The Journey Home can be far…

Repatriation = The act or process of returning someone to their country of origin

Until we need to arrange it, Repatriation is not a word many understand or speak of.

Over the years I have had the honour of arranging and overseeing the final Journey home of many from abroad or arranging their return home to their motherland.

Very sadly, there has been an influx of families requiring assistance to bring their loved ones home from Indonesia or to arrange their cremation abroad and ensure the safe return of their ashes. People just like you and I. Excited to be going on holiday with their families. Off, on adventures that ended in sorrow. Others who set up their lives abroad. Retiring in paradise, living their best life, only to have it taken from them on this beautiful island.

With this in mind, I recently travelled to Indonesia to establish a Repatriation agreement with local officials and a Respected Family Funeral Director. I was honoured to be toured through their facilities including their mortuary, crematorium, chapels and Funeral Home. From researching prior to my travels, I was expecting traditional village ceremonies with onsite cremations as this has been the way for generations. It was amazing to see their facilities were not what I had envisioned and they were not too different from how we care for our loved ones in Australia.

The level of respect shown was humbling. At one site, they had a ceremonial area for many different religions side by side. Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim all under one roof and co- inhabiting the space together peacefully. Something we can all learn from.

I met with Morticians, Pathologists and Police to put plans in place to ensure their understanding of our expectations and western customs. Being of strong faith, it was important for these professionals to care for our people the right way and they were eager to learn and share their knowledge.

The entire experience was something I won’t easily forget. The knowledge learned, something I hope never to require. But the sad

reality is I will. And when I do, the care will be of the standards our loved ones deserve and families will be supported by our dedicated team both here and abroad.

To learn more about Repatriation Services and how Sheridan Funerals can help you, please visit our page here.