Rosilind Jukic's Blog, page 88

Answering the Call

I had been challenged to missions, ready to Answer the Call, yet no desire to learn a new language! Below I am sharing my story, and as you read it, may you not be in awe of me, but only of God, Who is using my life for His glory!

“Why in the world would I ever want to learn a foreign language?” - this was my thought that I held on too and put into practice in high school, but found out later why learning a foreign language is CRUCIAL to missions, if you are going to a non-English speaking country!

Ok, before I get started, here is where I have to laugh! As I look back over my life, I can't believe that I had been challenged in 1st grade to be a part of tribal missions, which means going to a non-English speaking country, working with tribal people, and after learning their language, I would share with them the true Gospel message!

My favorite verses are Romans 10:14-15:
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Amazingly, when I entered high school, I continued down my ideals, and it seemed so logical not to study a foreign language, like Spanish, French, or Italian, because I reasoned that it would make high school so much easier! Now, surely I didn't think that I could do everything in English overseas, or did I? Whatever the case, I went through high school not studying any foreign language, because I knew English, and that was all that I need to live life...or so I thought...

Until 2 years later, I stepped foot in Language institute, where I began studying phonetics, phonemic, where to put my tongue to make those strange noises like the glottal, nasal vowels, and trilled “r”s. I honestly thought at times, when in a class setting that I understood it all as I put accents and tonal lines on worksheets. Interesting enough, I found out that I thought completely opposite! My whole paper was pretty much wrong. Every.Single.Time. So, between phonetics and figuring out languages, I very quickly knew that learning a language was going to be LOTS of work on my part. Thankfully, we were headed to Paraguay, where Spanish was definitely among one of the “easier” languages, or so I was told...

...until I landed on Paraguayan soil and found out to an only American speaker, the Spanish language ran together. Oh, and there were irregular verbs that didn't follow any particular rule and 14 verb tenses for every.stinking.verb! Really?! So, that was my “Welcome to Paraguay”, and even after I did begin learning Spanish, I still couldn't understand what everyone said, because Paraguay doesn't only have 1 National language, but 2 – Spanish and Guarani. So you will find people that speak only Spanish, some that speak only Guarani, some that speak both, and some that speak neither one, but only a tribal language.

During these 2 years of formal Spanish language study with 2 children under 3 and pregnant with number 3, I pressed on, amidst the hardship and struggles, learning so that I could build relationships, be used by God in a new language and culture, with the desire to see others know Him through me. Even when finished with formal language study, I continued to learn, and I personally have to say that 2 major factors in my fluency were my Paraguayan family, who taught me so much and had lots of patience with me and also, Good Morning Girls, an online Bible study that I stumbled upon last year as I read Women LivingWell blog. I never knew what God had planned, but I knew that studying online the Bible in Spanish would be just what I needed to extend my vocabulary. Now, over a year later, I never imagined co-leading Good Morning Girls Spanish! But GOD…He had a plan and it has forced me to dig, grow, and learn more. To go beyond “normal” and say “YES”, even when it is scary or seems impossible to me!
So, do you think this woman, chosen by God, challenged to missions, yet no desire to learn a new language has changed? Yes, I have and would have hoped, I learned the first time around, but just this past week, my husband told me during a conversation that I am still there, with no desire to learn a new language! Really?! He told me that I have resisted learning Guarani and “making by” with Spanish. Ouch! I said, “But you advised me to not learn Guarani until I had a good handle on Spanish.” He said, “You didn't have to take my advice. (True...) And now, you have studied Spanish since June 2004, I'm sure that you can learn Guarani! That's all it takes is a thermos of cold water, Paraguayan tea in an upside cowhorn with a filtered straw, and a friend who speaks Guarani.” So, then my response was “Time! That is what I need.” But then, I realized...another EXCUSE! UGHH!!

“God, forgive my excuses! Use me! Help me do "whatever it takes" to learn Guarani! I know that learning this language will help me build deeper relationships with my Paraguayan family, who do speak Spanish, but their heart language is Guarani, and not only that, but also, I will be able to minister alongside my husband in tribal locations that speak Guarani.”

My prayer today is: “Lord, don’t only give me a desire to learn Guarani, but also give me friends and people who will “flood” me with it! I’m saying yes to You, with my palms up ready to obey, even when I really don't have a clue how. God, You know that I am a wife, mommy and homeschool teacher to our 3 children, in ministry, and now, an online college student. Give me wisdom with my time, and may I, with Your help, do whatever it takes to learn this new language!"

Chosen by God,
with a heartbeat for missions, and continuing to learn,

Trisha Goddard
www.unamujerelegida.mtgoddard.com

Trisha Goddard loves God wholeheartedly, and has a passion for missions, serving others, and mentoring. She serves in full-time ministry in Paraguay, co-leads Good Morning Girls Spanish, and is working towards her Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership. Trisha married her sweetheart, Mike, in 2001, and they have three children: Michael, Lea, and Kaleb, whom she has the privilege to homeschool. 



