Dear Future Racer,
The first part of my “Dear Future Racer” series is going to be about cultural sensitivity. This is one thing our team, Fierce Pursuit, is passionate about and we believe is important for missionaries to recognize. I hope the things talked about here are helpful to you! From time to time as we experience more, I will update this with more tips!
When you go into another country, you will be excited … for good reason. But it is very important to be extra conscious of how you are acting and the vibe you give off.
· Remember this: YOU CANNOT LIVE IN AFRICAN CULTURE (for example) AND CONTINUE TO LIVE LIKE AMERICANS. Know ahead of time that you will not have the conveniences you have at home. Accept it now and month one will go a lot smoother – take it from someone who wanted to go home everyday of month one.
· Do not act like tourists. There will be PLENTY of time for you to take pictures. Don’t walk down the street day one snapping shots of everything you see. In some cultures it is illegal and offensive. ANY time you want to take a picture of someone in public in ANY country, it’s always best to ask permission from the person. Take it from someone whose team knows about this first-hand. Just trust me ; )
· Be aware of what you say and who can hear you saying it. More people than you realize speak English… all over the world. When you point to an impoverished area and say, “oh my word”… even with pure intentions, it is offensive to people who live in that country.
· You will likely encounter much spiritual warfare in other cultures. In that, you will pray for the oppressed, possessed, and cursed. Please remember that people who live in a culture of witchcraft most likely do not view witch doctors as bad. They do not view a curse as a curse, but rather a blessing. So when talking to them, be led by the Spirit, of course, but try to refrain from asking things like, “Have you ever had a curse put on you?” A better question might be, “Has a witchdoctor ever spoken words over you?” or “Have anyone ever blessed you with spells or touched you?” There are ways to find out what you want to know without offending the natives. (Your contacts can help you with this too! Lean on them for cultural understanding!)
· The best thing to do in another country is learning the culture and LIVING it. Do not view yourself as a missionary there to save the day and tell them about Jesus. Try your best to forget that you are American/Canadian and attempt to interact with people in the same ways they interact with each other. The same thing goes for each culture you’re in, obviously.
The bottom line is to love and be led. Allow the voice of God’s Spirit to guide you and from that, love will flow naturally. Get excited! You’re about to see some crazy amazing cool things and learn some crazy amazing cool cultures. Embrace it, and love it. It will love you back.
Love,
Team Fierce Pursuit
PS: We’ll be praying for you!
