Friday, September 21, 2012

Hopping the Language Barrier


It’s hard to believe that a month ago, I was packing my bags and leaving Chicago.  After a looooong flight to Seoul and then another flight to Kota Kinabalu, I would find myself in a totally new world.  A month later, that world is gradually becoming my home for the year.  I think one of the greatest challenges that I’ve wrestled with is wanting to get a handle on the language.  I certainly try to pick up new words every day, but I also constantly want to know more.  I want to speak with people and ask them questions.  I simply want to find out the news and know what’s going on and how people are doing.  There are many a time when I sit in a room and hear full conversations and only understand a few words.  Sometimes I just wish I could get it!  On top of that, it feels like not knowing much about what’s being said around me is a constant reminder of how much I don’t know. 

But I think that over my time here so far, one of my greatest struggles is also the way in which God has been showing me other ways that people communicate love.  Before I departed from KK, one of my fellow YAGMs, Ashley, lent me a book called The Five Love Languages.  Essentially, it discusses the way that people feel that they are loved.  These ways include words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, quality time, and physical touch.  Considering these ways helped me to see how my community has been welcoming me and loving me even when I don’t always know what they’re saying.  They have made an effort to hop the language barrier when words fail.  There have been many meals, handshakes, games of cards, offers to sit down a while and rest, and many other little things that build up and amount to a warm welcome.  The people here have been accompanying me and meeting me where I am to show me through all the ins and outs of culture and life here and help me to adjust.  Seeing them get around language has made me stop and consider the ways that I can express love even if I can’t speak.  How to I let those around me know that I deeply appreciate all that they do for me?  How do I share myself without words?  The language will come in time, but I just have to speak out and let them know what I know.  I’ll pick it up and I know that they’ll be glad to help me along the way.  In the meantime, we’ll just keep hopping the language barrier and reaching out in love. 

Monday, September 10, 2012

Just BE...

Well, two weeks of in-country orientation flew by in the blink of an eye and I'm already in my placement in Tenom.  Moving in went smoothly, but I woke up with an unsettling feeling that took me a while to start to put my finger on.  I thought about where I was and asked myself, "What am I doing here?"  What was unsettling to me was that I'm in a completely new town in a foreign country and not sure what my place is here.  The details of my assignment were not very specific.  I was told there would be a lot of time that would be open and I would be finding ways to fill it in and get involved.  This is tricky for someone like me who has always been very goal oriented throughout out school and likes schedules and routine.  (If my parents are reading this, they're probably whole-heartedly nodding their heads!)  So this feeling that I woke up with seems to already be an indicator for where God might be leading me to grow this year.

This whole idea of not being totally in the know on what to do is yet another reminder to me to just be.  It's a bit unnerving to be put in a new place and not know what your place is there.  I think most people like to have a sense of belonging and purpose.  To leave the familiar behind and have that identity taken away isn't easy.  And yet I need to trust that everything will be ok.  After all, this is only my first full day here.  How can I possibly know what my place is here if I don't know about where I am?  How can I know where I fit in with other people unless I get to know those around me?  How can I function within a culture unless I take in the culture around me?  Maybe this is God's way of telling me to slow down and take time to value what's around me. 

If I look at my day in terms of what I observed and took in, it's actually quite a lot.  I walked around Tenom with my housemate and learned where things were (Hey, I know my way to the post office to send letters and I know how to get to the hospital among many other things!)  I met people who go to the BCCM church that I'll be attending and will be able to recognize them on Sunday, I've gotten to have some good conversation with a new friend here (two and a half hours didn't feel that long) and even picked up a few more Bahasa Malay words. 

So even though we constantly heard about being vs. doing in orientation, I think this is finally starting to sink in through experience.  I think I'll probably still have some moments where I'm feeling antsy or overwhelmed because I don't know how I fit in yet, but maybe I just need to give myself permission to take my time.  In orientation, Peter mentioned that we should celebrate often.  No matter how big or small something is, from learning how to walk to the market, to making a cup of coffee for breakfast, to having a great conversation with someone you just met, celebrate!  In a way, these celebrations really bring out how much we'll take in over the next few months.  I may have to remind myself to slow down, but taking time to observe, ask questions, and just learn as much as possible may bring me closer to learning what it means to be.