Tip of the Week-- February 5, 2015

I once heard a pastor preach a sermon about asking the wrong questions.  He said that we often ask God "Why?" when faced with suffering, trial, or difficulty, but that it is far better to ask, "Where is God present in this?" and "How does the Lord intend to transform this for good?"  We rarely get satisfying answers to the "Why?" questions anyway, and even if we were to get an answer, it does not change the situation.  The answers to "Where?" and "How?" questions tend to move us forward to action and resolution.

In all seriousness, I think that applied to cross-cultural adaptation, this principle of asking the right questions becomes a key to making it through with your sanity.  Asking the "Why?" questions often only leaves us with a frustrating lack of information and an ever-increasing sense of disconnection.  Changing the questions to something like "how" or "where" yields more helpful information and gives action steps for dealing with frustration and creating deeper connection.  Often, it is in advancing along this process that you find yourself able to understand and accept the answers to the "Why".

That being said (and back to being a little less serious), let me point out to you some "Why" questions that you will inevitably want to ask in life here but that have absolutely no satisfying answers.  I will then provide you with suitable substitute questions that will help with your adaption.

1. Don't ask, "Why do donkey cart drivers on rural roads panic when they see the car approaching and then stop or maneuver the cart into the most impossibly inconvenient spot of the whole road?"  (Bonus tip: Never put the words "why" and "donkey" in the same sentence.  It is tempting, and it will lure you in, like a moth to the bug zapper, but guys, trust me, just don't do it.) Instead, as you drive around the cart, scraping your passenger side against the bushes, ask, "How much does a new paint job cost here anyway?"

2. Don't ask, "Why do buses and trucks always seem to stall at the beginning of a curve, or at the top of the hill, or best yet, angled across both lanes of traffic?"  Instead, as you barrel down on the road obstruction, ask, "Do I need to brake, or am I feeling lucky?"

3. Don't ask, "Why do I have diarrhea again when I didn't even eat anything questionable?"  Instead, ask, "How far away from running water do I dare to go?" and "When should I start Cipro?"

4.  Don't ask, "Why did it take an hour and half for this restaurant staff to bring out food for our party of four? And why is everything cold?" Instead, after ordering, ask, "Who brought cards?" and as you eat, ask, "Am I the kind of person that likes lots of ketchup or lots of salt on cold french fries?"

5. Don't ask, "Why, inevitably, in the heat of the village afternoon, when all I can imagine drinking is ice-cold water, does someone want to put an overflowing goblet of lukewarm degue in my hands?" (Degue being a soured yogurt drink with bits of millet floating in it.  Tasty at the right time, really. See last week's tip.)  Instead, ask, "How much of this do I have to get down before I can politely say that I'm full?"

6.  Don't ask, "Why do bike riders on the highway seem incapable of mastering the body mechanics that would allow them to turn their heads to look behind them, without swaying the whole bike out into the middle of the lane?" Instead, ask, "How close to the biker do I have to be before starting to honk my horn?"

7.  Don't ask, "Why, on this evening when all I want to do is crawl into bed and die, does my guard decide that it is the perfect time to ask for money?"  Instead, ask, "What is the most painless way out of this for us all?"

8. Don't ask, "Why do motos with multiple riders, moto-taxies full of precious human cargo, and push-push carts loaded with 800 pounds of rice always seem to merge into the lane, from both the left and the right sides, without ever looking to see if there is on-coming traffic?" Instead, ask, "How hard do I have to press my brakes so that no one dies?"

9.  My personal favorite: Don't ask, "Why did the goat cross the road?"  Instead, before starting your ride, ask, "How securely attached is my helmet?" and as you lay in the dirt bleeding, "Where's the closest hospital?"

Prayer Requests:

1.  Saturday morning, a group of 50 of us will head to the village to do health teaching and Bible storying.  This is a new outreach event for us.  We have been so encouraged by the response of the nurses at the hospital who all seem very excited for this, and we really think this could become a new, positive model for something we'd like to do more of.  That being said, there are still a lot of details that need to come together before we leave.  Pray for:

                --The nurses preparing lessons and skits.

                --Our missionary team as we prepare details like food, transportation, and preparing needed materials

                --The team telling Bible stories, that they'd have a clear presentation and a meaningful impact in many lives.

                --Those that will come, that they'd be receptive and that the crowds would be the right size. We have no idea how many to expect.  If too many come, we might be overwhelmed; if too few come, it will be discouraging.

2. Praise the Lord, Issa arrived safely in Senegal and has started class.  All seems to be going very well.

3. Pray for our team's upcoming Prayer Retreat.  Two pastors from Wisconsin are coming to minister to us.  Pray that it would be both a refreshing time and an encouraging time for our whole team.

4. Pray for teammates Steve and Heather as they adjust to life after adopting their son Serge, age 3, from Guinea.  They are currently in the States getting ready to speak to churches and supporters.

5. Pray for Dr. Phila and Dr. Dan, our surgeons, as their schedule in the OR has been very busy.  Pray that they would have strength, stamina, and wisdom.