I think the real question is what did I not learn at the Center for Intercultural Training, it was absolutely amazing and challenging in every way. From spiritual formation and disciplines, to cross-cultural ministry equipping, and second-language acquisition. It was indeed being sprayed with the force of a fire hydrant while running into the fire, not as much trying to drink from it. I left with my cup completely overflowed with new knowledge and beautiful, flourishing friendships between people all doing the same crazy things as me! I am extremely inspired by how the Lord had worked so differently in everyone's lives and how He has led us all over the world, not a single continent untouched by His hand. My new life has quickly taught me that I will have to say a lot of hard goodbyes to people I feel very close to after a short amount of time, but with every goodbye comes a new hello!
I was so blessed to be able to start off my new year in a small rural town in North Carolina. The mountainous views, small towns, a fun weekend with over a foot of snow, and slow table talk dinners where no one hurried to get up and wash dishes; each moment extremely healing for my soul. CIT was something I knew I had to attend and was excited to go and learn, but not something I knew I needed in many surprising ways! I learned more about myself than I ever wanted to know, and missed friends and family more than I thought I would. I needed time and a place where I felt comfortable enough to rest, yet be vulnerable and honest about how I was feeling with people who had paved the way before me. These people understood me on a different level, and that is not a burn on anyone who has not been overseas, I do not claim to understand nor empathize with certain life situations I have not yet experienced. I could cry about being scared then yell about how crazy all of this felt. For the first time in my life I was on a worship team, which I had no business being on, but the Lord was teaching me about what it looked like to be a flexible servant and open handed to what He had for me.
Spiritual formation was a pretty foreign concept to me going in, I had learned a lot about spiritual disciplines, growing in holiness, and experienced the joy and fruit that comes from discipleship! While all of those things lead to spiritual formation they are not it in and of itself. I would describe spiritual formation as sanctification through the Holy Spirit and a deepening of faith through lifestyle practices. I was able to recognize some of the deep desires of my heart during this time, something very hard to wrestle and pinpoint for me. Some of those things were for the people I love most to know Christ deeply and follow Him with their whole lives, and for myself to grow in a deeper knowledge of the Lord. One thing that deeply impacted me was that confession and repentance are different, that the Lord calls for us to repent of specific sins and reveal all of it into His light. Confession is humbling, repentance is death.
During the first week we learned about the neutral zone, a time of transition between endings and beginnings where you do not feel like you fit in or have a place. All 3 stages overlap harshly and it is a time where emotions are heightened. It is important to recognize these emotions for what they are and not truth. I have felt this way for a while but did not have a name for it, I am very grateful to the Lord for new vocabulary to describe this season. I learned about the joys and sorrows of working alongside a team on the field, no team is perfect and people are messy, priorities will be different among individuals. Everything must start and end with communication! When people do not meet our standards we punish them. One thing that really surprised me was how much we studied culture and the amount of vocabulary that goes along with culture. For example, ethnocentrism is viewing one's culture as superior, while cultural relativism is viewing all cultures equal. Colonialism is forcing your culture onto others, and contextualization is conforming to your host culture enough so that you are able to share the gospel. People have different beliefs behind similar behaviors. For example, if two people wear a mask in public it may look the same on the outside, but one could be doing it to protect themselves and the other could be doing it to protect others.
Languaculture is the concept that language and culture are not separated, I experienced this by living with 5 girls from the north for the last few weeks. They do not call them buggies, they love my accent, and they have never heard the burner on a stove top called the eye. Language learning is a crucial part of my ministry, I will build relationships and learn a lot about culture during the first 6 months. I must actively prepare to remind myself of truth and remember who the real enemy is. I leave you with a few valuable lessons that have changed my life in the last two months…
Overall, people are going to see my heart, I am going so that I can show God’s glory through a love encounter which can open the door for a truth encounter.
If I can change my words, I can change the world.
What God wants to do in me is just as important as what He wants to do through me.
He does not call you to anything YOU can do, only what He can do through you.
The Lord does far more than accept me, that is too lukewarm for the cost He paid for each of us, He bought us with His blood. The cross IS sufficient for me.
True learning takes place in doing.
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” -Luke 22:31-32
In Christ,
Ruth :’)