Timeless Wisdom for Seasons of Transition

“[Transition] is kind of old hat for missionaries, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect us or impact us. It’s just that we’re not really surprised that a transition is imminent.” Missionaries must develop healthy ways to cope with change. Member Care Coordinator Ali Federwitz mentors fellow missionaries through transition and shared some of her experience, research, and insight in an interview with Dr. Rich Rudowske on the Essentially Translatable Podcast in 2020. 

Although much of the interview relates specifically to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ali shares timeless truths about transition to provide hope and encouragement. 

To help people visualize the experience, Ali often uses a curve modified from the book “Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes” by William Bridges. The curve starts with a hill and slopes down before coming up to a taller hill on the other side. “The deepest valley is where a mix of emotions comes in…feelings of chaos, confusion, anxiety, emptiness, but as you’re coming up out of that, more towards this new beginning side of things, then you start to have some discovery about how this is really going to beneficial or the positives of it, and then working your way up to anticipation, some feelings of being peaceful with it or embracing whatever your new situation is.” 

The tricky part about transition, however, is “you never just move forward, you can slide back and forth, and you can jump all around. It’s just not simple in a nice, neat package.” 

When walking through the deepest valley of transition, Ali recommends, “if you try something you’ve never tried before it can really help you process…People who aren’t normally into journaling, pick up a journal and start writing… Where am I right now? How have these last eight weeks been for me? What have I experienced that’s been positive, what’s been negative and hard, and what do I need help with?” Ali also emphasizes remembering that God walks beside us throughout the entire transition. Listen to the full interview.