When I decided to take on my first overseas assignment. My first overseas assignment ever. I decided to go big. Why not go for 2 years? I said to myself, “What have a got to loose? I’m a single girl without afamily to take care. I don’t have a house, I don’t have a car, I don’t even have a pet.” Yet I still had a lot of questions. Do I have enough experience to take on an assignment this long? Is my faith strong enough to withstand the trials I may face? Does God want me to go or do I want to go to prove something- either to myself or to other people?
What you’ll be hearing a lot now and throughout your time is “Wow! Two years! What a great experience!” People will also say things like, “Have fun on your trip.” I think these things are all said with good intentions but this is not merely an experience. It’s not a trip. You’re moving your life to a new location. No body tells you to have a good trip when you move from Oregon to California. You are moving. Your suitcase will go under your bed (Yes, you’ll probably have a bed and not live in a grass hut with a dirt floor- although you might). You will put all of your clothes in the closet and drawers, you’ll buy things to make your room your home and you’ll make friends there. You’ll make friends you’ll have for the rest of your life.
So, what would my advise be to someone considering something similar?
Make sure you want to do it
When I was deciding whether or not I would go, I talked to a lot people and sought out advice from friends and family. I was praying a lot during that time. Many of the questions I had were not answered directly or completely but throughout the time that I took to reflect and seek truth, I came to the conclusion that God had called me to this and He would be there with me. So I went.
This is definitely not something you should do if you feel “half” committed or you feel like it is something you are reluctantly doing. You also shouldn’t do this if you aren’t called. I’m not saying that God needs to appear to you in a dream and point out a specific city, culture and timeline but this calling should come from the Lord. This can not be something you are doing because your parents think it sounds good, or it will look good on a resume, or it will make you a more compassionate person. Those things might also be true (and I’m hoping it does look good on my resume) but do you really feel called and do you really want to go? If you don’t, you will have a rough couple years ahead of you.
Have the attitude or a learner
I am known for being late in America. The girl who runs 15 minutes late with a coffee in her hand huffing and puffing and constantly apologizing for being late. That’s not me. I’m the girl who walks in 15 minutes late with a coffee in my hand because I waited until the last minute to make the coffee and stopped to talk to a friend in the hallway. I just don’t like showing up early. It feels weird. I make it on time if t is work or school but - early? It just makes me anxious. So I’m not very time oriented. But I am American and we have standards of time and certain expectations of punctuality; especially in the professional world.
You’d think I would love moving to a culture that doesn’t care about time at all. You’re wrong. I hated it at first and it was a constant struggle. I felt completely disrespected and sometimes angry when people were consistently more than 30 minutes late. But I have realize it is not my culture and I can’t expect people to act like they would in mine. I constantly had to remind myself of that fact.You are entering a new culture that has its own customs, its own language, food, clothing, weather, and basically anything else that you imagine- can and will be different. I made so many mistakes when I first arrived but as I learned more, I understood more. This enabled me to make less mistakes but I still made a lot, even after 2 years. You will however, find many similarities between your culture and the one you enter into. After all, we are all humans. We desire friendship, food and togetherness. It may also surprise you how much the native people will want to know about your culture. There is always room to grow and room to learn. You will most likely find out MANY things about yourself and your own culture along the way.
Saying goodbye is never easy
If you’re leaving now, you are saying goodbye to loved ones. Some you will see again and some you won’t. I lost both of my grandfathers while I was overseas and I never imagined that would happen in the span of two years. You’re making a big sacrifice by leaving and it will not be easy to say goodbye.
When I first arrived I was welcomed by a big team. I was so excited to work with all of the people I met. Soon I found out that one couple was retiring. Later on, another couple left due to an ill family member. I then found out that most people were not here on a 2 year term like me. In fact, I was quite rare. Many people were here for the long haul and had raised support to pursue this as their career. As for those in the “short term” or “mid-term” category, there were internships ranging anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 year. I said a lot of goodbyes to really dear teammates and friends. That was often very difficult for me. A lot more difficult than I ever thought it would be. The truth is, the people you work with become your family, and your best friends and you depend on them ALOT. When they leave, it’s painful. This wasn’t just team members though. Since
I worked at a University many of the students came from far away to study and after graduation, they left and never came back. That was really hard. When you say goodbye it will be hard. Now, I’m the one who is saying goodbye and I don’t know when or if I will return and that is really really hard.
Get ready for your life to change
Think about your freshman year of college to your junior year. Did you change? Did you grow? Would you say you were probably more mature and experienced than you were as a freshman? Most people would. Now imagine yourself doing all of that in a new culture with a new language and a new climate. You’d probably change even more right? After all, most of us don’t change unless we are forced or have a strong need to adjust and change. You’ll be here for two years. You’re going to change.
When I was stressed in college I would go to my car, blast music and drive until I felt better. This worked many times when I needed a break or time by myself. When I first arrived, I would get frustrated or homesick or I just needed some space. I desperately wanted to get into the car and drive. But I didn’t have a car. I didn’t have a license. And the very thought of navigating the traffic in the Philippines was too overwhelming to think about. When you don’t have the resources you have at home you’ll be forced to adjust. I had to find new ways to deal with stress and sometimes learning how to overcome and deal with that stress, in healthy ways, was painful. God exposed a lot of my own sin and I was forced to face it and grow. It was not always a fun process but it was for my own good and God changed me for the better. Now I do have a Filipino license and navigating that traffic is actually pretty fun.
So what does this mean for the future? I learned a lot of principles to apply to my future and I grew a stronger passion for the poor and lost. Although, the biggest lesson I learned is that I don’t know everything. I don’t know my future. Only God knows. As the line from one of my favorite songs goes, “Because I know He holds the future/ and life is worth the living just because He lives” I believe God changes us and constantly shows us how to trust Him more. I’m so grateful for my time abroad and I am excited for what God has for my future. Even though I don’t know it, He does. And that is more than enough to go forward.