...
because you'll cry if you don't."
- fellow
PCJ volunteers
One of the aspects I love about how my
(higher) education coincides with my Peace Corps life lies in the aspect of
incarnational living. The hours I spent reading stories and conducting case
studies regarding cultural integration and needs assessment not only paid off during my semester abroad in
Papua New Guinea, but continue to be a helpful tool I use in Peace Corps
Africa/Jamaica. Though the motives of missions and the motives of capacity building are vastly different, the everyday living-among-the-locals life application is the
same.
Ask any missionary or international aid
worker (or even international tourist) for the best tool to carry into service.
Go ahead. Come back and compare your answers. They probably replied with: flexibility.
Go ahead. Come back and compare your answers. They probably replied with: flexibility.
Each time I thought I finally
conquered being flexible, I am tested again.
Here's the most recent test:
Here's the most recent test:
My community, including the school, collects
rain water for everyday use. Though we've been experiencing lots of rain
recently, the school's storage tank needed to be filled. My faithful principal
has been begging this water truck or that water truck to come fill it.
One finally came today. During classes, of course. And parked itself right outside of my classroom. I soon realized that there was no way I could out-talk the pump, or that my students would be able to focus.
One finally came today. During classes, of course. And parked itself right outside of my classroom. I soon realized that there was no way I could out-talk the pump, or that my students would be able to focus.
So what did we do instead, you ask?
Had a photo shoot (complete with arm wrestling breaks).
Naturally.
Comments
my inlaws were missionaries in Africa and definitely talked about the need for flexibility!