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And now for the party!!!
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  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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5 Phases of Cultural Integration

Nothing on earth could have prepared me for my first few years as a missionary.  No amount of information could have been sufficient so as to cushion me from blow after blow of emotional upheaval and the mistakes that resulted from over-taxed emotions.

That is not to say that education and information are unimportant in the process of preparing for missions.  Quite the contrary.  I recommend at least some level of training beforehand.

Yet, whether one has a diploma from an unaccredited school or a Ph.D, there are some things that one simply must experience.

1. The Honeymoon

When I first arrived in Croatia everything was wonderful. The language was so beautiful. The parks were so romantic. The architecture was amazing. The cobbled stone streets were quaint. The cars were so cute and European. The people were so warm and friendly. The stores were so 1930's - small boutiques with shelves of merchandise behind the counter. It was all so inspiring!


2. The Let Down

But after a season, it was like someone knocked those rose-colored glasses off my face and broke my nose in the process.  Suddenly, I noticed all of the graffiti, the garbage on the streets. The language was annoying to my ears that couldn't understand 1 in 50 words (it was more like a machine gun blasting a continuous hole in my pounding head). The cars were too fast going down too-narrow streets. The architecture was cracking and the cobbled stones were like braving the Oregon Trail as you drove over them (never mind trying to walk on them in heels). The stores were old and dusty. The people no longer found me interesting and went on with their lives. But I couldn't go on with mine because my life was brand new. There was nothing to go-on to, except to more exhausting "new-ness". 



3. The Exhaustion

When people ask me, "So, what is the difference between Croatia and America" I sort of chuckle. I don't mean to be rude.  I am not making fun of them.  In reality, I just don't know where to start. In fact, it would be far easier to talk about what is the same about America and Croatia.

They are both countries. They are both independent. They each have a flag.  The end.


And all of that "difference" is so exhausting.  No really, it is!  When you take into account that while everyone else is walking around capturing bits and pieces of conversations at they go, their brains are not taxed trying unscramble what their ears are hearing. But your brain is working 24/7 continually unsuccessful in trying to unscramble a foreign language. The only reprieve it has is while you are sleeping.

While others merely throw their clothes into a machine and punch a button, you look at this odd piece of white metal with buttons and knobs in....German. No, wait Hungarian....ummm....maybe Russian or Italian?  Well, it's all Greek to me!  You punch a button and hope your clothes don't all come out pink, or small enough to fit your niece's doll.

While others hop a bus with full assurance they will arrive at their intended destination, you gaze intently (read: frantically) at a map, turning it sideways and upside down....before you wildly toss it aside and hop on the next bus that comes your way - hoping with all hope you don't end up in Siberia or something.


4. The Resignation

At some point what is foreign becomes familiar.  No, I didn't say it becomes like home. Not yet. But it's familiar.  You are acquainted with it.  That is to say, when you put your laundry in the wash machine, you know one or two programs - and so you use them. They are familiar.

You recognize the Golden Arches on the ketchup bottle in the store - they are familiar so you buy the "McDonald's Ketchup". You know a particular street car drives down the street your church sits on, so because it's familiar you don't take a chance on another one - because it may arrive at that street by way of Siberia. You don't want to take a chance.

You begin to slowly resign yourself to the newness and find a certain level of  comfortability with it.  You're not friends, you're acquaintances...your relationship has possibilities.

Some get stuck here. 

5. Honey, I'm Home!

This is the stage that is most crucial and can seem most illusive.

I believe that to a great degree I am here.  I can definitely say that I understand most programs on my washer, and I've probably ridden every street car in Zagreb and have never ended up in Siberia.  I do branch out and try new products from the grocery store and take a chance on cheap shoes and clothes on sale.

This is saying a lot! Especially cheap shoes and clothes on sale.  I somehow got the idea in my head that low prices equal less than inferior quality.  But I have discovered that much like America - you don't always get what you pay for. Sometimes paying more simply means you're a sucker!

Are there times when I still feel like an outsider? Oh, definitely!  I think I could live here another decade and still say that.

Are there times when I trip over something that seems so foreign to me that I am suddenly thrust back into phase 2 or 3?   Oh yea! Without a doubt!!

I think that in phase 5 you still have moments when you roam around phases 2-4. But, the difference is that you don't stay there. You are equipped to handle that moment and travel back to phase 5 and say, "That's Croatia!" Because you know full well that things are not much different on the home front.


Phase 5 isn't about being so "at home" in your new culture that you literally feel like you're at home. I think that is a little too ambitious.  Perhaps the one who has spent a continual 30-40 years in the new culture that they no longer relate to their home culture may feel that way. But this isn't the case for most present long-term and lifetime missionaries (because they would all be close to retirement by now!).

I believe the benefit of phase 5 is the ability to be objective.  You no longer hold your own culture up as a utopia against the "dire 3rd world conditions" of your new culture (unless you truly are living in dire 3rd world conditions - then perhaps this article isn't for you!). And so you are able to accept the differences and not just "live with them" but adopt them and make them fit your life and needs.

