a friend asked me recently about my thoughts on living in a foreign country...i just thought i'd paste what i wrote into a note and share it with all of you...
i guess everyone knows that feeling of doing something for the first time with people you don't know. when you live in another country it's like that but on crack!
we moved 3 times in our first 4 years of marriage. i felt i had it down to a science...it takes about 2 years to feel settled with friends that you know fairly well, doctors you're happy with, regular places you go and restaurants you can't live without! but in a city of 4 million plus, in a country where there are 11 national languages and where people know you're foreign every time you open your mouth it takes even longer.
i think the things that help are:
1 - we know God planned for us to be here. we see the way he worked out so many details and called us in our hearts to africa before we even knew what that looked liked.
2 - it also helps that it's so easy to contact friends and family in the states these days. i remember when i went to cameroon in 1998...to some that may seem like a long time ago but to a lot of us it seems like yesterday...and i only called my mom on the phone 1 time because it was expensive but also inconvenient...where i lived for a year we couldn't even place overseas calls.
3 - God's family helps you feel connected even if you're struggling with the culture. it's lovely that thru jesus christ i can have a foundation of similarity with people all over the world!
[reposted from Diana's facebook page - original date: 20 February, 2014]
[reposted from Diana's facebook page - original date: 20 February, 2014]
