Living in Tension

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.

Observing and participating in making a traditional pastry.

Spending time with a neighbor; doing what she does.

Smoking Fish

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.  

The two soccer teams John works with.

The team in yellow and blue continued on to the multi-provincial tournament.

The tournament in the big city.  

The stadium was recently constructed for the professional soccer team.  

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.”

We've been spending many afternoons riding bikes!

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.

Thankful

   As we continue to settle back into life here in Barat, we continue to chip away at little projects.  Our water pump has officially been fixed.  This came at the perfect time as the city water was less consistent this week.  The returned consistency of the water pump enabled us to have water in our house though the city water no longer flowed.
   The boys seem to have gotten back into the flow of homeschool and local school for Whitman.  Though John and I are adjusting well to our new schedules, John feels a great deal of pressure to fit in all his foundation work, language learning, and teaching two English classes in the week day afternoons.  
  During our second week back, we added a trip to the local Emergency Room into our re-adjustment to the culture.  Caedmon had fallen against our coffee table while the boys were roughhousing in the living room.  The manner in which Caedmon fell resulted in a 1.5 inch long gash on the back of his head.  The size and location of the wound definitely needed stiches.  We wrapped it up well, and Caedmon and I took off on the motorcycle to the hospital.  A neighbor and her husband followed us to offer assistance.
   At the hospital we were offered very prompt, good service.  After about an hour, Caedmon had 5 stiches and we were on our way home.  Our neighbors were an amazing help.  They did all the running around to get prescriptions from the pharmacy and manage the admitting and billing papers.  Though the facility and process at the Emergency Room was quite different than in the States, the nurse who did the stitching was very skilled.

 Though I recently learned to stitch wounds, I did not have the supplies, nor would mine have looked as nice.

I did remove the stitches at home myself.  Caedmon was a very brave patient!

  We were are so very thankful that Caedmon didn't break any more than just skin, nor did he have a concussion from bumping his head.  Knowing the vast difference in medical opportunities here I am constantly challenged to trust the One in ultimate control.  We felt very blessed this incident was relatively minor, we had access to the needed medical care, and Caedmon's head has healed up beautifully!

Our Return to Barat

We have safely returned to Barat.  Aside from the usual exhaustion and jet lag from transcontinental flying, the trip went well.  Evangeline showed the most trouble sleeping on the plane as she woke up multiple times crying until she was walked back to sleep.  

In an Airport

Oh, the places we sleep.

We had a stop over in mainland Asia.

We Arrived

When we arrived back to our ‘newly’ built house the evening of January 28^th, we were pleasantly surprised by the state of things inside.  We were unsure how the house would fare closing it up and leaving it unattended for seven months in a humid climate.  Thankfully we found only a light layer of dust, what seemed like a hundred cockroaches, and interior doors that no longer fit well in their frames.  The cleaning that night was quick and simple.  We even still had bug spray in the cupboard!  Throughout that first week we found other unexpected, but small, items needing tending.  Our LPG hook up to our stove wasn’t working, our water pump to bring water to the house from our tank was being temperamental, and our screen doors had some massive holes.  Thankfully the interior doors and gas connection have been fixed.  On top of that we have been blessed to have consistent city water running meaning we have not had a need to use our pump at all, which has been looked at twice.  We have even purchased a motorcycle, giving us personal, consistent, and reliable transportation.  

Evangeline's first helmet.  She loves it!

As our house is in great condition, we have returned to our main work here in Barat.  As we adjust to being back, we are trying a new schedule to enable me, Erin, to hit language learning a bit harder.  So far this consists of John watching Evangeline and overseeing Caedmon and Whitman in their independent school work during the mornings.  I then spend the morning hours out in the community observing and interacting with the local culture and meeting with language helpers for more formal learning.  In the afternoon we switch.  I teach the boys their new homeschool material, and care for Evangeline while John takes care of foundation business or participates in language and culture learning.  Two weeks into this new schedule we all seem to be adjusting well, though Evangeline is still learning that though the boys are home, during homeschool they cannot play.  One disappoint in this area is local schooling for the boys.  We intended to have them both attend the local elementary school here, but only half time as their homeschool load is increasing.  The school principal did not consent to half time participation for the boys.  As Whitman’s second grade class gets out at 10:30am, we decided to keep him at the school but pull Caedmon out completely. 

