05 Oct Student’s perspective on Mentoring

A mentor is a trusted teacher or adviser. Christian mentoring is a dynamic, intentional relationship of trust in which one person enables another to maximize the grace of God in their life and service. Mentoring has always been an integral part of UESI’s ministry. This is how our values and principles are caught more often than they are taught. Below are some thoughts and ideas we students would like our mentors to know and understand.  

Role Models

We learn more from how you live your life, than from what you tell us. It is such a privilege to see our mentors model their lives after Christ, so we can follow them even as they follow Christ.

Transparency

Be open with us. Share what mistakes you’ve made in your lives, so we can learn from it. It is difficult for us to open up to someone who paints a flawless picture of their life.

Availability

We understand it is a fast-paced world and that you’re busy with your family, work and other commitments. But we would be grateful if you could show your support by making your presence felt in our camps, retreats and other meetings. Thank you also for bearing with us when we barge into your homes at odd hours in desperation, with or without prior intimation.

Listening

Listen to us, please. Don’t cut in while we’re still talking, don’t complete our sentences for us. Sometimes we need you to listen to us more than we need your advice, because in those times, we need to know you’re concerned and that you care more than we need a solution to our problem.

Confidentiality

What we share with you is not the prayer point in your EGF. Kindly be mindful of us, we need to face all those graduates in every EU meeting!

Patience

Don’t judge us when we make mistakes. We’ve already got the rest of the world doing this for us! We might be leading Bible studies in our campuses and holding portfolios in committees, but we’ve got our own areas of weaknesses. So, be patient with us. We make mistakes and we learn from them. After all, God’s masterpiece is still in the making!

Accountability

Hold us accountable. Don’t just let us get away with everything we do, or you’d become just another person, not a mentor.

Sensitivity

We may not be able to openly share our biggest struggles like financial, health and family problems with you. We would be grateful if our mentors could be sensitive, read between the lines and help us in any way they can.

Thoughtfulness

When we open up, we make ourselves vulnerable to you. So every seemingly small deed of kindness- that SMS you send on the morning of our semester exam, that pat on the back when the results (good ones, phew!!) come out, that call on our birthday, that encouraging word when we needed it the most-everything makes a difference to us. And we are very grateful!

Last but certainly not the least. THANK YOU, dear mentors!! For everything you do for us! For sacrificing your time, energy, careers and family responsibilities to be there for us. We could never pay you back for what you invest in us. We only hope and pray that someday we will be able to live the life of faith and commitment you live today!

Pauline is an active EU Committee member of Vepery ICEU, Chennai and student in Madras Veterinary College.