In the mission world, we talk about culture shock a lot. You have probably heard people talk about it, people who have been overseas for a while, or maybe not even that long and then go back to their passport country and realize something is different. We left the U.S. over 13 years ago now, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t have culture shock either coming back to Ecuador from being in the U.S. or vice versa. There is usually something that makes it known either consciously or subconsciously that makes us tell ourselves, “we’re not in Kansas anymore” or “Houston, we have a problem”! It can be simple things like being able to flush toilet paper or drink water out of the faucet or not hearing Spanish, but only English in the background all the time. In Ecuador, it is usually only Spanish and that is easy to not need to be aware and overhear or eavesdrop because our brains (because it is our 2nd language) can tune it out. But when we are surrounded by only English all the time, it is like circuit overload because we understand EVERYTHING in all of the conversations around us and because our brains aren’t used to it, we struggle tuning it out! Another thing is going to Walmart or Target and just being surrounded with so.many.options! The pop aisle has two whole aisles of decisions! The chip aisle has so many Dorito choices! The candy aisle, WOWZA!
Sometimes, it is bigger things like tough conversations or explaining ourselves over and over why we speak Spanish or that hard word, HOME, that always comes up when we are stateside (this would take a whole other blog to discuss), but safe to say that the U.S. rarely feels like home to us because our home is in Ecuador. Anyway, there is always culture shock for us. This year going back to the States, for me (Kim), it was the vitamin aisle! I know that may sound a little crazy, I admit it sounds crazy. But I was specifically looking for a couple of different vitamins for the kids and then for Joel and I! I literally sat there for over 30 minutes trying to find what I needed, but to no avail. Throughout our time I ended up going to multiple different vitamin aisles only to be overwhelmed to the point of tears at the amount of options from Melatonin to Probiotics to multivitamins and everything in between. Vitamins here in Ecuador are a hot commodity, but also a very expensive one, something the majority of people can’t afford, but that we know can be so beneficial. Even just standing in the aisle made me realize I was so fortunate to be able to have the choice of SO many vitamins.
Why do I even tell you this seemingly meaningless story of my vitamin aisle culture shock? It is a reminder to be thankful for choices, simple things like vitamins and also to remember to pray for missionaries when they are traveling between different cultures. If they cry unexpectedly, give grace because it likely is way deeper than you know. If you have no idea what to say to missionaries, sometimes it can be easier to choose to talk to someone you know better, but most missionaries and especially missionary kids want to be seen. Ask them about their life, what is hard, what they love, what are favorite things about the country where they serve? Most of us will love telling you and most of us want someone to acknowledge the hard part of coming back to our passport country.
The Santiago Partnership