Dear Future Goer,
Congratulations on being accepted to bring the Gospel to the newly discovered alien races on Alpha Centauri! I am sure they will be delighted to learn about how Jesus has redeemed not only us humans on the cross, but their species as well. A word of warning: you may want to bring some of your favorite foods with you. On Alpha Centauri people survive primarily by inhaling flavorless vapors. The main thing you need to be aware of is that Netflix has not yet been released there, so make sure to bring some of your favorite DVDs with you. Prepare yourself for some out-of-this-world experiences! Ok, so maybe you aren’t reading this THAT far into the future. But whether you are packing up to relocate to Alpha Centauri, or southeast Asia, or Africa, or even Berlin like where I serve, here are some things I want to share with you based on some of the things I’ve experienced.
1. Life can be difficult
-This isn’t just in regards to the big things like learning a new language; everything you do is more difficult and more tiring than before, and it takes longer. Even if you live in a place that is well-connected by public transportation like Berlin is, it can take a long time to get from point A to point B. And because there aren’t really any big-box stores like Target and Walmart where you can get everything in one go, sometimes you need to get to points C-M as well just to get everything you need. And then the whole time your brain is on hyper-drive as it processes all the unfamiliar things your five senses are picking up. When I first arrived just going to the grocery store took all the energy I had for the day. So don’t feel bad if you aren’t accomplishing as much as you used to. With time your capacity to get things done will increase. There’s nothing wrong with you; just set 1 or 2 priorities per day and feel good about getting those done.
2. You might bring more baggage with you than you’d realized
-You’ve lugged your multiple filled-to-the-brim suitcases through several airports across multiple continents and up several flights of stairs, but finally you’ve gotten them into your new living situation in the foreign land you now live in. Congratulations! It might take you a week or so to unpack them and get your new room situated depending on what kind of person you are, but once you do you might start to feel a little more at home. However, during the following months you may come to realize that you brought some additional baggage with you, and some of it may even be baggage you didn’t realize you had. Let me give an example. After a couple months of being overseas, I realized how much I was being attacked with anxiety. I had a lot of worry in regards to being able to make new friends, as well as being able to remain friends with the cohort of workers I had arrived in Berlin with. I didn’t even consciously realize that I was anxious about these things, but I found myself frequently responding in an aggressive manner whenever someone did or said something that came too close to a part of my identity or personality that I was ashamed of. Even if that person’s action really had nothing to do with me in that moment, I still felt a trigger switch on inside me and before I knew it I was responding like a cornered animal. Over the course of my time here and with the help of others I have been able to unpack some of that and realize that I have been worshipping the idol of how I feel people perceive me, and that I often try to respond or act in a way that I think people want me to act so that the idol can look as beautiful as possible. Underlying all of that is shame, which is the fear that something I say or do or something about me will cause other people to not want to connect with me. Since realizing these things I have come a long way in shaping my identity and being confident in who I am, knowing that the right people will embrace me for that person that God is constantly shaping me in to. I did have some of these issues in the U.S., but I didn’t experience them to the extent that I felt them overseas. The loss of my identity and community in the U.S. and the result of being thrown into new and difficult surroundings was difficult, but it greatly helped me to see that and make lasting changes that will affect the rest of my life in a positive way.
3. Lean into the challenge
-The first two points seem unpleasant, and they were definitely things that were difficult at times. However, as I mentioned briefly at the end of my second point, these difficulties stretched me in some profound ways and helped shape me into a happier, healthier, more confident person today. Yes, there will be challenges. Sometimes things will be so hard that you won’t want to go outside that day, or you’ll be tempted to hop on the first flight home. That’s how it is when your whole life is suddenly turned upside down and you are in a new place with a foreign language and few social contacts. But through that you will come to experience joys you otherwise wouldn’t have. You will get to learn a new language, become familiar with a different culture, discover new natural landscapes, meet new people, come to understand and know God more fully, and most importantly you will be transformed by these experiences in ways that will set the tone for who you are to become for the rest of your life. It’s an experience not to be missed. And I am very thankful for it.
Blessings,
Robby