And when you've been able to do that - you've adjusted!  

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  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Preparing for a Missions Trip - Free Download!

Click graphic above to download your free copy!
Packing to go on a mission can be so intimidating! You have to consider climate, whether or not you can use the same electronic devices, baggage limits, and be able to see into the future to know whether or not you will actually miss that particular figurine, pair of shoes, or book!  Then there is the other preparation: language, visa paperwork...

...it can all seem so daunting!

But it doesn't have to be soooo bad!

Based on my own experience, I wrote a post on Monday called 10 {Practical} Ways to Prepare for a Misison Trip, which I have compiled into a free downloadable booklet.

By clicking on the graphic up there, you can download your free copy.  Refer a friend to this post, too, so they can use this valuable information in their own preparation for a mission trip!

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Don't forget to link up!!  You can link up as many posts as you'd like on any family-friendly topic from Wednesday - Tuesday of the following week!!  Click here to visit this week's link up party!



  

  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




 
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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Women Living Well Giveaway Winner.....

AND THE WINNER OF WOMEN LIVING WELL IS.........

LINDA BREWER!!!

I have sent you an email so we can arrange to have the book sent to you!

For those who didn't win the book, you can still purchase this book at a very reasonable price!



Kindle

Paperback Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Celebrating as a Multi-Cultural Family - A Little R & R Wednesdays, A Linky Party #23

Two weeks ago my father stopped by and shared with us about how he and my sister brought medical supplies to Croatia.  In 1999 my sister followed the Lord's call and moved here to Croatia where she met her husband. They now have four children! I am so blessed and honored to have to share with us today about how they celebrate as a multi-cultural family!  Enjoy!!


We are a family that loves to celebrate!
Being a mid-sized family makes throwing parties a lot of fun. Our home is a cacophony of kids practicing instruments, singing, dancing, laughter, and the ever-present “Mo----om!!!”
As a multi-cultural family, we have a lot of opportunities to celebrate.  And one decision we made from the start was to introduce our children to both cultures.
Holidays are an excellent way for us as parents to reiterate to our church the great things God has done for us.  Traditions are very important to children. Not only do they thrive on tradition, they also find security in those things we do over and over again.

I want to stress that traditions are not “dead religion”. Dead religion is something we do because it’s the way it’s been done for years…and no one knows why. Tradition is something we do over and over (something we will hand down to our children) , based on what we believe; something we do not want to be forgotten by the next generation.

The difference is that one is a habitual act that has lost its purpose while the other is held on to with meaning to honor a historical event.
There are many things we can do to give holidays greater meaning for our children and families.

These are three holidays that our family celebrates and how we use them to build character and reinforce our faith.
Thanksgiving
This is a perfect time to reinforce in our children the character quality of gratefulness. 
Thankful Tree
The first week of November we find a large branch (or draw cut one out of poster board). Out of fall-colored collage paper, I cut out a bunch of leaves and every day we write down one thing we are thankful for and hang it from the tree 
Doxology 2 weeks before Thanksgiving we sing the Doxology everyday and on Thanksgiving day, in place of grace we sing Doxology.

The Thanksgiving Story
The day before Thanksgiving Day we read “The Thanksgiving Story”

Decorations
Each year we find a Thanksgiving project to do: either Thanksgiving greeting cards or decorations for the home or table.


 This is America Charlie Brown!
On Thanksgiving Day, while I’m cooking the HUGE meal, the children watch this amazingly accurate story of Thanksgiving.


Christmas
Decorate the homeI love the American tradition of decorating the home the day after Thanksgiving. The kids love to help out with this, so we turn on some Christmas music, drag out the boxes of decorations and decorate the house.


What God Wants For Christmas Nativity You can purchase this nativity kit, or you can do as I did – take the idea and personalize it for your family.  I purchased an inexpensive plastic Nativity set.  I put the animals and Baby Jesus in the stable and the other figures I put in small gift bags.  


On the gift tags I write numbers 1-6 and the verses that we read from the Bible. After the verse is read, we put the figurine in the stable and then talk about the verses we read.  The final bag is opened on Christmas day, and we talk about what God wants for Christmas.  In the bag is a small mirror – Jesus wants YOU for Christmas!



Gifts for Sunday School teachers I like to help my children make hand-crafted gifts for their Sunday School teachers. They also make them for their coaches and music teachers. Their teachers do so much in lesson planning and activities for the children.  I believe it is very important to teach our children to be grateful for those who have invested in their lives. 

Gingerbread House
The gingerbread house doesn’t have any kind of spiritual meaning, but I started doing this when my oldest son was 4 years old, and our children have never forgotten about it. In fact, they look forward to it all year long. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it!


Easter
Easter Banner - Noel Piper- HeartFelt Truth Easter Banner

The banner in this link is a little different from the one I do.

