During April I stayed in China for the month, whilst I was there almost every single local person assumed that I was one of the locals. Yes, it happened in Vietnam too. I was the ONLY Asian in my group. I’ll admit Korean and Chinese look similar. So there is no surprised.
I usually don’t care what strangers think about me. But in this case it started to bother me. I tried so hard to tell people “I’m not a local”, but they just kept talking to me with their own language. They didn’t speak to my team-mates but would talk to me assuming I was a local. I felt a lot of pressure because of the situation. Sometimes, my team-mate would say: “It won’t be happened in our next country, which is one of the Southern African countries” and I joked “Still, they think I’m Chinese, and they only speak their own language.” The pressure was still there.
A couple days before my team left China, GOD spoke me directly about the issue. Because these people felt like I was one of the locals, they felt more comfortable staying around me than my squad-mates. I was the comfort-zone between them and my squad. Nothing changed. I still couldn’t speak the local language. I’m not a local. But one thing was different. I’m Korean. I’m an Asian like they are.
“There is a person who looks like one of us.” This small fact made big difference. It offered the locals a comfort-zone. It made it easier for them to approach us. This is what I heard from the local.
When I heard that local staff liked me and feel more comfortable working with me than they others and appreciate what I do, I thought they were just courteous comments. But the very last day of my work, the main member of staff I worked with came over me and spoke to me, in her broken English she said: “how appreciative she was” and that “she wants to see me again”. It challenged me about my attitude while I stayed in Asia for four months. She can barely speak English. I barely know any Chinese words. So, that was our first conversation.
As a Korean/an Asian, I’m different to most of my squad-mates. I can see what they can’t see. I can approach where they are NOT allowed. And I can give new opportunities through my differentiations. Actually, all of my squad-mates already knew this and encouraged me. I’m the one refused to recognize them, and struggled with nothing.
This is what FUSION is for! Not only for Racers, but also for the local people who we serve with and where we serve. GOD designed FUSION!
At the moment, when I realized, I felt so sorry for both myself and people and places I have served. If I noticed it sooner, it could have been better for them and me. At the same time, I was very, very thankful to my GOD. He taught me something I almost missed. I was too stubborn to go out of my box and leave my comfort zone.
My dear, the very first African (from Swaziland), team/squad-mate on the World Race is in same situation.
We are currently in Lesotho and the locals here think that he is from Lesotho and speaks to him in their local language SoSowto. Now, I can share these frustrations with someone in the shoes as me. I can see How GOD uses him as the African’s comfort zone.
*This post is edited by my Amazing Squad-mates ; the Brit Beth and Maggie.
http://bethanborrett.theworldrace.org/
http://maggiemcdonald.theworldrace.org/
*We will face the last fundraising deadline due at 1st July. Pray and Encourage US!
Kor Ver.
http://worldracefusion.org/fusion/
