June 27, 2018: Cultural Preparation

Nine days.

NINE DAYS?!

As we rapidly approach the 1-week mark for our trip, one of the most important things about which we can talk at this stage is cultural preparation. We've talked about the physical aspect of navigating a steep country with our Midwestern legs, the mental aspect of experiencing culture shock, the spiritual aspect of following Jesus wherever He goes each and every day, not just on mission trips, the financial aspect of trust, obedience, and investment in the Kingdom of God, and the emotional aspect of loving openly and sacrificially.

Now we're going to talk about a few cultural aspects of trip preparation as we make ourselves ready to serve internationally in a little over a week!

1) Dobrou chuť
- In Czech, the above statement is used to mean, "Enjoy your meal." Believe it or not, food is one of the leading causes of maladjustment when serving internationally. Here in America where food is life, we have this “life” available to all types of people--to those with food allergies, those with certain food intolerances, those with health preferences, and to even those who are just generally picky. All of this provides a comfortable way of life for everyone and Burger King truly said it best when they told us all those years ago that we could "Have it [Our] Way."

However, most mission trips seem to toss aside this sacred statement. Instead, they tend to favor a far less accommodating view on food and personal preference: eat what you're served.

The inability to cope well with new or different foods can actually cause us to set a very bad example among those we are serving. When people are going out of their way to make sure that we are fed and taken care of, one of the most disrespectful things that we can do is to make faces at the food, refuse to eat it, or complain about it. Of course, there are exceptions made for health issues, which are always communicated to the host culture beforehand, but keep in mind that pickiness is not a health issue. You do need to eat in order to stay healthy, so no staring at your plate or skipping your meals. No one will be fed cream of antelope soup with exotic turtle marmalade, so just embrace the cultural experience of trying new food and be sure to thank the kitchen staff for serving us so diligently. They deserve it.

2) The Obnoxious American
- Americans are known worldwide for being relentlessly happy, uncommonly rich, and perhaps offensively loud. Some countries (the CZ included) are rather welcoming of Americans, but their culture is rather quiet compared to ours. We may laugh and talk boisterously among our friends, but in the CZ, they are typically only used to that when people are intoxicated. Solution? Don't be the obnoxious American. Speak at a quieter volume when riding public transportation and when at restaurants, try to keep lost outbursts of laughter as under control as possible. You'll stand out as a tourist even without these things, but you don't want to annoy or embarrass others in the vicinity by not being aware of a potentially negative cultural aspect that is completely fine in our own country.

3) Why So Serious?
- I spoke about this briefly before, but in the Czech Republic, you may notice that people don't smile as often as Americans do. This has less to do with being cold or impolite and more to do with their view of relationships and interactions: If I don't know you, why should I smile? Why should I greet you in passing if we've never met and will never see each other again?

It makes perfect sense, actually; but to an American, it may just seem rather unfriendly. However, when you do get to know people better, you will find that they often like to laugh and talk as much as you do, and that they're actually very affectionate and caring. So don't let the perceived lack of friendliness stop you! Instead, maybe just avoid smiling at people as you walk down the street. You may feel like you're being rude, but you're actually just saving them a bit of discomfort.

4) That's Not Nice!
- When I first visited the Czech Republic back in 2012, we spent one morning/afternoon at a children's home. We were playing a Czech version of "Duck, Duck, Goose" with the kids (in Czech, it was Cat, Cat, Dog"), and I will never forget how sometimes, after a kid would fail to tag the first kid and would fail to get his seat back, the adults and the other kids would actually sing a teasing rhyme towards the kid who lost! I was appalled! In America, we would never do something like that and would say that it's harmful for the kids, etc, but I've learned that kids (and people in general) aren't as sensitive in Eastern Europe as Americans are. We're kind of the "softies" of the world. You might therefore find yourself offended or hurt by someone's blunt comment, but just know that there's a cultural difference at work and that they are likely well-meaning. You may also wonder at the sense of humor, which is mostly sarcasm and flatly stated anti-jokes, but if you can deal with my sense of humor, which is rather similar, you should be well prepared! (You're welcome.)

5) Different isn't Bad; Different is Different
- Perhaps one of the most important aspects of culture preparation is remembering this one key sentence: different isn't bad; different is different. You may have preferences concerning food, public appearance, interacting with strangers, jokes and what's nice or not nice, but preference isn't always right. Preference is preference. So when you encounter something that is strange to you, whether it's a behavior or a new food or a different set of traditions, don't use words like, "Weird, strange, crazy," or, "wrong." Instead, if you must say anything at all, say, "That's interesting!" or, "Wow, that's really different!"

You don't have to adopt their culture into your own when you get home, but as visitors in their country, we do owe it to them to respect their culture and to take the time to learn as much about it as we can. Not only will your perspective be broadened by it, but they will feel honored and valued by it. So ask questions. Learn about the culture. Fumble around with Czech and try new foods. Show them that we are willing to become all things to all people so that we might win some for Christ (1 Cor. 9:22) and that we're not afraid to lay aside our American comfort and "riches" for a simple, servant's robe.

Be salt. Be light. Be imitators of Christ. Let's be prepared.