Living overseas in a culture that is not your own is both exhilarating and exhausting, sometimes all at the same time. There are highs and lows, pros and cons, victories and defeats. Have you ever lived in a different culture? Read about the joys and hardships of cross-cultural living from the perspective of one our overseas workers.
THE JOYS:
- Enjoyable friendships
- Doing something we whole-heartedly believe in
- Being challenged to rely more fully on the Father
- Developing a greater understanding for God's love for the world
- Trusting in His provision in all areas of life: financially, emotionally and spiritually
- Having a close-knit community of people who are like-minded
- Buying vegetables for dinner and guacamole for under $2
- Learning about what truly makes you who you are
- Learning how to laugh and enjoy the uncomfortable
- Celebrating the wins as BIG VICTORIES
THE HARDSHIPS:
- Witnessing millions of people who haven't heard of Jesus, but rather worship marble statues, ancestors and other idols that won't give them what they are searching for
- Missing friends and family
- Not being fully known or understood by either our passport country or our host country
- People trying to charge us more for things, even though we are regulars at the market, restaurants, etc.
- Trying to decide with whom and where to invest your time: should we mostly spend time with our students, our local believer friends, our local non-believer friends, the believing and non-believing community of foreigners like ourselves?
- Not being able to be a part of a church with a regular, non-transient body and consistently good teaching
- Driving a motorbike in the elements (rain, wind, beating down heat) while transporting various items and grocery bags
Have you ever lived cross-culturally? We'd love to hear about your experience.