I usually choose a song for us to learn (something having to do with death and life) and then we read from the Bible and pray.  We also choose some verses to memorize.
I usually start doing the banner 12 days before Easter (on a Tuesday) . My banner is made of cardstock, rather than felt. On one side there is a big green hill and every day we attach a circle with an appropriate picture, and with the circles we make a “path to Golgotha”. On the night before Easter, after they have gone to bed, I turn the banner around to display what is written on the other side: “He Is Risen!”


Easter Story Cookies
Not only are these cookies fun to make (because what kid doesn’t like to help out in the kitchen???) they have a profound affect on your children as they bite into them the next morning!

The Bible instructs us to use every opportunity to remind our children of the great things God has done for His people. I think He also knew that celebration, singing, food and a atmosphere of joy and anticipation helps us to embed those memories even better!
I hope these ideas will give you a starting point to think up some fun holiday traditions for your own family, and remind you of the importance of celebration and commemorating the great things our God has done for us!
 
Bonnie Dučić is a pastor's wife in Zagreb, Croatia. She homeschools her 4 children, Filip, Luka, Divna and Vjera and leads the worship band in her church. Among other things she enjoys writing music, reading and sewing. 






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And now for the party!!!

Link up as many posts on any subject you desire - even giveaways!

Link up those posts that you wish would have gotten more attention Come on - you know what I'm talking  about.  I'll be linking up a few of my own, too.  

Link back to A Little R & R with the button or a link

Visit the post just before yours

Invite your friends to join the party

The party runs until next Tuesday evening!

So link up and have fun!

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  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!




Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Courtney Joseph's book Women Living Well!  (click the image below to find the giveaway post!)


 
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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays


Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Missional Women - A Big Announcement

 There are times when a seemingly small choice you make leads you down a path you never dreamed.

Several months ago I decided to take this entire fall season to blog about missions.  Obviously, it is a topic that sits very close to my heart - it is my passion.  It was a no brainer to blog about missions.

What I didn't know at that time was that this decision would set the course for a whole new direction for my writing.

Not only has preparing and researching for this series introduced me to some amazing Kingdom heroes around the world, it has opened doors I never dreamed possible!

One of those doors is through Missional Women.

Last week I had the honor to be asked to join their team of contributors!!!

To say that I am excited about this amazing opportunity is to really, really, really understate how I feel.

I am so honored to join a team of women who burn with the same passion to encourage the body of Christ around the world to spread the gospel of Jesus to as many as possible.


I am certain you have visited Missional Women before, but if you haven't, just click on the link above (or the picture), and browse around.  You wont be sorry. I promise!

While you are there, be sure to sign up to receive their new book Missional Life.


Or you can enter the giveaway for a free paperback copy (just one more day left - so hurry!!!)



And be sure to catch up on their 31 Days of Missional Living series for the month of October


 

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Courtney Joseph's book Women Living Well!  (click the image below to find the giveaway post!)


 
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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Hearts For Home, Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

10 {Practical} Ways to Prepare for a Mission Trip

Disclaimer - this post contains affiliate links View all of the posts in the Answer the Call series!
So, you are going to the mission field!!

Perhaps you are going on a short-term trip, maybe going long term.  Or, maybe you are planning to go for the rest of your life.

I'll bet you have millions of questions.

What should I pack? How do I prepare? Should I start learning the language now?

Questions, questions, questions.

I asked all of these and more as I prepared for my journey to Croatia many moons ago. And now that I am nearly a decade down the road, I'd like to take a moment (or a month) and answer some of these questions.


10 {Practical} Ways to Prepare for a Mission Trip
1. Pack Wisely 
This is particularly true for those planning to become long-term or lifetime missionaries. After parting with so many things that carry so much meaning, you begin to latch on to odd things. For me it was a gargantuan binder of sheet music and my pair of smart heels.  I had to have them. I was convinced that if I left them behind I would regret it for decades to come. The truth was that I carted around that stupid binder of sheet music for 8 years before I was finally able to admit to myself that I either no longer remembered or didn't like 80% of the songs in it. And the heels? Well, let's just say heels and cobbled stone streets are not a comfortable combination.  I did a lot of walking my first 5 years in Croatia.  So, the heels were cute, but impractical. And by the time I had opportunity to wear them, they were out of fashion.

On the flip side, I arrived in late summer - which meant fall and winter were just around the corner.  I did not pack a winter coat or winter boots.  Somehow these two very necessary items managed to escape my attention and I was forced to shell out a lot of money to purchase items that could have been purchased far cheaper in the States.

Before you begin parting with precious belongings (that is to say, before you reach the "attachment" stage of sorting your belongings), do some research on the country you plan to serve in. Write out a list of items you will need within the next 6 months to a year. As days and weeks go by, you will add to and subtract from that list.

One month before your departure, sit down with your list and begin weeding it out until you have a sensible list of packable items to take with you.

One week before you depart, practice packing and weighing your bags.  As you do, you may find that you need to do a little more weeding.

