeschooling through upper grades so that is a big need and change.

Leave your comments below if you have additional insights on this topic.

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