Cultural Differences that Let You Know You've Been Abroad a While

We were gone too few days to experience what some would call 'reverse culture shock,' but we are finding ourselves amused by some of the differences we are noticing now that we are back.  It started as soon as we touched down in the airport in Miami and has continued all week.

So let me put it this way.  You know you have been abroad a while when you:

Protected trees in the middle
of a Bolivian street.

• get excited about how inexpensive something is and then realize that the price is in dollars. 
• find that seat belts actually work and you are expected to use them.
• lean in to kiss the cheek of someone who has offered you a hand shake. 
• look for fresh milk at the grocery store in one-liter plastic bags.
• see a blue-eyed person and wonder what country they are from and how long they have been here.
• cannot find the bill you need to pay for your items because they all have green on them.
• wonder why the driver stopped for a red light when there was no oncoming traffic.
• say "Muchas Gracias" to the clerk who has been speaking to you in English.
• think it strange that so few properties have fences and walls around them.
• automatically toss your toilet paper in the trash can instead of the toilet.
• wonder why people are watching baseball when there surely must be a good soccer game available to watch.
• miss the shade of the protected trees in the middle of the streets, sidewalks, and parking lots.
• are surprised by how few forty-year-old cars are on the road.
• wonder if the tap water is safe enough for you to use it to brush your teeth.
• think it is normal for a taxi ride across town to only cost a couple dollars.
• see a construction site and wonder why they would spend money on a porta-potty.

Since we were only gone a couple weeks, it is not taking us long to get back to the way of doing things here.  However, I am grateful for the tapestry of cultures that we get to enjoy, and we look forward to going again where there will be new things to learn when we go, and thing to unlearn when we return.

Missionary Trivia Quiz

 

Dear family and friends,

Years ago at a Christmas gathering at our church in Maine, we played a game testing people’s knowledge of the record of Christmas in the Bible against their own understanding of the events. It was an interesting exercise to see how much information we had gathered from the right source. Today we would like to play a trivia game with you to see how well we have communicated our prayer concerns over the past year. You will find the answers at the bottom of the page. (Some questions require multiple answers.)

1. Which of the following countries did we visit this year? A. Liberia  B. Dominican Republic  C. Mexico; D. Guatemala; E. Luxembourg.

2. Which two countries had we planned to visit but were unable to do so? A. Liberia  B. Dominican Republic  C. Mexico   D. Guatemala  E. Luxembourg

3. What kept us from visiting one of those countries? A. Lack of funds  B. Epidemic  C. Political unrest  D. Changes in scheduling

4. How many countries do we plan to visit in the coming year? 2, 3, 4, or 5? Go ahead, take a guess.

5. Did we spend more or less time away from our home base this year compared to last year?

6. Do we plan to spend more or less time away from home next year?

7. How many car miles do you think we traveled this year? A. Less than 20,000  B. 20,000 – 29,999  C. 30,000 – 39,999   D. More than 40,000

8. Where is our support level? A. 57% B. 59%  C. 61%  C. 62%

9. As 2015 begins, which of these do you think is a big prayer need?  A. Invitations to share our ministry here in the U.S.  B. Travel funds for overseas trips.  C. Arrangements for trips abroad.

10. When will we be in your area again?  A. We usually go to the churches where we are invited.  B. We plan to spend four to six weeks in New England and Canada.  C. We are hoping to get back to South Carolina.  D. We are willing to go wherever the Lord leads.

Check your answers and let us know how well we are doing at communicating with you.

Thank you for your support for us in prayer over the past year. We are so glad to know that we have people standing behind us. May God richly bless you, and may He be the focus of and the reason for all your Christmas celebrations.

Because of Christmas and Calvary,

Charlie and Joan Farley

Answers: 1. C and D 2. A, B and E. 3. The Ebola epidemic in Liberia kept us from going there, and we had hoped to visit Luxembourg on our way either going or coming, so that fell through as well. The Dominican Republic is rescheduled for next year. 4. Four trips are planned – one to D.R., one to Peru, and we are working on a trip to Africa and one to Asia. 5. We were away from home less because we did not travel as much inside the U.S. this year. However, we spent more time abroad than any previous year. 6. We hope to spend more time abroad and more time away from home inside the U.S. 7. B. This is less than any previous year since we started this ministry. 8. The last time we reported, it was at 57%. It now stands at 59%. Thank you for your continued prayer for us about this matter. 9. All of them. 10. All of these answers are right.