If you have to leave some things behind that hold extra special meaning for you, consider mailing them to yourself or leaving them with a friend or relative.  You may find that over time your attachment to these items dwindles. 

2. Pack a Memory
In your quest for sensible packing, do not forget to pack a memory.  Do you have a nick-knack that holds a special memory or perhaps a small wall-hanging or a tea cup? Pack it!   Even if it shouts "I'm a foreigner" in neon lights.

Take a few small items that hold special significance to you and your family and give them a place of honor in your new home.

3. Learn Common Phrases
Arm yourself with a few phrases that may help you in the airport, at the coffee shop, in locating a restroom, and so on. There are programs you can purchase for a reasonable price, and there are a lot of sites online that aid in learning common phrases.  However, I would caution you against trying to learn the language on your own.

In preparing for my mission trip to Croatia, I purchased some language books and began tackling the language. Not only was this overly ambitious, I managed to learn a lot of words, phrases and accents erroneously.  It was much harder to un-learn what I'd already learned. Just stick with the basics, and begin tackling the rest with a professional tutor or language school.

4. Arrange for a Translator
Upon arrival, you will have a certain number of hours to register your residence at the local police station.  While the immigration department should have English speaking personnel on hand to communicate with foreigners, my experience is that this is not always the case.

You will save yourself a lot of money in Advil by contacting someone ahead of time to arrange for a translator to go with you in arranging all of your official matters.

5. Research Necessary Documents 
Depending on the country you visit, you may not need to arrange a visa ahead of time.  Some countries allow for a tourist visa that allows you a 3-month stay upon entry to the country; after which you either receive residency if you have submitted proper paperwork, or you must leave the country for a certain length of time.

Do not just rely on a website to tell you what documents you will need for temporary or permanent residency. Before you leave the country, call a local embassy or have a person in the country you are traveling to find out from the local police station about the necessary documents you will need in order to obtain residency. It is far easier to obtain the necessary documents while you are on the home-front rather than doing extra leg work, and incurring extra costs, to have them sent to you after you have already left the country.

6. Bring Holiday Cheer
There is nothing like your own national holidays to make you feel sentimental and a little sad. Pack a few Christmas ornaments, your special Thanksgiving salt and pepper shakers, a national flag - whatever will help to make those holidays a little extra special during your first few years on the field. 

Do not be afraid to celebrate them - even if they aren't celebrated in the country you are serving in.  Invite a few local friends to celebrate with you and give them a taste of your culture.  They will enjoy getting to know a little more about you and the country you come from!

This is especially true if you have children.  They need to know that there are some things that always remain the same no matter where you are!

7. Try New Things
After a month or so on the field, the honeymoon period wears off and a level of intimidation starts to creep in. You may be tempted to cling to anything and everything familiar.  While this is not bad (this is a normal response to culture shock), do not embrace this feeling too much. Resist the temptation to avoid learning something new - and possibly failing in the process.  Fight to remain open-minded and remember that integrating into a new culture always comes with challenges, failures, and faux pas. But it will also reap abundant rewards down the road!

8. Prepare Emotionally
Now, this one is slightly tricky because while you need to be realistic and realize that the journey you are embarking on, exciting as it may seem, brings with it a level of shock you may never have ever experienced before; nothing - and I do mean nothing - can adequately prepare you for that.

Later on this month we will examine some of the emotions you will face during your first term on the field.

I would like to recommend a book that I have read multiple times.  I read this book through twice before I left and have read it countless times since moving here. It has helped me to realize that the extreme emotional struggles I have faced while living in and adjusting to a new culture are normal and to be expected. The book is called Culture Shock by Myron Loss. In my opinion, no one planning to embark on a mission should be without this book. Read it before hand, to prepare yourself and then pull it out each month during your first year on the field to remind yourself that you are normal!

9. Cultivate Friendships
I can hear the collective "duh!" right now.

I mention this because of a big mistake I made after coming here. I will delve into this more later this month, but I would like to simply point out that there is, for some, a tendency to one extreme or the other.  The one extreme is to find comfort and familiarity in other missionaries while neglecting to build quality relationships with the people you are called to serve. The other extreme is to fear the first extreme, thereby failing to cultivate friendships with your colleagues.  Neither extreme is helpful or healthy.

Remind yourself to find a balance.  You must cultivate friendships with the local people. You are called to serve them and you cannot serve them adequately if you do not really know and understand them. However, you need to fellowship with "home folk". You simply cannot give incessantly.  Building friendships with your colleagues will help to keep you growing and maturing in your relationship with the Lord and your ministry.  

10. Learn to Laugh at Yourself 
I cannot emphasize this enough.  You must not ever take yourself too seriously.

Moving to a new country and culture is nearly like being born again in a physical and emotional sense, not a spiritual sense. You will say dumb things, do dumb things.  You will pay waaaaaaay too much for something and leave a clerk snickering behind your back.  You will find everything frustrating and complicated and lose your cool.

