Our church is going through a series on Missions currently.
("Basic Training For Mission Teams" by Jerry Rankin & Phyllis Tadlock)
As we talk about preparing ourselves for reverse culture shock (aclimatizing ourselves back to our home country), I'm reminded of my friend and how he protects himself from reverse culture shock.
My friend is from Andra Pradesh, India.
He is a pastor and came to Singapore for a conference.
I was excited to show him the sights, sounds, scent and tastes.
But he was not too eager to accept. (Grateful but not eager)
He requested to eat local indian cuisines, and only asks to see dophins and the national stadium.
I obliged and acceded to his requests.
He explained that he didn't want to indulge his taste and lifestyle lest he begins to seek these that he could not get back in his village.
Reverse Culture preparation.
Our context would be slightly different. But may the Holy Spirit guide us to have a proper and humbling perspective in our preparation for the trips we'll be embarking on. That we grow to have a holy dissatisfaction at the poverty and injustice we see, but not rush into prayerless and powerless committments and frivolous ambitions of our own arrogance.
