APPENDIX E

The Transition Workbook's content was composed by Ardath Smith, a member of Novo's SentWell Team since it was established in the year 2000. A former cross-cultural worker in Mongolia, Ardath brings a wealth of information, knowledge, and experience with years of engaging those who have transitioned between cultures.

Acknowledgments

The Transition Workbook has been shaped by experiences and conversations dating back to 1991, when I taught English in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with ELIC. Since then I have been blessed with countless friends, colleagues, and even relative strangers who have shared their cross-cultural experiences and their knowledge concerning re-entry and cross-cultural transition dynamics. I am forever grateful for my years with ELIC. How thankful I am for the opportunities my leaders gave me during those years to interview and debrief prospective and returning teachers! My special thanks go to Gary Lausch, whose presence and leadership as the Vice President of Human Resources has been a gift to ELIC's teachers and staff for decades, and to Sandy Harrison, then the Director of ELIC's Year Candidate Department, along with our department colleagues in those special years – Elizabeth Moss, Wendy Sundberg, and Colleen Kuhns. What a privilege and joy it was to work with you all! My sincere thanks also go to C’havala Crawley of Novo and Amy Galloway of SentWell for sharing their wisdom, thoughts, and suggestions concerning cross-cultural transition for families and children. As leaders of SentWell, Deborah Schuster and Dr. Alex Galloway have encouraged me in every way to make this resource available online. Additional thanks go to Alex for his contributions leading to the development of Section 3.3: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Others on the SentWell team have made videos and given permission to use their pictures to help illustrate the workbook. You know who you are – thank you! Finally, to my recently-arrived SentWell colleague, Ellie Covey – your energy and enthusiasm put new wheels on my "stalled car”. I am so grateful to God for bringing you to our team. Collaborating with Ellie and Celine Baldemor at Novo in order to publish The Transition Workbook online has made it a significantly better tool, and my sincere thanks go to both of you. How truly it is said that we only have what we have been given!

Ardath L. Smith

October 29, 2021

Dedication

The Transition Workbook is dedicated to those who are returning to their country of origin or moving to a new international location in the service of the Most High. May you travel this road in the knowledge that your dreams are known, your tears collected, and that the One who loves you most is with you in this present moment.