There will come a time when you will look at yourself and wonder "Am I even really saved???"  Because the pressure of a foreign....well.... everything will grow to be too much and you will see stuff come out of your heart and hear stuff come out of your mouth that you never dreamed were even there!

I know, you're saying, "Ha! Not me, Roz.  I'm sanctified and holy. Only good stuff goes in so only good stuff will come out." Yeah, I thought that too.  But later on this month you will learn what I really looked like that first year on the field.

But the good news is, it's normal! And if you learn not to take yourself - and others also, by the way - too seriously, you will survive with only minor scars.  And a much smaller bill from your favorite shrink.

I'm just kidding about the shrink!

In the weeks to come, we will examine many of these elements more closely.  My hope is to help prepare you, as much as possible, for your mission.
On Friday - you will find this list as a free printable!!  Be sure to pass the word on to your friends or family members who are planning a mission trip!


  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!



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3 Things You Should Know About Learning a Second Language: Ask a Missionary - Reader Question

Reader Question: How do you get over the language barrier especially as a missionary in a country that does not speak your first language?

I want to start off by saying that this question addresses a very important issue in mission work.

While the use of the English language has rapidly spread all over the globe, and is widely used in nearly every country, the temptation is great for native English speakers (or even those who speak it as a 2nd language) to rely on that fact.
However, as a native English speaker who has learned to fluently communicate in another language, I have found that the effort I have made to overcome the language barrier has paid off in dividends.Learning to communicate in a person's native tongue takes you to levels of fellowship with them that you would not attain by relying on them to speak in a foreign language. Furthermore, in learning to speak a foreign language, you learn more than just a 2nd language - you learn a culture.  So many things are wrapped up in the words, grammar, intonation, and pronunciation! 

To answer your question, I will borrow from my own experience.  Learning to speak Croatian was no picnic - let me tell you! The language is hard and the grammar very complicated. 


3 Things You Need to Know About Learning a Second Language
1. Get a good foundation in grammar
You simply cannot learn to speak a second language well if you do not have a good foundation in grammar.

Start first with your own language.  Do you have a good understanding of the grammar structure in your mother tongue? You will need this to compare and contrast sentence structure and grammar elements that are necessary to learning a foreign language.

Attend a language school or pay for private tutoring, but you will need some professional assistance at the start.  Do not just rely on books and conversation to help you speak. In order to learn a second language well, you need to learn it right!

2. Speak, speak, speak!
I cannot emphasize this enough. Once you begin building a good foundation for speaking, you need to speak! This may almost sound stupid to say, but it is far more intimidating than reading and writing. These tend to come easier than speaking because you have time to digest or examine what you are reading and writing. When speaking, you must have the ability to think, translate, and pronounce all in the same moment.  It is intimidating, especially when as you speak you either seen confusion or amusement on the faces of your listeners!
When I was just beginning to speak, I would board a bus or street car and look around for a little old lady sitting alone.  I would then sit next to her and ask her the time.  She would then hear my accent and struggle for the right words and say, "Oh honey! You are not from around here, are you?"  That would start a conversation rolling!

Another element to speaking is accent. I have found that while many people learn to speak a foreign language, they often do not go the extra mile to adopt the accent. To me, this is just as essential as learning the language. Do yourself - and everyone else -  an extra favor and go that extra mile. The process is not always fun. At first you may feel like you are insincere, being a copy-cat, and you will likely feel very weird.  I felt all of that.  It really intimidated me - a lot! But, it was what I felt I needed to do. While I still have a hint of an accent, it is actually not very strong. I am still working on it. My goal is to sound as much like a Croatian as possible. This helps you be more understandable, and it helps to reduce the barrier of you being so foreign.
3. Do not take yourself too seriously
If you do #2, you will find two humiliating things to be true:

1) a 5-year old child will have a stronger vocabulary than you. This is particularly humiliating to people who thrive on communication and who have a strong vocabulary in their mother tongue. Your limited vocabulary will limit the topic of conversation for you, and it will force you to communicate on very elementary levels. This is only a phase, and if you submit yourself to it, you will find that it will not last very long.  If you fight it by occasionally switching to your mother tongue in order to communicate better, that phase will last as long as you continue this lazy habit!
2) you will make very embarrassing mistakes.  I have said, "I peed a letter" and "I am hoooot" (in the sense that I am a hot woman, not that it was hot in the house). I have said I am boring rather than I am bored, and a myriad of other strange and embarrassing things! It comes with the territory.  You may even use foul language without realizing it.  Don't let that hold you back - it happens.  Get over it and move on. Learning to speak a foreign language is a baptism of embarrassing fire - but if you can learn to laugh at yourself, you will be miles ahead of everyone else!
It is my opinion that a missionary who intends to serve long-term or for a lifetime is obligated to learn the language of the country he is serving - and learn it well.  In my opinion, it is not enough to learn a few basics in order to "get by". If one is to take on this daunting task, he should go all the way. Learn it fluently, learn the accent, remove the barriers, sound like the ones you serving.  
By doing this, you will earn the respect of the people you serve, and amazing doors will open to you that will provide ample opportunity to share the gospel!