Neighbors have been very accepting and accommodating of me as I spend time with or observing them doing daily chores.  I also have been given a great attitude in this, which is a huge praise as language learning is not my favorite pastime.  John has been busy applying for the foundation he works for to have status with the local Education Office in hopes of enabling additional visa options in the future.  He has also begun holding scrimmages for the Foundation’s Soccer School and added a second location for the literacy program.  We are excited to see these programs grow and very thankful to have great local employees to give many responsibilities to.  

One afternoon we heard a bunch of yelling.  Upon looking out the kitchen window, we saw a house being moved. 

We went down to join in.  

The men helped move the house, while all the women and kids stood by watching and hollering.  

Though I recognize life continues while we are away it still surprises me to see the changes upon returning.  Many neighbors had babies, a few new homes have been built, and one close neighbor was on her death bed when we returned.  John took time the night of our arrival to visit the ill neighbor.  Sadly, she passed away the next morning.  She was a grandmother of two and a mother of five, one of whom is still in elementary school.  Two days later her third grandchild was born.  It was a very sad thing to see upon our arrival, a reminder of our reason for being here and the urgency of the task. 

Home Safe

19 days and 16 states in the middle of winter in a 10 year old vehicle with 170,000 miles on it...

and not a single weather delay nor mechanical issue. Praise God with us.

Home from North Carolina

Praise to the Father, I, Erin, made it home safely from North Carolina.  Though I was there during Hurricane Florence, I was sufficiently inland to only experience two days of increased rain.  Many, closer to the coast, where not as fortunate.

Though difficult to be away from my family for 10 days for the first time, my time attending a medical course specific to overseas work, was thoroughly enriching.  

We studied everyday from 8am to 5pm, then worked on case studies in the evenings to solidify all we were learning.  The course focused on issues that plague other, often developing, countries, such as diarrhea, malnutrition, dehydration, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and a variety of worm infections, all of which are rarely seen here in the States.  We were encouraged and taught practically how to capitalize on and not be hindered by the limited resources overseas.  Many practical skills were taught to us that my nursing background had not.  I learned how to stitch up a wound, pull teeth, deliver a baby (specifically in complicated births), and diagnose and treat many illnesses.  The staff worked hard to provide us with a very informative experience which was developed and fine tuned from many years of overseas work.  Through it all, they emphasized serving the whole person, especially their spiritual condition, rather than making medical aid the end goal.

Our Suturing (stitching) Instructor

Learning to Suture   

Casting

Learning about bandages, tourniquets, and injuries.

Birthing Babies

Taking Blood Pressures

Managing Emergencies

Though I really enjoy all topics associated with the human body, diseases, and health and wellness, a highlight of the time was seeing a group of people from various backgrounds who participate in different types of overseas work, all come together to learn and be equipped to further the Father's love!

A class of students eager to be equipped and go forth.

Hurricane Florence Bearing Down on Erin

You may not have heard that Erin is attending a 2-week tropical medicine course through the 20th. Well, it just so happens that the training takes place in North Carolina, at the tip of the yellow arrow in this "hurricane tracker" which I just found on ABC News' website. Thankfully she is 280 miles inland, and surrounded by medically trained personnel 😎, but that's closer than I'd want to be to the "biggest hurricane ever to hit the Carolinas," as some newscasters are currently projecting it to be.

