Culture Shock, book review, intro.

"Based upon personal experience, numerous contacts with missionaries representing many missions and many fields, and extensive reading of relevant literature, I estimate that only about one out of four missionaries function at a level near to that which was normal in their home culture."

ONE OUT OF FOUR..................

Now think about any given small group, whether it be your family, or church, or friends, or immediate colleagues. If only one out of every four was functioning at normal capacity, how would that effect things in your life??

"Culture Shock- Dealing With Stress in Cross-Cultural Living," by Myron Loss

You're probably wondering how it's possible to have only one out of every four functioning normally. When they say this, they mean normal, simple tasks. I know quite a few missionaries who serve overseas, but don't speak the language. Think about all of the complications that come along with that. Even if you do speak the language decently, everyday tasks are still much more complicated. Everyday stressors include: grocery shopping, riding the bus, going to the post office, paying bills, communicating with neighbors, finding things at the market, making copies, getting your registration, answering the door, purchasing train tickets, etc. What if you have to call a taxi, or the internet company, or anything else? Those seemingly simple tasks suddenly become super scary. You go from being completely confident in your home country to feeling like a little, scared child, who can barely communicate. No matter how smart and accomplished you were back home, until you learn that language and adjust to everything, you become an ignorant, helpless individual, operating in your own small bubble(obviously, you're not really ignorant, you just feel like you are).

Some missionaries will go their entire time of service never returning to that level of functionality that they had in their home culture. Things like language learning are very intimidating, and though the language is the key to the culture, some people will give up before ever getting started, and decide to work through a translator(friends who read this, please know that I'm not picking on you). Personally, I hated having to call someone on the phone in Russian. There was always a high probability that I would say something wrong or misunderstand something, and it always seems like they talk faster when you can't see them! I don't know, it was just one of those dreaded things for me. I'd procrastinate as long as possible, and at the last minute, take the plunge and make the call. There were many times that I was paranoid about having been misunderstood and I would call back to clarify what I had been attempting to say. My heart would race and my anxiety level would rise. Sigh. Even though I was functioning and at a higher level than some, it still wasn't "normal" functioning.

This book takes a bit more of a clinical look(than the others I've read) at what happens to missionaries in their first term: 1)Stress and its consequences, 2)The importance of self-love and self-esteem, 3)Cross-cultural stress, 4)Missionary role stress, 5)The first term:Life change stress, 6)Tips for survival, 7)Suggestions to senior missionaries

While I wasn't too enthused about the last book I read, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would love to see more of the advice found within put into practice on the mission field. More to come.....