UNIQUE CHALLENGES
Language
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| My to-do list one particular day... |
Language, of course, is a huge barrier. Dedicating several hours a day solely to language study is necessary to reach a level of fluency. -Think of it as trying to study for a master's degree at home, without taking time off from work. With every day household duties, my own learning style (I need ACTION!), and little people needs, it just doesn't always happen.
On the other hand, I MUST study, if I want to reach the people. Though the younger population does speak some English, to reach their heart (and show them that God cares about the local people) as well as communicate difficult biblical truths, I need to reach a higher level of language communication. I am often met with guilt throughout the day because I either feel I should be studying instead of doing _________, or because I feel I have neglected my children or household duties due to studying.
As a side note, imagine going to the store where nothing is written in English, or even Spanish for that matter. Instead, items have labels with Russian, French, Farsi, Chinese, or various other European and Asian languages. That is what it is like to go to the store here. They has begun producing in country, and those packages are always in the local language and English only; but almost everything is imported.
Culture of Religion
The people here are religious. In fact, they'd say they are Christian. They go to church (a little different than we think, but they would say they do). They know about God, in general. They are good, moral people. They know that Jesus was God's Son who died on the cross.
But they are LOST.
Georgians do not consider themselves to be sinners. They don't commit "major" crimes, so therefore, they aren't evil. Yes, they make mistakes, but they believe those aren't a problem.
Because Orthodoxy is loosely based on the Bible, people are familiar with biblical language, but they are used to different definitions. The first thing we have to do in reaching them, is define terms. We must explain biblical words clearly, in ways they can understand, as well as show them these concepts from the Bible, and God intended them to be understood and used.
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| One of the oldest Orthodox Cathedrals |
Additionally, they believe that the priest is their authority. We will show them a truth from the Bible. Then, they will go ask their priest what he says about it. Whatever the priest says, goes. All we can do is pray for them and constantly take them back to the Bible so that maybe one day, they will understand that only what God thinks really matters.
The people are staunchly orthodox, not because they are fervently religious, but because they are a national. Their patriotism is tied up in the national religion. To be (patriotic- undisclosed country) is to be Orthodox. If they become interested in a Bible study group or another church, then it is thought to be disloyal to their heritage and family. However, and on the other hand, religion is a very personal thing. They may believe one thing, and know that you believe another and it honestly doesn't bother them at all. To some, this may be a good thing, except that even Believers feel that faith is personal- they struggle to share their belief with another and especially to tell another that his/her belief is wrong.
Small Children
I love children. My kids. The neighborhood kids. The church kids. I love them all; so don't misunderstand this point. Kids are a GREAT asset to ministry. My second child will introduce me to anyone. Yet having small children means that I am constantly preoccupied watching them play on the street (normal evening neighborhood activity here) and do not get but a few words in with the neighborhood moms. Of course, they are in the same boat, with children our children's ages. I miss half my language lesson because I'm "playing umpire." The boys are wiggly in church and I don't hear the service because I'm busy keeping them quiet (there is no such thing as nursery). They make it difficult to go on day trips or anywhere on short notice. I pack a "suitcase" it seems, everywhere we go. These are all issues you might encounter anywhere. These are countered with amazing opportunities that I would not have, if it were not for them, so I do not list this to complain; just that it is a constant challenge and requires mental and physical energy to manage.
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| Children help you meet people and break barriers... |
Loneliness
It is extremely lonely. I am so grateful to have a spouse with whom to share experiences, and cannot imagine going back to life as a single lady- alone. Ladies my age speak the local language and Russian. Some speak some English, but not well. Of course, I need the language practice and I don't mind. Yet, I do miss the heart-to-heart chats with a girl friend who truly "gets" me. Also, we are trying to get to know people whom we can reach with the gospel, so they are lost, and cannot be a close friend and confidante (yet!). My American friends have moved on with their lives and made new friends in their new circles- I'm happy for them! -But, bound by both a heart for ministering to the lost, and a steep language barrier, I have not made new friends in my new circles, and that is hard.
Now, yes, Jesus is the Dearest Friend to every Believer, and He is mine as well. I am grateful for my relationship with Him, and for a husband who will send me to a hotel for a few days' "retreat" with Jesus. Personally, I fight for daily time with God, because I know I need it. I miss the days when I was single and had blocks of time to dig into the Word of God and felt so close to my Savior. I hunger for more and more time with my Lord. But, though I spend a lot of time studying the Bible in their language for Sunday school lessons, and do Bible studies with another lady here, on top of personal time with God, I always feel I need more of Jesus. When you know my Jesus as I do, you won't be able to get enough of Him either!