"Real" School Has Started

Whitman starts 2nd Grade

Caedmon starts 5th Grade

   Caedmon and Whitman both began school this week, Tuesday, August 28th, at the local elementary school here in Walla Walla.  Caedmon was returning to the same school he had attended for second grade in 2015 and was quite excited from the beginning.  He became he more excited after meeting his teacher and seeing his classroom.  Whitman on the other hand had only ever attended preschool in the States.  While in Barat both boys attended a local school in the mornings and did homeschooling with me, Erin, in the afternoon.  While Whitman did have this schooling experience, I was concerned with his transition into American public school and the strict aspects of it compared with his schooling overseas.  He is the one after all that decided he wasn't going to do any writing at his local Barat elementary school.  Unsure of exactly how long this went on, we heard of it only after talking to one of his classmates.  The culture in Barat is very indirect and peace seeking, causing information to be passed through the pupil or an older sibling and the avoidance of confrontation.
   When I dropped the boys off I left in amazement at the opportunity to leave my children in a safe, clean place where they would received a good education.  Regardless of your thoughts on school safety and public education, my children were spending the greater part of their day at a school where there would be constant supervision, not only policies and procedures for safety, but also drills, designated play areas in good condition with age appropriate structures, engaging classrooms, intentional teachers, and activities throughout the day to support and encourage their learning.  And all of this free of tuition or extra fees for activities!  I was so thankful for this privilege they and I as their regular teacher could enjoy.
   When I picked Caedmon and Whitman up after the first day, they both reported very good days!  Whitman said, "That was fun!  There was more recess than I thought."  Throughout the week Whitman's enjoyment decreased slightly as the work load, specifically writing, increased, but he continued to have positive comments about the experience, making friends, PE, and his teacher.
   Caedmon too had positive things to share about his experience.  His feelings are best summed up in his disappointment that there wasn't school on Friday because of the Walla Walla Fair nor on Monday due to Labor Day.  
  I am so thankful to the Father for such a great start for both boys and this opportunity we all have!

  Over the weekend we were blessed to attend the fair.  Though we all had a great time, Caedmon's disappointment for days off from school did not diminish.

Packing, Unpacking, Driving, and Settling

I, Erin, am a planner.  For the most part I enjoy packing because it involves planning and also the problem solving of getting every piece to fit well.  But how do you pack for six months, or for the whole summer?  Having returned to the States for one home assignment already, I felt better prepared to pack for our family this past June.  Upon arriving though, we quickly repacked for our summer in Canada.  Out of our 8 weekends in Canada at least 4 were spent traveling, which was much easier to pack for.  

John finished his two courses in Canada on August 10th.  Both courses were directly related to our work in Barat and very helpful to John as he envisions the next steps for 2019 in Barat.  After John finished, we packed up all we had brought and acquired while in Canada, more than I realized, and headed south.  As we spent the week in Seattle and Portland visiting family and friends I decided to pack a small bag to limit what had to come out of the car.  During this time, Caedmon had the incredible opportunity to attend a summer camp where John's cousin was a counselor.  Caedmon had a wonderful time, but to send Caedmon to camp with clothes, he needed something to put them it.  On the way from Seattle to camp outside of Portland we stopped in a McDonald's parking lot so I could put Caedmon's camp necessities in our small bag and all of our clothes in whatever plastic or brown bag I could find in the car.  

We are thrilled to now be in Walla Walla and mostly unpacked.  After arriving, we did wash and repack one suitcase to head to Salt Lake City for my brother's wedding.  We had a wonderful summer, full of out door activities and visiting with people, but we all are glad to be out of the car and have a place for out clothes other than a suitcase.  

Fishing to celebrate Caedmon's Birthday

Picnic breakfast while fishing

Checking out the ducks

Feeding the ducks

Caedmon turned 10!

We were blessed to stay at a place with a pool while in Canada.

All ready to swim!

Dropping off the cool kid at camp.

Enjoying ice cream with grandparents

Caedmon and Whitman rehearsing for the wedding.

