Tip of the Week-- March 12, 2015

One of the disorienting aspects of entering a new culture, even after years in said culture, is encountering situations and phenomena for which the vocabulary of your native tongue is insufficient.  This requires the invention of new words and phrases, as well as modifying your understanding of other words in order to invest them with new meanings.

Here are some of my humble, proposed additions to the English vocabulary:

1. Mud-brick oven-- I know what you are thinking: this is a rustic way to cook a pizza in a rural village. Alas, no such luck.  No, a mud-brick oven is any room made of mud-brick and roofed with tin (so virtually all rooms in any given village).  All day long it absorbs solar energy, and at night, when you leave the cool outdoor temperatures and close the door behind you, you begin to roast, pizza-style.  You are guaranteed to wake up in the morning feeling part crusty, part melty.

2. Sauce pause-- The moment when, while eating out of a common bowl, the grain (especially rice and millet couscous) becomes too dry.  All hands leave the bowl, and someone begins to carefully ladle on more sauce.  This is the appropriate time to discreetly wipe the corners of your mouth, because eating with your hand is far more technical than it would seem, and because, yes, you do have sauce all over your mouth, and, yes, you do look ridiculous.  It is also a good moment to review your eating strategy, especially if there is something in the common bowl that you are hoping to avoid.

3. Survival of the weakest-- When you find yourself counted among any group of nationals, this is the humble acknowledgement that if said group were to be exposed to the unmitigated effects of nature around you, despite being  rather hardy by American standards, you would most assuredly be the first to perish, BUT FOR the amazing hospitality culture (jatigiya), which obligates them all to assure your survival even to their own peril.  In other words, you realize that you are the weakest link, but they save your sorry butt because they are far more generous and kind than you.

4. Heat index discrepancy-- The difference in a national's perception of heat and your perception of heat.  For instance, the moment you find yourself sweating in your light, cotton t-shirt, only to see a national friend still wearing a parka.  Or, the moment you wake up at 3:30am in your mud-brick oven with the feeling that you might be suffocating, only to look over at your national friend who is now covered head-to-toe in a blanket, maybe because there was a mosquito, maybe because they were cold--it's hard to tell.

Here is just a small sample of words that need to be invested with new understanding.

1. Wedding-- You are thinking of a planned-to-the-second, 30 minute service that is conducted while you sit on a comfortable chair--an event in which you are invited to participate once every few months.  You need to be thinking of a (minimum) 2-hour service, while sitting on a hard, wooden bench in the heat of an over-packed church--an event in which you are invited to participate about 2-3 times per month. 

2. Clean clothes-- You are thinking of clothes that have recently been washed, smell like laundry softener, and look like they were purchased just recently.  You need to be thinking of clothes that have been recently washed, have neither pleasing or offensive odors, but which, due to the effects of the dust and the sun, look as if you've worn them consecutively for the past 8 weeks while working as a car mechanic. (Please note that never has a Shout/Oxy-Clean/or such-like commercial been filmed in this environment.  They can handle your red wine, but can they handle our red dust?) 

3. Tea-- You are thinking of a golden-to-brown, translucent drink made by dipping a bag of leaves into some warm water that leaves you feeling refreshed and relaxed at the same time.  Oh, and might we suggest a little honey for flavor and sophistication?  You need to be thinking of a drink the color of motor oil made by boiling loose green leaves for an hour, which is so strong that it must be served in a shot glass and often leaves you with heart palpitations.  If you are too sissy to drink it straight, you might cut it down with some mint.

Prayer Requests

1. Tomorrow I will leave with a small team to the village of Konina.  We will be joined by the rest of the hospital team (close to 60 people) on Saturday morning.  We will do health teaching and Gospel storying for men, women, youth and children.  Please pray that the day would run smoothly.  Pray that people would be attentive to the health teaching.  Pray that hearts would be open to the Gospel.

2. Pray for an outreach trip to the village of Tiere at the end of the month.  I made a visit there yesterday to prepare and things seem to be coming together nicely.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would go ahead of us.

3. I will be traveling a lot this month to various villages for outreaches, weddings, etc.  Pray for safe travel for me and all those who will be traveling at the same time.  Pray that I would maintain a good energy level, and that the Lord would work through me at all these places/events.