This past week I had new staff training, for any new missionaries at the base, not just the Lighthouse. I thought it was interesting on the first day of training when I observed that we were all from different countries, Brazil, the US, England, Germany, and Holland, yet we were all together united by our callings, faith, and common purpose. I was grateful no one needed translation, because everything goes a lot faster without it!
It was great to get to know the other new staff members from the other houses, to share experiences, and so forth.
I also learned a bit from what other staff members shared regarding their experiences. For most people in YWAM, the living conditions are a significant step down from whatever they were used to before. It didn't really cross my mind that it may be a step up for some people. We often complain about how bad the food is and how we rarely even eat meat, but I didn't realize that for some the food is actually better than what they were able to eat before. I also went to see a movie with several staff members, and was surprised to learn that one of them, 27 years old, had never been to the movie theater before. I realized that living in community here not only means living with cultural differences since people come from all over the world, but it also means living with people from different socio-economic backgrounds and experiences, which affects the way they see things here. We all live on financial support so we have that in common, but we are also influenced by our upbringings in how we interpret our surroundings and living conditions. Now that I have realized this it seems so obvious, but it is good for me to be aware of!
1 comment:
That is interesting thoughts. It seems like most missionaries are taking a step down when it comes to comfort, and how hard that is to obey God. But for those where living as a missionary is a step up might be a completely different thought processes.
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