Why Mentoring?

Mentors for MDE provide encouragement, accountability, prayers, and resources to each of our MDE members. Mentoring is not only about the information exchanged, but also making a place for a relationship that encourages both the mentor and mentee. Following are a few surprises one mentor couple learned.

"When MDE approached my wife and me to mentor a young couple in Europe, we were excited. We had served as missionaries in Argentina and know the value of having someone walking alongside us, who understood and 'felt' what we were going through. Now we were given the opportunity to be on the other side and couldn’t wait to get started. However, there were a number of questions that popped into our heads regarding this new venture. Would we get along? Are we sufficiently experienced to give advice to someone else? Do we have what it takes to mentor? Spiritually? Emotionally? Our excitement did not nullify our trepidation but we accepted nonetheless and prayed for the Lord’s wisdom.

"The experience has had in store a few surprises for us. First of all, we started our assignment thinking that mentoring had to do mainly with accountability but came to find out that the primary goal needs to be relationship. Don’t misunderstand me. We still need to ask the obligatory questions and get some kind of progress report but that was not the bottom line. Although our mentees need accountability, what they need more was a warm presence, a friendly smile, and an open heart.