Hello everyone. I am in Chaing Mai Thailand! We are resting for the next 5 days and then we will start ministry. Cambodia was great. It was my best month since Costa Rica. It has been hard and I hope to write about the breakthrough I have been having.
So, I wanted to make a blog to talk a little bit about the different cultures we have been in. Also, just differences in how things are done. It would be impossible to cover everything but wanted to give a short synopsis. Asia has been the biggest culture shock yet. A lot of congestion and very hard to understand the language. The way they make food is different. Just going out and about you can see the different things. Like the way they cook, the buildings, transportation, because it is so different, it has me thinking how can they live like this or that. It’s a different perspective.
The first thing you notice is the congestion. Especially in the bigger cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penn or even Ambon. They ride a lot of motorized mopeds. The streets are filled with them. In both Central America and Asia there is a lot of garbage lying around. That’s always hard to see because I am used to a more well-kept environment. Also, they reuse a lot of things that we wouldn’t. I saw a lady in Battambang Cambodia using the side guard of a fan as a drying rack for her fried bread. A lot of street markets in all these places as well. Also some places in Asia you have to take your shoes off because certain places are considered sacred. You also shouldn’t use your left hand when shaking hands. Also people here in Asia will use body language more than there words. They might say that they can make an appointment, but they only said that not to offend you. Or something more important took its place, so they went to that event instead.
In central amerca people will invite you to come over and just talk for hours. Time isn’t as valuable. Like if there is an event scheduled for a certain time. People will show up late, but it doesn’t mean that they were not on time. People just come when they come. So if threre is an event scheduled at a time, people just arrive when they arrive. Which I love honestly! America is way to hyper active. But there are things they can learn from us and we can learn from them. People are also really friendly, like in Mexico. Very family oriented like most of the world.
All the countries I’ve been too are high in poverty, which is hard to see. Most families will only eat 2 meals a day if that. All these cultures are way more family oriented. Many times, the whole family lives together. The mother and father, the kids, the grandparents, aunts and uncles. Even when the kids get married they will stay with their parents for a while. Actually, in Indonesia are host said that in Ambon there isn’t a lot of beggars and he says it is because the families take of each other. The family atmosphere actually helps with reducing homelessness, at least in Ambon. In Indonesia they are big on the class system. People with high class get more honor and it can seem like the lower class is being treated unfairly. Typically this is in all asia. But I saw it first hand in Indonesia.
Sometimes I forget where I’m at. Its crazy that I’m in these countries, that are so different from America. I never thought I would go to places like I have so far. At the same time, I have realized we are the same, just different culturally and really we aren’t that different.
I believe Jesus wants to break down are culture norms but at the same time keep some. When Jesus was alive He worked as a carpenter for years. He followed Jewish custom. But at the same time, He shunned the culture for things they were doing that went against the moral standard that God has. Just read the gospels, it crazy how He wasn’t afraid to directly and with authority point out ungodly norms. Here in Asia it’s about shame and honor. In our country its guilt/innocence. I am learning how to preach the gospel in different cultures. It is really cool.
Whether in America or overseas. When we live radically different, I think that’s when revival will happen. When people see someone with integrity and love standing up for truth, I think people will get behind that. That’s why I am big on making sure we follow Jesus and not norms.
Man I could keep writing for a while. I have so much more to say. Pray to the Lord about what you think Jesus would not like about our culture, what would He like??I think He will bring up a lot of things. Technically a blog is only supposed be a hundred some words. Learned that from my English teacher. So forgive me if you thought these would be blogs. Because technically these arn’t blogs. Blogs also have pictures. Anyway.. Thank you for reading.