Still, human friends who can go "girly" shopping, as well as discuss the best way to deal with a child's behavioral or attitude issue, or pray late into the night over a problem... I just miss it.
Dating/Babysitters
I could also say, it is difficult not to have family around for many reasons. My children do not get to spend weekends on a farm with Nana and Papa. They don't get to have a sleep-over with their cousins or go camping with Grandma. But the biggest problem at this age for us is, there's no family around to babysit. We are very careful who watches our kids- especially over night. Not only do we need someone who will not harm our children, but also someone who will require obedience of them. Babysitters can be found here, but only as a permanent "nanny" type position, which I don't want or need right now. Dating as a married couple is a little unusual here. Parents often leave kids with the grandparents, because they all live in the same house, so they don't really need a babysitter, and they just go places together, but not usually dating style. Also, there's the problem of language again, as not all the kids speak/understand the language well enough that they would feel comfortable being left in a different speaking environment overnight. -And there's the issue of superstitions that come up; we would rather not have a local explain to our child that using a paper towel to wipe the floor brings poverty to the home, and so forth. So, romantic dates, and especially overnight get-a-ways, must wait. Without getting a necessary time of relationship renewal and emotional refresh away from littles, this too is an added challenge.
Product Availability/ Creativity Necessary
There are a LOT more things available here than I first thought. The biggest problem here, is that it isn't a constant inventory. When something sells, it's gone. It's often not replenished- it just depends on what the head of the company decided to send in their "left-over" box (for lack of a better description). So, we need a lot of creativity, as well a a big, organized storage. Everyday items you would use for a craft in the States, if they're here, are limited or only once in a great while. Things like popsicle sticks, cheerios, Elmer's glue, plain paper plates, thick construction-weight paper, etc are almost impossible to find. Added to that, I'm often in need of something that can be done and enjoyed by a range of 3 yo to 13 yo students. Thankfully, God gave me great training at creative crafts before coming to this country, but it is a challenge too.
Some things just take a LONG time to find. For example, for one of my son's second birthdays, I wanted to buy him some wooden blocks. Just basic, wooden blocks to stack. It took hours of searching and several stores before I found some- and then I had to gulp as I looked at the price. Yikes! Things we think of as simple or basic shopping in the States takes 3 to 4 times longer here, because stores are smaller, more specific, and don't carry constant inventories.
Here also, I could add that power and water often are turned off without warning. Now that we are in a "stable" neighborhood, (one that doesn't have new apartment buildings going up,) it is less of a problem. However, the city's pipes are old clay/asbestos pipes. Rather than change them all out, which would be a HUGE undertaking, the city just replaces the pieces as they break. Sometimes we get warning- mostly, not. We have learned to keep several 5 liter bottles of water in the basement for emergencies. I am thankful to have a "hybrid" stove that has both gas and electric burners, so if we don't have power, or we are without gas, I can just use the other. Still, losing power without warning means no hot water heater (and no radiators in the winter!), no internet, no AC... and the usual no-power problems. I often think of friends of mine in the village with neither power nor running water, so my complaint is their desire!
Scheduling
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| Church picnic - we were invited at 10 to come at 4... |
We live in a culture where events are spontaneous. In fact, if you plan too much in advance, no one can come; whereas if you call them and say, "come tomorrow," or even, "come right now!", they'll come. Neighbors drop in because they're walking by. An acquaintance calls and invites you to their home in the village, tomorrow. The church group calls to say they're having a picnic in a few hours. Our son's school says they'll have a program tomorrow and please have him wear orange, (and you spend the day shopping!) only to tell you the next day that it was postponed until Friday, and now they are not wearing orange. I love the "let's party" spontaneous attitude, but it is difficult to truly plan anything. It's, you know, firmly fixed in jello. Since I'm the type of person that needs structure and likes to have all my ducks in a row, it is often taxing on me. So, I'm learning to hold life loosely, enjoy the ride, and really be grateful for my calm, cool, collected man.
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This glimpse into my life in this country is not meant to dishearten or discourage, or even gain sympathy. It is simply to give a bigger picture to missionary life- specifically, mine. So, in conclusion, please use these challenges as a spring-board for prayer. Ask other missionary wives you know if __________ is a challenge they face, or, what they encounter on their specific field. Think about how YOU relate to these challenges, what unique struggles you have, and how has God grown you through them. Share with me, so I can partner with you in prayer. Thank God for the life you have and all that He has given you, blessings and challenges, in whatever wrapping.
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| Thankful for blessings AND challenges... |
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