Culture Shock

I have had many moments of culture shock in the past 10 months of living in PNG. But I thought, since this culture shock happened on Thanksgiving, I would share it with you.

Unlike any other Thanksgiving I have experience in the past, this one just did not “feel” like Thanksgiving. What do I mean you ask? Well, I live in a country that is constantly green and the temperature does not vary in great degrees. I also live on a center that is culturally diverse, and if we celebrated one countries holidays we would have to celebrate the holidays of every country. So I worked from 7:30- 4:30 on Thanksgiving.

My friend invited me to come to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. She had also invited another single gal from America and two Papua New Guinean ladies. When we sat down to eat the two Papua New Guinean ladies began to ask us why we celebrate Thanksgiving. As the three of us began our little history lesson we started sharing some other typical “fall” activities. We said things like: hot apple cider (though in my mind I was thinking of a pumpkin spice latte), pumpkin carving, “bilas” (decorating) our houses with fall leaves and gourds, corn mazes, pies, leaf piles, and apple picking. All these things I have been missing, must have seemed so strange to these ladies.

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do? When I was living in the village I remember trying to explain Spelunking. They would ask me questions like, “Did you go into the cave to hunt bats?” or “Were you not afraid that the floods would come?” I began to realize that MANY things we do in America are forms of entertainment but for people here who have to work so hard to feed their family and keep things running they enjoy talking and telling stories around the camp fire. All the extra money will go to their children’s education or when they go to market. Have you ever thought about the traditions we have and why we have them?

I love Thanksgiving! The thing I love the most is when we can stop and thank the Lord for what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do. I have learned that the other traditions, the things that are fun and make up a “tradition”, can go away, as long as I can thank my God. Thanksgiving is not about the food, the pies, the football, or the beautiful leaves (though I miss those things)…it is about our attitude of gratitude.

No matter our culture we can be grateful for what we have and even thank God for the struggled he has put us through hoping that He will mature us through them and draw us nearer to him.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends

Christmas in November!

If you ever want to make me smile or anyone who lives here in Ukarumpa send them a package. It is literally like Christmas!!! I don’t know how many times I have gone to the post office with my strange little key and opened it to find spider webs…okay not spider webs, but nothing. But when I open it and see a beautiful worn yellow slip of construction paper with the words: OVERSIZE PACKAGE on it, all the problems of the day seem to fade away.

In the last two weeks I have been blessed with three…yes THREE packages from friends in the states. They could not have come at a better time in my life!
Each of us have moments of stress and overload, of emotional exhaustion and business, apparently this was my time. My first package was from my friends Brian and Niki and my Lifegroup at Southbrook Church. I was not sure exactly what it was since I gone a different note in my box but then I saw it. The lady at the post office had to open the second window! I thought I could pick it up on my way to the store with my friend but when I saw how big it was my friend and I both started to laugh. “This should be interesting!” I thought as I grabbed the box from the lady. My friend and I walked to her house with this box and as I continued to switch my grip (though I was NOT complaining!) she laughed and snapped pictures of this strange expat carrying a box bigger than her arms could reach!

Thank you for sending me this package, it was such an encouragement and so unexpected! My friend (also a teacher) and I caressed the crayons, NEW white board markers, sticky tack, lotion (shared all around might I add), and the oh-so-delicious hazelnut iced latte singles (which I am enjoying at the moment :). You are a blessing to me!

Last week I went to my box expecting some medicine and I found yet another yellow ticket! I won’t say it to loud, even though I feel like screaming for joy, since others wish they had one too. I think I knew about one of them but the other one was a welcome surprise. The two packages were from my friends Andrea and Lynn! Thanks guys.

I have put all of your gifts up on my dresser drawers so I can look at them for a while (very little entertainment here folks) and continue to remind me of God’s faithfulness. I know this might seem like a simple thing, a package in the mail, but I see it as a constant reminder of God’s love for me, your friendship, and his constant provision. Many things that came in these boxes are things I have been needing either for my class or for my house. Construction paper, good band aids, post-it-notes that actually stick, stickers, notebooks and thank you notes, and so much more! As well as the full little goodies: ornaments, lotions, movies, tea and coffee, and even tissues that look like $100 bills! haha!

Thank you again for making my days so much better. I pray that God will bless you in abundance as you have blessed me!

Fellowship with Friends

My friend Amy and I decided a few months ago that we wanted to start a Bible study group.

There are a few Bible Studies we could have joined but decided they were pretty big and we really wanted to get to know a few ladies. With a bigger bible study group you can't be as personal and open as you would with just a few ladies.

After picking a Beth Moore study, The Patriarchs, we started asking around to see who would like to join us. Four ladies committed and we began to meet once a week. I was so blessed by this study and through the fellowship and prayers of these ladies. The time of the Bible study could not have come at a better time. With beginning to teach here and not really knowing many people, God blessed me with wonderful godly ladies who were willing to be open and honest and also have a little fun!

At the end of our study we decided to have a celebration. We discussed inviting their families and children but then settled on: Tea, homemade cheesecake, and pedicures! OH YEAH! It was fun to relax with my new friends and spend the evening laughing and enjoying each others company.

Times are Changing

A little while ago my roommate and I realized our phone was not ringing. It took us most of the day to notice since we were enjoying the silence. We put a message on the center information board that our phone was not working so if anyone wanted to get in touch with us they needed to send an email.

That afternoon someone showed up and handed us a new phone! What service! We laughed when we plugged in our “new phone”. Our older version was pretty old but this one was probably 5 years newer. Plugging it in I couldn’t help but think how telephones have changed.

In America it is becoming much more common for a family to have a few cell phones and not have a home number. Here in Ukarumpa, a cell phone connection is not always dependable so the land line is the way to go. (although sometimes people could use the information board to summon a family member home for dinner ;)

Growing up we had a phone where you dialed the number and waited for it to spin around before dialing the next number. I always loved that! Of course, we only had to dial four numbers.

When I came to visit in 2009 I was surprised to see the amount of cell phones in this country. When I left in ’03 no one had a cell phone, now it would not be surprising to see someone walking around with one. The culture is changing. Texting is popular even in a third-world country like PNG. Although some people may bath in the river and cook over a fire they are still able to find a place to charge their cell phone.

Times are changing.