Seth Barnes Jun 17, 2006 8:00 PM

Debriefing (part 6 – how debriefs make a difference)

We were on a project in Matamoros nine years ago. I'll never forget the impact it made on my 12-year old boy to see Mexican kids who hadn't eaten in a...

Subscribe


We were on a project in Matamoros nine years ago. I'll never forget the impact it made on my 12-year old boy to see Mexican kids who hadn't eaten in a day or two. They were hungry, while he had already eaten breakfast and had a couple of sandwiches ready for lunch. He gave the sandwiches away and it made a real impact on him.

Afterwards, our debrief was short and sweet - I asked: "Seth, how do you think that boy feels wondering if he's going to eat anything when he wakes up?" And then we talked about it. I care about the poor and wanted my boy to care.

Two years ago, the same scenario recurred for Seth jr. in Swaziland with a young orphan named Sunrise. Having lost his parents, Sunrise confided,
"I'm so hungry - there is never enough food at home.

And I have no friends. Whenever I've had friends, they've hurt me; so I've learned not to trust anyone." Seth jr. knew what to do - he'd been ministering all his life. He reached out in compassion to Sunrise.

By exposing him to tough situations and then debriefing, Seth jr. had come to his own conclusions about that aspect of his faith. That's the point of debriefing. I could do a hundred Bible studies on responding with compassion to the poor that wouldn't have the impact of that one encounter in Matamoros nine years ago. Because he made sense of the experience through our debrief, it shaped his worldview and his faith.

This summer, Seth had a number of options. He felt God leading him to work in a camp for inner city youth. As parents and disciplers, Karen and I have seen the power of experience coupled with honest debriefs.

Next blog: Different ways to debrief

 

 

Comments


Comment created and will be displayed once approved.

Related Blogs

Debriefing (part 3 ? why do it?)

Debriefing (part 3 ? why do it?)

I'm in the midst of a season of travel. Just back from Virginia where I connecte...

By Seth Barnes
Returning home & asking NOW WHAT?

Returning home & asking NOW WHAT?

After flying back from Colorado last night, I hugged my wife and kids and slept ...

By Seth Barnes
Why debrief?

Why debrief?

Why is a debrief required?  For one thing, where you've gone through a challeng...

By Seth Barnes

Related Races (3)

South Africa | Semesters | August 2026

South Africa | Semesters | August 2026

Gap Year | 9 Months | August 2026

Gap Year | 9 Months | August 2026

Colombia | Semesters | June 2026

Colombia | Semesters | June 2026

Next article

Debriefing: Part 5 - Re-entry patterns

Our AI generated post content for you!

Here's a suggested caption you can copy and tweak.