Similarities Between Three Nations

 

Mexico, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. How are these three nations alike? Here are some interesting features that unite them.

First, they are united by a common language. They all speak Spanish. Yet that is like saying that the Australians, Brits, Indians, and North Americans all speak English. Yes, it is the same language, but the accent and many of the idioms and expressions make them quite different.  

A group of believers in the Dominican Republic

On our first visit to the Dominican Republic, I was lost.  I had been out of Latin America long enough that my Spanish was very rusty.  Added to that difficulty, the Dominicans blend their words together and speak rapidly.  When I was surrounded by the locals, I understood very little.  Mexico, on the other hand, was the easiest for us.  Was that because we've become more accustomed in the last couple years?  Perhaps.  But I think it's also because I hear more Mexican Spanish spoken here in the US than I do the other accents.

Second, they are all in the Western Hemisphere.  This is helpful to us since it does not cost as much for us to travel to these nations as it does to those on the opposite side of the world.  We can make two or three trips for the cost of one trip to Asia.

Third, we hope to visit all three of these countries this year, and in all three of these nations, IPM's missionaries are church planters.

Morning service in Cuernavaca, Mexico

We were privileged to visit Cuernavaca, Mexico, for the first time this year and see the church plant that Sergio and Alejandra Herrera have planted there.  As you see from the previous post, we were quite impressed by that church.  When they came together, they were excited to be there.  At night, the pastor had to shut the lights out in order to get them to leave.  On Sundays, they spent almost the entire day together.  Eagerness abounds in learning new things about God and in sharing those truths with others.  Although they will miss the Herreras when they return to their homeland of Chile, they are looking forward to the process of becoming completely independent.  

Teaching the children in Guatemala

In just a few days, we will be heading out to spend a month in a little town called Cerro Alto, about two hours outside of Guatemala City.  There we will be working with Giovanni and Barbara Avendano.  Giovanni is a Guatemalan who came to know Christ while he lived in California.  He has gone back to the town of his birth where he planted a church.  That church is vibrant and strong.  On a typical Sunday morning, there are over one hundred people there.  We know we will be involved in multiple ministries while we are there:  teaching teachers, training leaders, preaching and teaching on Sunday and Wednesday, and anything else the Avendanos need from us. 

Giovanni has a deep desire for his people to know Christ, so one church plant is just not enough.  When we were there, he had begun meetings in another town nearby.  A smaller group of about 30 were meeting there.  Then, sometime during the last two years, He has begun church plants in another nearby location.  His desire, like that of Paul’s, is that all men would come to know the truth.   

Students taking a quiz in the Bible institute

In October, we hope to head to the Dominican Republic to work with Enrique and Solanlly Mejia.  They have also started a church.  One difference with Enrique Mejia, however, is that he also has a thriving Bible institute where pastors and future pastors gather from all over the island to increase their knowledge and ability to use the Word of God effectively in their ministry.  

Fourth, our ministry will be in Spanish.  I will do all of my teaching in Spanish.  Over the past couple years, I have become much more comfortable doing this, but I still feel very inadequate.  I would greatly appreciate prayers for fluency, especially since I am often teaching new material every time I go.  

Preaching through a translator

Charlie teaches through a translator.  In Mexico, the translator that was available had never translated before.  His command of English was good, but translating in front of a group of people, some of whom also have an adequate command of English, was intimidating.  In the Dominican Republic and in Guatemala, the missionary men themselves do the translating.  Their command of English is excellent, and they do a great job of translating.

We are looking forward to the next month in Mexico.  There is still much to be done before we leave, but we are eager to go.

After Mexico

We are seated in the airport in Mexico City, waiting for our flight back to the U.S.  It has been a full week, but we feel blessed to have been a part of the life and work of our coworkers, Sergio and Alejandra Herrera and their family.  Sergio and his family, Chilean nationals, moved to Cuernavaca, Mexico, eleven years ago to plant a church.  We were witnessing a miracle of changed lives over the past decade.

