Maybe self-sufficiency isn’t the goal
On clear days mountains can be seen beyond the city; on other days they are hidden by dust.
Let me introduce you to my new home. It’s a city where roses bloom in the winter and some trees stay green all year. Children play in the streets long after dark and neighbours will often invite you in for tea the first time you meet them. The aroma of freshly-baked bread wafts from bakeries on every street corner, and street vendors set up carts of sticky sweets or pick-up trucks loaded with fresh fruit.
On clear days you can see the mountains in the distance beyond the city; other days they are hidden behind a veil of dust. Dust is everywhere; it seems to coat my tile floors no matter how often I sweep them. Five times a day, an eerie polyphony of sound fills the air as the call to prayer sounds from minarets far and near.
It’s been one month and one week since I arrived in Riverland. It’s hard to fathom just how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned since my arrival; I’ve probably never learned so much in such a short time. Yet, I still feel very much like an outsider. I’ve made lots of surface-level observations about this new world and its people, but the language barrier and cultural ignorance keep me from diving deeper, from really understanding how people think, what they value, what they fear, what they hope for. These barriers will take a lot of time, patience and persistent effort to overcome.
Hospitality is a core value in the culture.
In the last month, the logistical whirlwind of arrival, finding a house, and all the accompanying bureaucracy and set-up has subsided. It has been a relief to settle into more of a routine. I’ve been able to dive head-first into language study, which is exhausting but rewarding. I’ve gotten to try lots of new and (mostly) delicious food. I’ve met some very friendly neighbours and visited a few of them with my housemates.
We even got a dinner invitation from a family a few doors down. Conversation was quite limited (mostly consisting of “very good” and “thank you” and smiling) but they were very friendly and gracious. Hospitality is a core value in this culture and I’ve certainly experienced that.
Starting life in a new culture comes with many challenges. Even the simplest everyday tasks are unfamiliar and difficult. But Jesus said, “[Whoever] will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15). It’s actually not such a bad thing to be reduced to the level of a young child, needing help with everything. I’m reminded that self-sufficiency is not the goal here. Perhaps God can display his glory even in my helplessness.
Would you join me in praying for the people of my new home?