  

  Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!


Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Courtney Joseph's book Women Living Well!  (click the image below to find the giveaway post!)


 
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How Post-Abortion Guilt Led Me to Become An Uncommon Missionary + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #22

Words cannot describe how honored I am to have my dear friend share her story with us today. Jennifer and I have known each other for more years than we care to count (because then we'd have to admit that we're old!).  I have been following her ministry closely for the past few years now, and as I began planning this series I knew her story was one that needed to be shared. She is one of the finest Uncommon Missionaries that I know.  Please read her story and let it encourage you to seek the Lord for a creative mission field right where you are!

My name is Jennifer Perry and I have served as Assistant Director for Pregnancy Resource Centers of Greater Portland, OR for 3 years.  I have also served as the HEART (Healing Encouragement for Abortion RelatedTrauma) Assistant Director for 6 years. Prior to working for HEART, I volunteered with HEART for several years and I am still a volunteer for the HEART ministry.  
Here is a little something about me, I am married and have been for almost 12 years.  We have 2 children, a beautiful girl Anna who is 4 and has Down’s syndrome and our son Caleb is 15 months old.  Our children keep us very busy and on our toes!
My dear friend Roz asked me to share my testimony with you and about how to get involved with local ministries.  I feel very honored to write for her blog.
Here is a snapshot of my life when I was younger. 

I was eighteen years old and a senior in high school.  At this time in my life, I was enduring some very difficult circumstances that involved loneliness, s-xual abuse and the long term effects of my parents divorce.  More than anything, I wanted somebody to love me.  Well, I had met this guy through a friend of mine.  He was a few years older than me and on occasion I would skip school to go & spend time with him.  There would be times that he wanted me to have s-x with him and I always told him no.  Well, one day he said three words that were important to a vulnerable 18 year old girl and those words were “I love you”.  Hearing those words meant something to me and I thought that he really did love me.  Keep in mind that I thought s-x was love because of the abuse and so I had a very distorted picture of s-x.

On New Years Eve of 1992 I went to his apartment before we went to a party.  We were talking; however I knew that that he wanted to do more than talk.  I told him that I didn’t want to have s-x with him as I wanted to wait until I got married.  But he told me that he loved me, and hearing those words meant something to me. I was a vulnerable eighteen year old girl, and I gave into him.  I knew right away that I was pregnant; I can’t explain how I knew. I just did.
I called a local Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) office and made an appointment to get a free pregnancy test.  But when that day came, I didn’t have a ride and I was too scared, so I didn’t go to the appointment.  I never went to PRC and later regretted that decision.
Instead, a friend took me to a local Planned Parenthood office so that I could take a pregnancy test there.  I remember feeling very alone and frightened.  I did not feel that I had anyone to turn to for help.  I took the test and it came back positive.  The counselor didn’t tell me how far along I was.  She did not sit down and talk with me about all of my options.  The only thing I remember is her handing me a sheet of paper with the names of a few adoption agencies and approximately four abortion clinics.  I could not believe how I had arrived here.  My first thoughts were to have an abortion, even though I was a Christian & against abortion.  I really did feel that I had no other choice.
I made an appointment for the abortion at a local clinic in downtown Portland.  I remember waking up the morning that I was aborting my baby.  I was numb to everything.  My mother and grandmother took me.  They did not want me to have the abortion; however they wanted to be there for me.
When I arrived to the clinic and checked in, I was taken to a room where a nurse performed an ultrasound on me to determine how far along I was.  At first I could see the ultrasound screen (monitor), but then the nurse turned it away so I couldn’t see my baby.  So that I couldn’t see my baby’s heartbeat.  If I could have had a chance to see my baby, I believe I would have walked out of the clinic right then and chose to give life to my baby.



After the ultrasound I was given a pill and told come back in a few hours.  My grandmother, mother and I went to get something to eat.  I was not really hungry given the circumstances.  My mom and grandma told me that it was not too late if I didn’t want to go through with the abortion.  I told my mom and grandma that if I had decided to keep my baby, I would have given the baby to my cousin and her husband.  They did not know what to say after that.
 
A few hours had passed and we went back to the clinic and waited some more.  They finally called my name and right before the procedure I heard the doctors joking and laughing.  This was very routine to them. 
In February of 1996, just four years after my abortion experience, I heard about a program offered through PRC called HEART.  HEART stands for Healing Encouragement for Abortion Related Trauma.  It is a Bible study support group for women who have experienced one or more abortions in their life.  It is a small confidential group.  In this group I was able to forgive others and more importantly forgive myself.  It wasn’t easy, I had to do a lot of soul searching and learn about my feelings to deal with my abortion.

