As my shift was about to come to an end last Thursday, one of our students walked into the student center and he asked me how I was doing. He looked tired and thin, although that is the norm for most Asians, and especially college students here. I asked him if he was doing alright. He responded with a smile and said, “I am good Ate Jamie but I am very tired because I am very busy and I have many assignments.” I asked him if he had eaten yet today and he said, “no Ate, I haven’t had time to cook anything other than rice.” I was with a co-worker who offered over her small bag of peanuts. She said, “Here. You need to eat some protein for energy.” He looked equally surprised and excited that he had a small snack to help him get through his paper writing. After that, we said good bye and went back home.
Stories like this are ones that I encounter on a daily basis, if not more frequently. I am coming up on one year of my stay here in October. I can come up many stories like this one that would break your heart but as I reflect on the past year, I am able to see how God is allowing so many opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to love the people that he has placed in front of me.
If I could sum up the past year in three bullet points to focus on what I have learned while I was here, it would be this:
Living in a foreign country is full of adventure and intrigue but it’s not easy
I am really glad that I came to such a loving, welcoming and warm culture that loves foreigners and is known for its hospitality. Every day here is something new and I have loved the adventure, cultural, and diverse experiences I have had here. Most Americans probably can’t say they have experienced as much as me at the age of 23. Although God gave me the boldness to go to a place that I had never been for two years and he has strengthened me to be here, I don’t always enjoy it. Some days I long for the comfort and accessibility of American culture and sometimes it is really hard to be constantly stared at. It is also hot here. Really hot. I sometimes selfishly think that if God called me here then I should be happy to be here and he should be constantly blessing my obedience. Learning a new language is hard and it takes a lot of energy, patience and self-discipline. Making friends and building bridges with people of a different culture is fun but sometimes you don’t understand each other, you offend each other and you don’t know what to say or do to change it. I can honestly say that I love it here and I have enjoyed going through these struggles because they have made me stronger and they have humbled. However, that realization doesn’t make it any less of a struggle to go through it.
Relationships take time.
Through this experience, I have seen God in my life and in the lives of others. God answers prayers and he blesses the struggles. The relationships that I have made here with my students and with members of the community have required a lot of time because it isn’t easy to trust someone whom you’ve just met. I thought I was going to come over here and boldly proclaim the gospel to everyone I met but then I realized one, they wouldn’t understand me because I would have to learn the language first and then I realized that we have many cultural differences, age differences, educational differences, and different personalities. In fact, the relationships that I have been building over a year are just starting to become more comfortable, and even then, we have so much to learn about each other.
Life continues overseas
My life is going on and so is everyone else’s. I have missed funerals, weddings, retreats and birthday parties. I want to share all of the experiences with my family at home but I can’t. I want to bring my friends that I have made here to my hometown and combine both worlds but I can’t. Sometimes it feels like my heart is in two places and it will never be in one place ever again. I have also learned that God’s love is so huge and I am so extremely blessed by a family who loves and supports me. I am also extremely blessed by friends here. They feel like family.
Hopefully this isn’t seen as a negative view of living overseas. The adventure and ways that God changes and pushes you are amazing. I feel like I am intentionally loving these people here and I am so glad that God has called me here. It can be hard but it is worth it. I still find so much encouragement every time I read this verse in James1. It reminds us that any troubles now will be worth it in the end.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:2-6)”