Many of us have heard the quote from Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens."
In many ways, the timing and season for being involved in international mission work can be very different for each of us depending on our circumstances and life stage.
Things to consider in the whole timing discussion include:
If you would like to dialogue with others in regards to what works well for them, please post in our forum or consider filling out the form to ask for someone to dialogue about your specfiic situation in more detail privately. Consider attending the YO international forum at the AAO.
By the way, once you figure out the whole timing thing for your particular circumstance, don't forget to finish reading the rest of Ecclesiastes 3. It is a classic and recommended reading!