Living
overseas brings many experiences where cultures may clash. Through language and culture learning we
adapt, shedding aspects of our home culture, and incorporating new to us
actions from our host culture. We know
we can never completely shed our home culture, but without incorporating
aspects of our host culture life overseas would be much more difficult than it
already is. Evan more so, our ultimate
goal would greatly be hindered if we did not incorporate the culturally
specific and appropriate ways of interacting with people around us. As we aim to build relationships and
communicate His heart clearly, we find ourselves living in tension, the tension
of priorities, the tension of how we were brought up versus how life is around
us now, and the tension of our situation versus the situation of others.
With our
new routine, I, Erin, have been spending my mornings with neighbors. As I gain new cultural experiences and learn
language, I am frequently faced with the choice of consuming food and
drinks. It is customary to serve guests
at your home coffee or tea. In addition
to drinks, if you are eating, you offer your guests food as well. It also greatly honors the host to consume
what has been served. Tension arises
within me during these situations as I desire to honor and respect my host, yet
know the manner in which the dishes were cleaned, the food prepared, and which
water was used for the coffee. In each
of these situations I have to revisit my priorities; to build relationships and
honor those around me, or maintain my health at all costs.
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| Observing and participating in making a traditional pastry. |
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Spending time with a neighbor; doing what she does.
Smoking Fish
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| Observing men preparing to go to sea. |
We
recently returned from a trip to the big city.
This most recent trip was to watch one of the soccer teams John works
with compete in a multi-provincial tournament.
The soccer team unfortunately did not continue on, but our time in the
big city was also spent in fellowship with co-workers, shopping for dairy
products we can’t buy in Barat, and enjoying a little down time. When we return from these trips we often find
ourselves unpacking our shopping bags underneath the watchful eyes of our
neighbors. The financial difference
between our neighbors and us is already very evident. Our children have more than one pair of
shoes, they have multiple toys each, we all have individual mattresses, on bed
frames, to sleep on. Not to mention the
finances to travel 6 hours away and stay in a hotel for the weekend. Many of our neighbors rarely go down town to
the central market because of the expense of a public bus. Again tensions arise in me when we are gifted
squid or fish by a neighbor recently back from the sea. I know these gifts are a large percentage of their
income from their 3 or 4 days out fishing.
Yet, I can choose to take part in the manner in which they share and
repay for using our water or barrowing our tools, even though I know they need it
more than I do, or I can be disrespectful by refusing their gift.
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The two soccer teams John works with.
The team in yellow and blue continued on to the multi-provincial tournament.
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The tournament in the big city.
The stadium was recently constructed for the professional soccer team.
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| Evangeline posing with a few shy soccer players. |
Another
area in which I often face tension is in the area of health and medicine. I am thankful to have been trained as a
nurse. It has been very useful for our
family and in helping a number of people.
As people know I am trained nurse, they often come to our house seeking
advice regarding their ailments and to have their blood pressure checked. I thoroughly enjoy all things medical and the
opportunity to help people. I am
thankful though there are also walk in clinics and a hospital here as I could
spend a great deal of my time in this area.
One day I may increase the time I spend in the arena of health and
medicine. But as my current priority is
language learning, I have to find ways to help those I can, love on them in
this way, but also refer them on to be helped by others. In all reality my ability to effectively help
those around me is greatly hindered by my inability to communicate. How do you explain to someone the concept of
germs and disease transmission by using words they have never used before even
though they may be in their national language?
Really
our lives as believers are lives of tension.
We currently live on this earth, though it is not our eternal home. We have daily chores and tasks we must attend
to, but they in themselves our not our ultimate goals. We have been made new, yet we continue to
live in imperfect bodies, which often
desire to do selfish things. In all
these areas, I must remember to lean on the “author and perfecter of our faith”
and that we are enabled, “given us everything we need for living a godly life.”
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| We've been spending many afternoons riding bikes! |
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Cassava field on the right and boat building facilities on the left of the road.
This is the boys' favorite place to ride. There are few onlookers, a slight hill, and a nice smooth road.
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