Between Cultures:
Passport to Host
The Introduction mentioned that Jesus experienced many of the transitions that missionaries do. His first transition was from heaven to earth to save the lost. The angel told Joseph to name Mary’s baby “Jesus” because he would save his people from their sins and this was to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy made centuries earlier (Matthew 1:21-23). Although missionaries today go for a variety of reasons to help people, the primary purpose is to bring people to Christ who can save them from their sins. The Bible also notes that Jesus gave up many things when he made the transition to earth. In fact, he temporarily gave up equality with God the Father in heaven and became human as well, becoming a servant obedient to death (Philippians 2:6-8). Many missionaries today also give up much in terms of family, friends, and finances to serve those in another culture who do not know Christ.
Part 1 presented three transitions that take place in the lives of prospective missionaries before they actually go to another culture to begin their missionary service. While they are making these transitions, they are still at “home” among friends. They still know where they fit in their community, neighborhood, church, and other groups to which they belong.
They have friends in whom they can confide and those friends listen to them with understanding. They feel commitment to friends and family who have helped them. They feel secure, safe and affirmed in this culture where they have lived their lives, and they live each moment to the fullest.
They know that things will change when they actually go to the field. They have gone to orientation with their agency in preparation for what is ahead, but it has always been something in the future. However, now all of this is going to change.
Part 2 contains three chapters about a major transition for them, the transition to another culture. These three chapters are about the three stages of Pollock’s model.
· Chapter 4 is about their ending life in their current culture. It is about saying goodbye and separating from what has always been home for them. They disengage from friends, family, and coworkers as they prepare to leave. They are now thinking more about the future than about living in the past or present.
· Chapter 5 is about their moving into an unknown culture where they do not know where they fit and how to do many everyday tasks. They physically move to the other culture in a day or two and unpack their bags as they settle into a strange house, but their minds may not be completely unpacked for months.
· .Chapter 6 is about their actually entering into their host country and beginning to feel at home again. During this time they may feel marginalized and uncertain about things and may have difficulty understanding behaviors and social signals. They may feel vulnerable and find it hard to trust people.
The cross-cultural transition is not over until the missionaries feel at “home” among friends and know where they fit into their community, neighborhood, church, and other groups to which they belong. This will take at least a year, probably much longer.
Some missionaries never do complete the transition into the host culture, and that percentage seems to be growing with the appearance of email, Facebook, Skype, Instagram, Twitter, and so forth. It is so easy to keep in touch with people in their passport country that some missionaries never do fully enter their host culture.