Life is the Same Everywhere
Life is the same all over: traffic jams, overpopulation, pollution, winter, heat-waves, road construction, and relationship challenges.
Life is the same all over: fathers teaching children to ride a bike; children’s giggles as they play with bubble wands; mothers walking children home from school with the little one chattering on about his day; loved ones die and babies are born; sharing the load as they carry the groceries home; walking Gramma across the street; and people realizing love.
Yes there is much that is different here. Yet often I am most compelled by the similarities. There are differences like food, shopping, and conveniences. The more striking differences are things like affection between friends here is so tender and physical. Male friends with arms around each other or linked at the elbow is a regular sight. Female friends with arms linked is a constant sight. I love the way they carry groceries when more than one shops together: each person holds a handle. I went shopping with our new baker and wouldn’t let her carry the very heavy bag alone. Her final offer was the compromise of offering me a handle and carrying it together. Isn’t it funny how little things like that make you feel welcome and accepted? Another image I will carry is the two young men carrying a car battery together. One was holding the car battery and the other was pulling on the first’s arm, effectively offering balance. I love the teamwork I see all through these people.
Don’t let their driving destroy that image either. This is still a horse culture, even though their horses are metal on cement and no where near as easy to manuever. They drive like every day is the Nadaam race. The flow of traffic is just like the flow of horses running together. Ever watch that? You should. It is amazing they don’t step into more gopher holes or fall and get trampled. Just a mass of muscle jockeying for position and slipping in at every open space. Traffic here is just like that. This of course leads to amazing knots of cars. When I’m walking its far more amusing than when I’m stuck in one of those vehicles. It’s a sight impossible to explain. I think I’ll take a video of it tomorrow. It must be seen to understand and even then you miss so much.
As we draw near to our departure I find I am grieving already. If not for my deep desire to hold my sons (all 3) I would have no want to leave at all. After hearing so many tell me about culture shock and how hard it is to be overseas (no doubt it is), I didn’t expect to have fallen so completely in love with these people and this place. If this time was all God meant when he said he was sending us to Mongolia I feel like I will be grieving for the next 30 years (or til the day he calls me home). I feel so at home here. This isn’t to say there aren’t anxieties when we walk the alley at night to go meet a ride for an outreach. Let’s be honest though (if you know me you know this) I’m anxious half the time at home for the very same reasons. There are people who will harm you and jump you in every city of the U.S., it’s not safer. There reasons may be different, but that makes them no less dangerous. So that doesn’t change my love of and comfort in this city.
There is so much I will take home with me. I am bringing back recipes and a confidence about cooking from scratch. I am bringing Nomio, Ariuka, Mashka, and Oyuna in my memories. I have connected here and I will miss them. Funny, they will miss me too. Breaking into song and hearing Nomio pipe right in! On my happy song even! What God has done here is so deep in my heart.
My sons are deep in my heart and fresh on my mind every day. I can’t wait to hug and kiss them! To hear their laughs and sing with them. To snuggle up on the couch and hear all their tales, so many things that skype makes awkward to share, we will talk so long and so much Chas will bury his head under a pillow and we will talk even more!
Then I see a quote from Adirondam Judson:
“Are you sure that God wants you to continue your life in this comparatively church-saturated land? Or might he be calling you to fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, to fall like a grain of wheat into some distant ground and die, to hate your life in this world and so to keep it forever and bear much fruit?”
To fall like a grain of wheat into some distant ground and die.
-Jean
Life is the same all over: fathers teaching children to ride a bike; children’s giggles as they play with bubble wands; mothers walking children home from school with the little one chattering on about his day; loved ones die and babies are born; sharing the load as they carry the groceries home; walking Gramma across the street; and people realizing love.
Yes there is much that is different here. Yet often I am most compelled by the similarities. There are differences like food, shopping, and conveniences. The more striking differences are things like affection between friends here is so tender and physical. Male friends with arms around each other or linked at the elbow is a regular sight. Female friends with arms linked is a constant sight. I love the way they carry groceries when more than one shops together: each person holds a handle. I went shopping with our new baker and wouldn’t let her carry the very heavy bag alone. Her final offer was the compromise of offering me a handle and carrying it together. Isn’t it funny how little things like that make you feel welcome and accepted? Another image I will carry is the two young men carrying a car battery together. One was holding the car battery and the other was pulling on the first’s arm, effectively offering balance. I love the teamwork I see all through these people.
Don’t let their driving destroy that image either. This is still a horse culture, even though their horses are metal on cement and no where near as easy to manuever. They drive like every day is the Nadaam race. The flow of traffic is just like the flow of horses running together. Ever watch that? You should. It is amazing they don’t step into more gopher holes or fall and get trampled. Just a mass of muscle jockeying for position and slipping in at every open space. Traffic here is just like that. This of course leads to amazing knots of cars. When I’m walking its far more amusing than when I’m stuck in one of those vehicles. It’s a sight impossible to explain. I think I’ll take a video of it tomorrow. It must be seen to understand and even then you miss so much.
As we draw near to our departure I find I am grieving already. If not for my deep desire to hold my sons (all 3) I would have no want to leave at all. After hearing so many tell me about culture shock and how hard it is to be overseas (no doubt it is), I didn’t expect to have fallen so completely in love with these people and this place. If this time was all God meant when he said he was sending us to Mongolia I feel like I will be grieving for the next 30 years (or til the day he calls me home). I feel so at home here. This isn’t to say there aren’t anxieties when we walk the alley at night to go meet a ride for an outreach. Let’s be honest though (if you know me you know this) I’m anxious half the time at home for the very same reasons. There are people who will harm you and jump you in every city of the U.S., it’s not safer. There reasons may be different, but that makes them no less dangerous. So that doesn’t change my love of and comfort in this city.
There is so much I will take home with me. I am bringing back recipes and a confidence about cooking from scratch. I am bringing Nomio, Ariuka, Mashka, and Oyuna in my memories. I have connected here and I will miss them. Funny, they will miss me too. Breaking into song and hearing Nomio pipe right in! On my happy song even! What God has done here is so deep in my heart.
My sons are deep in my heart and fresh on my mind every day. I can’t wait to hug and kiss them! To hear their laughs and sing with them. To snuggle up on the couch and hear all their tales, so many things that skype makes awkward to share, we will talk so long and so much Chas will bury his head under a pillow and we will talk even more!
Then I see a quote from Adirondam Judson:
“Are you sure that God wants you to continue your life in this comparatively church-saturated land? Or might he be calling you to fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, to fall like a grain of wheat into some distant ground and die, to hate your life in this world and so to keep it forever and bear much fruit?”
To fall like a grain of wheat into some distant ground and die.
-Jean
This is why we work at the "Grain of Wheat Center" ... a constant reminder.
ReplyDeleteGreat post...
Jean, Loved your post! It makes me want to have a similar experience...:) Can't wait to hear more! My heart is feeling the double-pulling along with yours at wanting to stay, but wanting to be with your children. Blessings to you as you transition back.
ReplyDelete~Marie
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this! Thinking and praying for you all!
ReplyDelete