Diversity

It's funny... Growing up overseas, you would think diversity would be a huge part of my life, and in some ways it is. I am used to having people of different races and cultures around me, and, quite honestly, I barely notice what color someone's skin is. But the thing is that at RFIS we kind of had our own culture. It was a melting pot of all of these different cultures, so while we were diverse in the different cultures that were represented, in a lot of ways it was as if we were only one culture. That's why they call us third culture kids, because we have our own little culture in the midst of the two cultures that we are each representing. So in a lot of ways I've dealt with diversity less than a lot of people here who have only come in contact with a few people of a different culture. I've used to us just all being the same culture, so sometimes I think I can be insensitive to people as a culture because I do not think about the fact that they really do have a different culture than I do. I don't judge people on their race. Instead I almost go to the opposite extreme and just ignore their race, which really can be just as bad if you think about it because I'm not really respecting their culture then. It's not that I don't like different cultures, I'm just ignorant of the differences a lot of times... Though I will say this, maybe I'm racist because I almost feel MORE comfortable sometimes hanging out with the international students, especially the Africans and Koreans because they're what I'm most used to. I love different cultures, but sometimes I'm quite ignorant to the racism that is here, or the fact that other races are disadvantaged, so I can see people getting frusturated with me.

Globally Minded?

Well, this week I WAS a bad girl and skipped beginnings... but I do have a little bit to say about Global Vision :) See as an MK it's pretty hard not to be globally minded, after all, I was BORN in another country... For me it's weird that people need to be taught this stuff at this age... I don't know, I think that's an MK's biggest struggle... Not to be judgemental of those who have grown up differently from us... For me, my whole life has been ab out global mindedness... My parents were in Africa before I was born, and I know they will be out there doing the work of the Kingdom for a long time... I don't think that anyone can be truly happy in one place after they have had a truly global experience. For me, it doesn't cut it to be with people who have my same culture all the time. I need to be with those who speak different languages, who eat different foods, who wear different clothes, who experience different hardships, and who worship God in different ways. The thing I love most about the global community is worship... There is nothing quite like worshipping God in a language that you barely understand, or don't understand at all, but somehow knowing that you are worshipping God nonetheless... Contentment is found in this...

I don't think this week had a huge impact on me, because I was not unaware of missions and everything, yet I did enjoy seeing others get into it. One of my friends has decided that she wants to go somewhere in the world, she doesn't know where, but she's waiting for God to lead her. Seeing her face when we walked out of chapel and she looked at me and said "I want to go!" that was a special moment. The world is constantly on my heart. The hurting yes, but also just the culture and what we can learn from it. As my friends go out into the world I know that they will gain much more than they give, and this gives me great joy. In my own life, I have felt a strong call to service. I would love for that to be overseas, even back in Cameroun. But I do not know where God is leading me. For now it is enough to take one day at a time knowing that God's word is being spread throughout the worldand that He will show me where to go!

LOVE THE WORLD!!!!!!