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- The ultimate in reverse culture shock?
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- A beautiful sight, never to be taken for granted!
Wow! I can’t believe it’s been over 3 months since our last blog. It was January 31st and Bro. David had just left following a wonderful 5-day visit. So much has happened since then. The next few weeks were extremely busy as we made preparations for our furlough, all the while continuing with our ministry here. We returned to the States on February 24th for 10 weeks of scheduled furlough. We came back to Ecuador about a week ago and have been busy trying to get caught up. I want to stop long enough to think back on our furlough and share with you some of the highlights. However, I realize this could be very long, so I want to limit this post to some thoughts about our reverse culture shock. I will address other furlough activities in subsequent posts.
As usual, it was good to be back in the States. However, we did experience quite a bit of reverse culture shock. It was a few days before I stopped trying to think in Spanish or try to figure out how I was going to say something in Spanish. It was really strange to hear everyone speaking in English, except perhaps a few Spanish speakers at Wal-Mart. Speaking of Wal-Mart, that place was perhaps one of the greatest reverse culture shocks of all. It simply overwhelmed us to go to Wal-Mart. I couldn’t stop thinking about how most of the indigenous of Ecuador could never image that there was as much stuff in the entire world as contained in a single Wal-Mart Super Center. Anyone remember the Veggie Tales video about Stuff Mart?
It took a few days to get used to the bare trees of winter. Of course, we are accustomed to seeing everything green year-round, having a perpetual spring in Ecuador. It was awesome to see the trees blooming and then fully leafed out during the time we were there. We enjoyed the cold temperatures much more than the warm ones that were usually accompanied by high humidity. No doubt, we are spoiled by the perfect temperatures at our elevation of the Andes Mountains.
We never got used to the high gas prices. Gas prices had just jumped to $3.35 or so when we arrived, and as you know, they continued to rise to about $3.75 by the time we left. Of course, gas costs $1.48 a gallon for regular and about $2 for super in Ecuador, and the price never changes.
Now, before you think I’m complaining about the U.S., let me say that there are more things that we enjoy about coming back than not. After driving in Ecuador for more than 2 years, I really enjoyed driving in the States. Driving in Ecuador, especially in the capital city of Quito, is extremely dangerous and is the one thing that adds more stress to my life on the mission field than anything else. While in the States, I did not miss the constant blowing of horns and flashing of lights, or the total disregard for any and all traffic laws that is so common in Ecuador. Also absent in the States, at least in our largely rural homebase, is the concept of public transportation. Both the city streets and rural roads of Ecuador are full of buses, whose drivers contribute more than their share to the atmosphere of danger on the road. Using thousands of buses to provide affordable public transportation works in Ecuador; it is a way of life in a culture where the majority of people will never be able to afford a car.
I couldn’t get used to the fact that apparently there is not as great a need for security in the U.S., another good thing. It amazed me to see people get out of their unattended cars at the convenience stores and leave the motor running. I couldn’t believe it when I saw bicycles and other stuff lying out in yards, their owners apparently not worried about thieves. In Ecuador, protecting one’s property from theft is always on one’s mind. A few days before we left Ecuador on furlough, someone stole a transformer from a pole on our street in the middle of the night, leaving us without power for over 30 hours. We were actually surprised to return to Ecuador and find that our furniture was still in the house!
Our first presentation was at Clear Creek Baptist Church on Sunday morning, February 27th. I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming emotions that I would experience as we attended our first English-speaking church service in almost a year. I fought back tears as we sang the old familiar hymns in English for the first time in months. How wonderful they sounded! Other things I appreciated in churches was the display of both the American and Christian flags, and a cross without a dead Jesus on it. Speaking of the American flag, one of the most memorable things I had the privilege of doing during furlough was helping Cathy’s uncle put up his flagpole with a brand new American flag on it. The only time we see an American flag in Ecuador is when we pass by the American Embassy in Quito and we no longer take the beauty and symbolism of our flag for granted!
Reverse culture shock has a way of making one appreciate the best things of life, things we often take for granted, regardless of where they are found. It has a way of reminding me that different is not always wrong, sometimes it is just different, and at other times, it is actually better.
