VISION OF THE POSSIBLE, CHAPTER 7
Overview
This chapter covers our role and residency in our culture in which we work. How do we fit in in our culture and how does the public view us?
Comments
While we do not encounter major visa obstacles like many of our coworkers in Asia and the Middle East, I think this chapter is very relevant in discussing our role in the culture in which we live. We definately need to address how the people perceive us and what do they think we are doing in their villages when absolutely no one ever from the U.S. has expressed interest living in their village. Most, if not all of us, on our team have had the ability to enter our villages without a platform or “tentmaking” job. I think in some instances it may enhance or help our cause although the locals are always going to be skeptical as to why we left the U.S. to come to a dirty village and teach english or sell chickens. These platforms can also eat away at a lot of our time.
All of what he covers on p.110(middle of page-down) is very relevent and needs to be discussed thoroughly before we hit our locations. Having a good answer when people ask what you are doing there is vital. Even if it is not specific, you do not want to fumble through this answer and create more skepticism. I am not talking of being deceitful but having an answer that applies to what you are doing that you can say every time you are asked which will be often. This answer needs to be honest and thought out and we need to be comfortable with it.
He mentions the problem of the man basing his work out of his house. I have had a problem with this as I don’t leave my house to go to a work site. I leave my house to do language learning, record stories or do storying sessions but I don’t have a work location that the people see me going to. I have even been asked if we are on vacation here!!! As my storying project has evolved, I do tell some people now that I work out of my house on this project so they see me as having a worksite. As men living in the villages, I think we will always be fighting against this perception. It has helped me to have contacts in other villages that are helping us in our ministry or storying project. This way the people do see me and know that I am leaving to go somewhere to work.
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Great insight. We’ve wondered how that is working for everyone. We will glady accept any tips and ideas that have worked or not worked for you. We’ll be facing that in a few weeks. What have you found to be a good way to explain it or deal with this issue? You can e-mail us so it’s not accessible online to just anyone.
John and Pamela
I wish I read this chapter in my first few weeks here. I felt like I learned the hard way about having a clear response to the question, “Why are you here?” Though I do a little better with this question now, it still comes up every week. I like the idea about having an office and business cards. I don’t think I’ll have an office, but nonetheless, it caused to me to think about it. The business card thing might be a good idea. I liked the story about the physical therapist too.
This is often the tale of two extremes in my mind. A team can be highly skilled and over involved in their platform and be frustrated that they have not made spiritual progress in what in reality may have been a fairly “open” people. Or a team can enter under a platform that they are not equipped to fill technically, and end up with a terrible testimony before the people. I think organization wide success with platforms dictates that we should avoid the secular platform when possible, but be professionals in our platforms if we must have one, remembering to do the real work as our personal priority. A linguistic platform really looks to me like a door opener that puts the missionary in a great position of an academic platform that involves “on task” work… and lots of it.
I’m speaking of studying THEIR language and culture.
Good comments and info we need to discuss with new people?? I know if I had had a good clear response to what I am doing here from the get go it would have saved me a lot of stress and confusion.