Agricultural/Environmental Techincal Advisor in Southeast Asia
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Richard's Blog - My Updates from Southeast Asia
A Goer Learning the Local Language
In December I wrote a list of my top takeaways from our first year in the field, and the first two had to do with learning the language. So, I thought it might be appropriate to spend a bit more time on the subject here. Before beginning the process of moving overseas, I had never put in any effort to learn a second language. I took a few semesters of Spanish in High School, sure… but I never took that seriously. I signed up for those classes because my friends did, and I had heard it was an easy A. It wasn’t until I met my wife (she is an ESL teacher and a lifelong student of culture)... Read more
Rejuvenating Guidance
I recently read an article by Jon Bloom related to Psalm 3:5-8. [Pro 3:5-8 NASB] "5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones." He noted that these two statements (5-6 and 7-8) and their associated promises are coupled together, even though many people only have the first memorized. Bloom also points out that the requirements for the first... Read more
On Entitlement
One thing that professors kept telling us at university was that our generation was plagued by entitlement issues. At the time I felt that I could see what they meant, and I disliked that truth. And yet, it wasn’t until a trip back stateside this December that I began to see the depth of this issue, including in my own life, and had some personal insights into its root. The most significant moment of reverse culture shock I felt during our three weeks in the US was a trip to a SuperTarget store. For the last year on the field I’ve gotten used to needing to schedule at least a couple of... Read more
12 Takeaways from Year 1
As the year comes to a close and a new one begins, I wanted to share twelve key takeaways from my first year living on the field. As with other lists I’ve posted, some points will be more serious, some will be less so; all of them are real reflections of thoughts I’ve had over the last year. Learning any new language is a hard and exhausting process, even the ones they tell you are easy to learn Learning someone’s language is a powerful way to show them that you care, and is 100% worth the effort There is no escaping the bugs in the tropics Righteousness and Justice are incredibly... Read more