HEART has given me the tools to cope with anniversary dates, anger, sadness, sorrow, depression, guilt, shame and grief that can come after having an abortion.  This is the best thing I have done for myself.  I am so grateful and now I get to help lead these groups and see other woman’s lives change through the power of our loving Jesus Christ.  I know that God has a purpose for my life.  What Satan means to harm, God uses for His Glory.


I would like to share a few scriptures with you.  The first is Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release form darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Psalms 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
If you know of someone who is struggling with a past abortion, they can contact their local Pregnancy Resource Centers and ask if they have a Post Abortion Bible study support group.
Thank you for allowing me to share my testimony with you.  I hope that this has inspired you as well as informed you about the critical issue of abortion.  We serve a mighty and very loving God.  He has blessed me more than I can express.  Thank you and God bless you.
In closing I wanted to mention that there are so many different local ministries where you may volunteer.  Not only at your local Pregnancy Resource Centers, but at Rescue missions, your local churches and other local ministries in your area.  Pray about where the Lord wants you to serve.  I was so very blessed to be able to not only work at PRC, but to do peer counseling for women who were facing unplanned pregnancies.  I wish I could tell you that all of my clients chose life, however not all of them did.  Yet, I was able to share with them how abortion has affected my life and that we are there for them no matter what.  I did have some clients choose life after hearing about my testimony.  I was able to share with them my personal experience.  However, even if you haven’t had an abortion, it doesn’t mean you can’t serve in a local PRC if that is where the Lord is leading you.
If you would like to contact me, my email is: jenniferperry922@gmail.com 
To contact HEART: Website www.portlandheart.org, Confidential Voice Mail: 503-22-heart (224-3278)
To contact PRC: http://www.prcofportland.org/Pregnancy
Blessings to you,
Jennifer 


****


And now for the party!!!







Link up as many posts on any subject you desire (except giveaways)Link up those posts that you wish would have gotten more attention Come on - you know what I'm talking about.  I'll be linking up a few of my own, too.  Link back to A Little R & R with the button or a linkVisit the post just before yoursInvite your friends to join the partyThe party runs from Wednesday through SaturdaySo link up and have fun!(Click here to receive a weekly email reminder of this link-up party) 




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Women Living Well Signed Book Giveaway!

 
Every once in a while you come across a book that speaks to your exact situation at a most perfect time.

Courtney's book "Women Living Well" is such a book.

When I saw her post looking for women who would be willing to join her launch team, it was a no brainer for me. Her blog has ministered to my family and I so much, it was an honor for me to have an opportunity to give back.

I found the book very reminiscent of what I read on Courtney's blog, which I love and have followed for nearly 4 years now. Her easy-to-read style, that makes you feel like you're sitting with her over a cup of coffee, really comes across here.

The book is divided into four sections: Your Walk With the King, Your Marriage, Your Parenting and Your Homemaking.  Each section building on the next digs a little further into your heart and home, as she shares her own struggles and victories in making her home a haven for her husband and children.



This book is jam-packed with great ideas!  Borrowing from her own family, she gives tips on how to have devotions with small children, ideas for organizing your housecleaning, menu planning and training your children.

But more than that, she helps us see the tremendous importance in having a healthy and strong spiritual foundation in our own lives. She continually reminds us that we need to take time to sit at Jesus' feet, recharge spiritually, and having a living, thriving and deepening relationship with our creator if we are to be able to give to those He has placed in our lives: our husbands, our children and those outside of our homes whom we serve. 

She says, "Consider Jesus for a moment. He carried with Him the burdens of the entire world. He knew every hurt and pain each man, woman, and child faced. The needs He was aware of were beyond what we can understand, yet He did not help everyone. He did not hurry in a speed of flurry to complete as much as He could before sunset. He took time along the way to stop and talk to people."

Furthermore, her continual affirming of men was particularly refreshing. She flies in the face of today's typical reversed chauvinism when she states: "Women are not beneath men. Some women work in the workplace for men. They are paid to assist those for whom they work. Our culture has no trouble with this concept. But within the home, there appears to be a struggle. Women feel they are placing themselves beneath a man when they choose to help their husbands. I wonder: why is it noble to help men in the workplace, help orphans, help widows, help your pastor, help the neighbors, or help your parents, but degrading to help your husband - your groom, your lover, and your best friend."


I probably read that line 3 times just to let it sink in with all it's powerful truth.

As I moved into the section on parenting I found a renewed strength to step up the challenge with my own children.  She shares useful and practical tools in engaging your children in chores, in discipline, and training them to grow spiritually.  She rejects the notion of quick-fixes, and reminds us that it is a journey we are all on - a hard one that will not be over tomorrow. And I found that to be of great encouragement in our own parenting journey!



I strongly recommend this book to every woman, wife and mother and give it a 5-star rating, two thumbs up. Once I started the book I had a hard time putting it down and I am fully planning on reading it again...multiple times!





Women Living Well is available for purchase starting today! You can order it in paperback or on Kindle.

BUT....one very blessed lady among us will WIN a paperback, signed copy of the book!!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway




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Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .