Meeting someone from a new culture who lives across the street

Principles we learned overseas about cross cultural living can be applied as we reach out to those of other cultures who live across the street and in our communities.

Leanne and I along with another SEND missionary (Andy Miller) shared in a webinar re our experiences as foreigners living in a country that was not the land of our birth and the challenges of learning and adapting. We share principles of how to serve and connect with those who are coming to our countries who are in a similar situation.

Webinar Outline

1. Challenge = Communication
   1. What is it like to immerse yourself in a culture where you have no language/some language/learning the language?
      1. What were some of the joys
      2. What were some of the discouragements
      3. How did you feel as an adult with the challenges of learning to communicate
2. Challenge – Normal Tasks
   1. In your new culture, what were the challenges when faced with doing normal tasks like
      1. going shopping, paying your bills, driving, public transportation.
      2. What were some of the situations you found yourself in, and how did you react/cope
3. Challenge – Sharing the Gospel
   1. Our “why” in going overseas was to be involved in ministry of some sort.  This includes reaching out our new culture with the Gospel. In your new culture, what were the challenges in sharing the Gospel, building bridges for those conversations etc
      1. How long did it take?
      2. What were some of the barriers
      3. What were open doors
4. Principles
   1. What are principles you learned through these experiences that would apply to someone receiving someone who is in that situation?          
   2. If someone here in our home culture came up to you and said “I have a new neighbour who is from _______________ (another culture/country) and just arrived in country.  What should I do/shouldn’t do?”
   1. To help with ideas
      1. How were you encouraged by someone in the host culture
      1. How were you discouraged by someone in the host culture

5. Comments and Questions from webinar participants

• Thank you! Great session
• Really appreciate this seminar. Thank you!
• Thank you so much!! This was wonderful.
• what advice do you have for dealing with reverse cultural adjustment?
• This is such good information. Thanks for this format
• This is fascinating. I’ve always wondered about the impact on kids. I’d love to bring my kids overseas one day.
• 10 days ago
• What are some joys and challenges of raising kids on the mision field for you?
• passport culture. Never heard that before. Interesting way to put that.
• humour is a great medicine
• Great advice for cross cultural ministry! Things don’t always mean the same thing as we assume: Stop, Look, Listen!
• Learning a language definitely grows empathy!
• haha so true!
• thanks!
• I agree, I’m really enjoying the engaging conversation style!
• Good question – shall answer that
• Great moderating and story sharing
• What about the effects on your children growing up in another country?
• Not seeing people as a project! Excellent point.
• Love this long term approach – ‘people are not projects’!
• Spending time with people over time builds a bridge
• The ministry of showing up! That is applicable all around the world!
• I love that! “Don’t judge what you dont understand”
• oh I heard that one before 🙂
• we learned that we had to unlearn habits and learn new habits
• yes, crossing culture involves a lot of unlearning how things ared done from home and learn to do the daily task in a new place.
• I can relate! Learning a language is hard!
• Very realistic portrayal of life in a new country