Tag: Cross-cultural
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Practice What We Preach
The other week, I made a trip to the local police station to get an affidavit. In South Africa, this is the venue you head to make a document “official”. The officer who helped me chatted with me a bit. He inquired how long I’d been in the nation and where I stayed. Finally he…
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Please, Not Me!
Do you ever have days you wonder why God sent you? You doubt in the dark what you knew in the light? Questions about whether we are making an impact set in. As you contemplate your next big endeavor, you feel like saying… “Please, Not Me!” You are in good company. This is exactly the…
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See the Good
Many times in missions, we speak of the difficulties with greater frequency than the good things. We talk about racism. We speak of our various phases of culture shock. Stories of being hurt by those we work with abound. Even at times, we venture into difficult topics like trauma or loss. What of the positive?…
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When a National Disappoints You.
If you have been in missions any length of time, you have experienced disappointment with a national person you’ve trusted. It’s not a question of if, but when. Someone will break your trust, they might steal from you, or worse. I know of national workers who were entrusted with a ministry only to overthrow the…
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You Know Christmas is Coming When…
What are the signs which point to Christmas coming? In every culture there are different visuals which alert us to the coming of this holiday season. When I first moved to South Africa, Christmas snuck up on me because I did not see the normal American signs. Once I learned the new signs, I could…