We left the house on April 24 at 6:00 a.m. and arrived in Mexico City in the afternoon. Sergio met us and after a snack, we boarded a bus for a two hour ride, arriving at the home of our hosts at about 7:30 p.m. They had a meeting at church, so they left us in the house and headed out while we unpacked.

Friday morning and afternoon I studied while Charlie went to the church to help with construction.  Then on Friday night, we headed to church where I taught a class on “Training Warriors.”  In the meantime, Charlie hung out with the men and was present when Brother Sergio led a man to Christ.  On Saturday, we returned to church where I taught once again.  This time the subject was “Creating a Bible Lesson from Scratch.” 

After supper (at about 4:00 p.m.) we rested briefly and returned to church again that night.  The evening was for married couples, and Charlie taught on marriage with the help of Armando, a young man who translated for him.  It was his first time to translate.

On Sunday morning Charlie and I both taught Sunday School.  He taught the teens and adults and I taught the children.  When it was time for him to start teaching, Armando had not yet arrived, so the pastor’s daughter, Priscilla, was recruited to translate for him.  It was a good thing.  Had she been asked, she would have refused because she did not feel ready.  But since no one else was available, she did it. 

Right after Sunday School, it was time for lunch.  The families of the church take turns bringing lunch for everyone else.  After lunch, it was time for the main service. 

At the request of the Herrera’s, we brought Bibles.  Thanks to the generosity of the children of West Hampden Baptist Church and BEAMS, we loaded 56 Bibles into our luggage.  Sergio asked all of those who did not have a Bible to come forward, and we were surprised by how many came.  What a blessing it was to see them receive something essential for their spiritual growth.  (Charlie figured it out.  In the US, on minimum wage, it would take about two hours to have enough money to buy a good Bible.  In Mexico, it would take 2-3 days.)  In addition, we took a small Betty Lukens flannelgraph set as a gift for the church. This was purchased from moneys raised by the children of West Hampden Baptist Church at their Vacation Bible School last year.  Charlie preached that afternoon on “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”  By this time, Armando had arrived and was ready to work.

On Monday, Brother Sergio took us and two men from the church to a town nearby that had a small pyramid on top of a hill.  We climbed the hill, took in the view and returned to Cuernavaca for supper.  That night, Charlie taught on the role of the deacon.  At the end, Charlie asked for questions and several questions were asked for clarification.  Then one of them said, “We don’t have a lot of questions yet because this is all new to us.”

We have been so blessed to have person after person tell us how our teaching helped them.  Several of them asked when we would return.  “When we are invited,” we responded.

And now we’re headed home again.  We look forward to being there again when the rest of the building is finished and that part is also filling up.

One Week and Counting

One week from today we leave for Cuernavaca, Mexico. We will board the plane in Chattanooga and fly to Atlanta.  From there we will catch a connecting flight to Mexico City.  In Mexico city, our missionary, Sergio Herrera, will meet us.  We will get on a bus and ride the remainder of the way to where they live near Cuernavaca.

Many things have already been accomplished. 

Two cases of Spanish Bibles.

• We purchased Spanish Bibles and a flannelgraph set to take with us.
• We have been preparing lessons.
• A friend in Maine is checking over my Spanish grammar on the things I've finished while I continue to work on more lessons.
• We bought our tickets.
• We have been in communication with the Herreras about the upcoming seminar.
   

In the midst of all this, I have been so glad to have an office again.



It has been great to go to the bookshelf to research the things I need for my lessons.

What is left still to do?  Much.

The regular things of life do not stop just because we have a trip coming up.  Resurrection Sunday is coming.  There are special events this week, including the arrival of family visiting from Minnesota.  We also need to:

• Figure out how to pack the Bibles and other materials we are taking.
• Finish the lessons we are preparing.
• Print off handouts and outlines.
• Talk to our neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on things while we are gone.
• Hire someone to cut the lawn and water the fledgling garden that Charlie planted.
• Gather our personal items and pack them without going overweight with all the things we are taking.
• Get a ride to the airport.
• Somehow do the other things like eat, sleep, exercise, pray, read our Bibles, go to church, and all the other normal things of life.

If we were to write a detailed list, I'm sure it would be very long.  But you get the idea.  We would definitely appreciate prayer as we count down to our departure.