February 18, 2003
Hello friends!
In a group or team, it doesn’t take long to build up impressions of people at times, does it? It’s fascinating at times to see how various groups of people can see someone so differently at times.
As you know, I’m currently one month into a four month Missionary training program with International Teams. In this time, I’ve been blessed with a great Canadian guy to share an apartment with (Chris); some wonderful classmates to learn with and from; fun, knowledgeable instructors; and a great group of staff here at the US office. I’ve learned so much already, and developed a number of great friendships.
I’ve managed to develop an interesting reputation as well. As you might guess, everyone seems to have identified me as the “tech guy”. For any of you who are familiar with my cooking (up until a few months ago, it basically amounted to heating stuff in the microwave), it will come as a big surprise to hear that Chris and I have developed the reputation for being the “best cooks” in the place. (Since I’ll be leading teams, it occurred to me that I should probably learn to cook, so I’ve been experimenting with stuff. So far, no one has gotten sick from it, so I guess that’s a good sign.)
One of the courses we’re taking is called “Second Language Acquisition”. This course attempts to deal with many different aspects of learning a new language, including phonetics (study of the sounds that go into making words in various languages); how to learn vocabulary, grammar, etc.; techniques to get by with limited language; and cultural impact on language.I have found it fascinating to learn more about how culture is so much a part of communication. Getting something wrong can cause people to think we’re stupid, rude, immoral, etc. For example, by making eye contact, different cultures around the world might think I’m being sincere, am giving them my full attention, or that I’m morally quite “loose”, or I’m scolding them. Learning how to communicate appropriately in different cultures and contexts is so crucial.
This got me thinking about how miscommunication can happen even within North American culture. When surrounded by people who are “of the same culture” as we are, it’s easy to assume that they will all act by the same unwritten rules as we do. Then when people act differently than we expect them to, it’s easy for us to think they are rude, stupid, or just plain strange. What, for example, is the appropriate way join a conversation without intruding? People may be seen as bullish for jumping in, or creepy for quietly wafting to be invited. I’ve discovered that even in interacting with “Fellow North Americans”, I need to be aware of different personalities and cultural expectations. It should be interesting to add completely different cultures to the mix!
It has been quite a blessing to see God raise up people to partner with me in this ministry. At the moment there are 36 individuals committed to pray for me, some of them even daily. Financially, over 30% of my target budget is coming in. Praise God for His provision. If you feel called to become a part of my team, I’d be happy to talk with you about it.
Thanks so much to all of you for your continued prayer. God has been so good. If you could continue to pray for me:
- That I would be teachable – open to all God has to teach me
- That I would have the wisdom and discipline to balance everything vying for my time
- That God would be glorified in my life
- That those called to be a part of the next Encounter Teams group would respond
Thanks for your interest in my life. I’d love to hear from you!
Your Friend, Steve Van Bruwaene
