Culture Shock

When a missionary goes into the mission field, culture shock is expected.  They enter a completely and sometimes literally shocking new culture... a whole new way to live, think, act, feel, speak, and so much more.  This is expected regardless how much a missionary prepares for the field. 

When I entered missions full-time, I knew this was how I wanted to spend the remainder of my life.  Therefore, I was happy to immerse myself in my new culture.  I learned the ways of the people of the land. I am still learning the language.  There were many new experiences the books and research did not tell me about before I arrived.  

I enjoy learning new things, and I do not mind being the only one at a table not able to understand a word of what is said.  Just the presence of being with the people made me happy until I could learn enough to understand.  They became like a family.  

Although it was not missions, my first experience with living overseas was Mainz, Germany back in fall of 1988 to Christmas 1991.  I remember being in the country two weeks, and had only met one person.  We lived downtown in Mainz above a little alterations shop ran by a local German family who owned the building. My husband had to leave for a month of training, and all I had was a lot of change he left behind to ride the buses and learn the city.  So that is what me and my 1 year old toddler, at the time, did.  

Everyday I took different buses that stopped not far from our little apartment.  They all eventually circle back around, I just needed to remember the name of the stop and a landmark to recognize the bus stop ahead of time.  

During this time, I met a few other American women riding the buses.  They gave me tours and tips to the local shopping areas and restaurants, and a few of us became very good friends during our stay in Germany.  When it came time to leave Germany, I honestly did not want to go.  I would have been happy at the time to stay and live there.

This experience prepared me, not for the culture of the mission field in which I work, but rather how to be flexible and quickly adjust to my new culture.  I have to say that, I really enjoy where I live and work.  I love the people and their culture.