A few days ago, my new friend grabbed my hand to lead me on a tour of her work place. The familiarity of this gesture recalled several memories of holding hands with friends in South Asia. Occasionally the sights, smells, and sounds here come close to what I knew in South Asia, but with the …
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"I'm not one of those people who... learns languages easily." God has gifted in languages." memorizes things easily." is brave enough to practice language in public." I started hearing statements like this when I began studying my second language. I still hear similar things and I'm on my fourth. If I'm having a bad day sometimes I …
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Yes. For so many reasons, learn the language. When I reached proficiency in my second language, many people expressed how excited they were for my new skill. "You'll be able to help other people and share God's love around the world!" was a commonly expressed sentiment. True. But my own life, understanding of God, people, …
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Dear International Worker, Receive. Part 2. Here is the rest of my Post on Receiving, Thanks for reading! ❤ Chrissy Receiving well: Demonstrates the truth that I have something to learn. I don’t know everything about life in my host country, no matter how long I’ve been here. Listening well and receiving new ideas from …
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I had been lying on the couch all morning—the side of my face sweating into it’s brown, corduroy material. My face would probably have the red “corduroy lines” across it for a while, but I didn’t care. Looking after my small daughter as she watched back to back episodes of My Little Pony ™ was …
Continue reading Dear International Worker: Receive (Part 1)
My friend was angry at first, then she burst into tears. I had been there a few years earlier so I listened for a long while before sharing anything. Someone slammed into the back of her car at a red light, then sped away. The tail lights were broken and the bumper was barely hanging …
Continue reading It Doesn’t Mean You’re a Bad Fit.
“Caramel Nut Latte? That sounds incredible. I’ll have that.” We were at Dunkin Donuts™. My husband loves donuts, but has an interesting history with them in South East Asia. This was the first time he expected a certain flavor, but experienced an unwelcome shock to his senses after the first bite. The restaurant was advertising “Caramel …
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You can't save the world. You weren't meant to. But it's easy to want to. People don't know God. Marriages fall apart. Career paths suddenly change. Children rebel. Loved ones have serious health problems. Horrific events scar communities-- the stories are on the news everyday. An endless stream of media bombards us with the world's …
Continue reading Dear International Worker… You Can’t Save the World.
Dear International Worker, Sad goodbyes are okay. They can even be good. Not easy, but good. If you're saying goodbye for an extended period of time, and reciprocated love, sadness over separation, and tears are happening, you know you are blessed. In the past week I've said goodbye many times. None of it was easy, but …
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