Prior to the rehearsal both boys were nervous to walk down the isle with girls.  After meeting the girls, the four kids didn't stop rehearsing until pulled away for bedtime.  

Ready and Waiting

Evangeline got dressed to match the flower girls.  

Waiting for the rest of the wedding party.

The boys did great!  

Evangeline walked down the isle, trailing the ring bearer and holding it together until she met me at the front

 where she fell to tears.  

 

Exhausted

Affected

Everyone would likely agree we are affected by our experiences, whether they be small encounters with a stranger at the store or larger frequent interactions with a differing culture while working overseas.  Most would hope to be positively affected by their experiences in a way that produces growth and improvement.  Being back in the States has revealed ways, sometimes surprising, in which we have been affected by our host culture overseas in Barat. 

A few examples of areas in which we've been affected are I, Erin, did not think (initially) to include cards with the presents we've recently taken to birthday parties.  

We still think twice about drinking water from any given tap.  This goes hand and hand with wanting to make sure every dish used is completely dry (to decrease chances of ingesting infected water) or cringing when it is not.  

We are thrilled with the endless options for shopping, but it seems to take me forever as I try to navigate through various supermarkets and decided between the endless options.  

All is well in the car, unless your playmate falls asleep.

Caedmon and Evangeline both experience car sickness overseas, yet since our time stateside, thankfully, neither has experienced any sickness in the car, and we have spent a great deal of time in the car. 

Wherever we go, we all take our shoes off when entering a house, the boys often right before stepping across the threshold.  

Some of these things have become so automatic for us we don't often notice.  One example of this was the other day we all walked our visitors out the door when they left.  Our visitors lovingly mentioned it struck them as something different.  We all laughed as it is a custom we picked up from overseas yet hadn't even realized.  

Skipping Stones

We have been spending a great deal of time out doors, though the summer brings hot weather and mosquitos.  The weather has been so enjoyable to us as there isn't what feels like any humidity and we all freeze in highly airconditioned environments.  I have found the mosquitos here creating only a slight annoyance in me rather than borderline fear as when in Barat because they may carry Dengue Fever.  There are so many wonderfully kept hiking trails and playgrounds we can't get enough of either. 

Camping

Hiking

Enjoying a Park

Learning about Gold Panning

while visiting a museum

Eating Butter

Though slightly surprised and grossed out, I didn't worry about our (personally instituted) monthly butter ration as I could run to the store and have more in a matter of minutes rather than a six hour trip from Barat to the nearest butter selling store.  

Climbing Pine Trees and Seeing Racoons

(middle, above horizontal branches)

Loving Playgrounds

Evangeline calls slides "wee"..."more wee please"

Learning to Swing

Evangeline thought this bed looked perfect for herself.  

It seems as if everyone has a dog and they are everywhere we go, which is due to the fact the only dogs we see in Barat are the occasional wild dogs which we try to stay away from.  

Evangeline and the boys can't get enough and all want a dog of their own.

Other areas in which we see ourselves having been affected are in certain areas of our home culture.  There are certain things that feel like 'coming home' to.  Running has been one of these areas for me, as it is not just 'normal' here, but is a very common and popular activity.  But there are other areas that have become almost strange to us.  In Barat presents brought to an event, such as a birthday, are opened only after all the guests have left.  This was strange at first, but now I feel so awkward watching this part of parties here in the States.  I just don't see it with the same eyes.  Another area is how individualistic our culture is.  In Barat we have a hard time getting away from people as they are out and about, ready to interact with anyone in the vicinity.  Here in the States I have found myself ready to talk to any random stranger at the park, store, or running down the street in the mornings.  I find that being back I now have to think about how to interact with others as it seems to take more intentionality to actually cross paths or even just begin a conversation in an appropriate, not strange way.  (In Barat people are so friendly that it isn't a big deal for strangers on a bus, in a restaurant, or on the street to just start up a conversation with one another)

Though this is our 'home culture' we have been affected by living overseas.