“How many times do I need to forgive my brother?” Peter asked. Wouldn’t it be simpler if he’d been told, “If someone sins against you three times, you’re off the hook; it’s totally reasonable to withhold your forgiveness after that.” I’m thankful “reasonable” is not the standard when it comes to forgiveness though – I’d be maxed out on forgiveness, whether it was 3, 7, 77, or 70x7 forgiveness-es we were allotted!

In Christian culture, we attempt to practice biblical principles in conflict resolution. Sometimes it works well, and at other times, it seems to backfire.

We have found there are a few layers of conflict resolution that many Christians conflate, and it can be helpful to pull apart each layer to address biblically, rather than assume they are each the same. For example, when someone is hurt or offended, they have to make choices about forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust.

Not everyone needs counseling, but all of us can benefit from personal growth. Part of our heart at Valeo is to equip global workers with resources that enhance your well-being and effectiveness. We recently created the Global Worker Field Guide as one of those resources and made it available as a free download on our website. We interviewed the author, Curtis, LPC, LMHC, for insights into the Field Guide and how to use it.

Continuing our series on self-care, we reached out to several Valeo care providers to ask for their advice and experiences about self-care, particularly while serving in a cross-cultural context.

What has self-care looked like for you while serving cross-culturally? What have you learned about self-care in general from living in cross-cultural contexts?

This peculiar phrase (to my American ears) is forever with me after living and serving in Hong Kong. It's the phrase that is announced in multiple languages at the start and end of every train trip on Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR). “Please mind the gap!” It echoes through train cars and stations literally millions of times a day. "Please mind the gap!” It’s an announcement that declares the seemingly obvious (notice the gap between the platform and the train) with the implication: don’t trip! Hong Kong is not alone in its concern for travelers. Wikipedia has an entire page devoted to “Mind the gap”, listing all the cities and countries which have their own version!

In honor of Self-Care Month, we are continuing our series on the various aspects of self-care. I sat down with Barney Davis, M.D., one of the founders of Valeo, to get a physician’s perspective on physical self-care. Over the years he has served global workers in many locations, both in person and via videoconference, and has unique insight on the challenges faced in caring for oneself in a cross-cultural setting.