"Busy"

Another day and a half, and we will be out of town, "busy" spending time with relatives and friends. Think of it - a Christmas "holiday" or "vacation" with people of your own culture (we're talking both North American and Christian). Is this selfish or what? But I'm really looking forward to it!!!

A Child's Hug

A tight squeeze from a child ... a blown kiss ... a little body burrowing into your arms ... nothing equals it here on earth.

I just finished putting my two youngest kids down for their naps; the youngest had to be disciplined because of disobedience, but was very willing to cuddle afterwards; and the older one hung tightly to my neck and then blew kisses.

I'm trying to learn "intentionality" - and one aspect is intentionally looking for things that are more important than the hustle and bustle of "normal" life. Things like the snowflakes sparkling like stars as they fall in bright sunshine; the wonder of the weekly garbage truck; and hugs and kisses from little kids who will very soon grow up.

Guest or Family?

How do we treat people in our house, and how much of this treatment is culturally influenced? And would you rather be treated as family, or as a guest?

I personally am a bit confused on this - over the past couple of years, some people not of my immediate family that I have decided to invite into my "inner circle" and treat "as family" have complained of their treatment. Do I treat my family that poorly? They don't seem to complain.

I'm inclined to think (self-righteously??) that we want all the benefits of being "family" - familiarity, run of the house, ability to drop in whenever, etc. - without the responsibilities - doing some of the work, serving others instead of getting served all the time; and we also want the benefits of being the "guest" - politeness, being served, being entertained - without the awkwardness and time limit (at least the polite time limit imposed by North American culture).

So where does that leave us? I'm not sure. When we first visited our neighbors in Cameroon, they treated us as guests - talking with us, giving us a gift of some fruit even when they didn't have much food in the house, etc. Now, I think my neighbors, my friends, treat me as family, or at least like they treat their other friends - when I drop by, I have to go find them, they don't come to see me; and I need to sit with them and talk with them where they are, as they continue on with their daily tasks; and I'm welcome to stay as long as I want to, as long as I let them keep on with their work. You know, I think I've adapted to this part of the Oroko culture, as this is how I prefer to treat my good friends and family.

But what if they don't like it? I don't know. Time will tell. Maybe I'll find a better balance eventually!

Christmas shopping mania

Well, we get to experience, once again, "Midnight Madness" - that shopping extravaganza that continues until midnight, with many stores having bigger and better sales the later you want to visit them. Having small kids, we'll go experience this cultural festivity, complete with special music and a bonfire, but we'll come home well before the "big" sales begin.

And you should see all the advertising that goes along with this. Half of the weekly newspaper seems to be devoted to it, plus all the store advertisement flyers in the mail. How many trees were cut down for the sake of Christmas advertising?

So what is our response? Human nature says, "Great, a sale; let's see what I want to buy." Most of it looks pretty good. Fortunately for common sense and our budget, we're limited to what can fit into our suitcases going back to Cameroon! But it is hard not to get sucked into the blatant materialism, especially when we have been away from it for a few years. It's important to remember the focus - on CHRISTmas....

Eastern Christianity?

I spoke for probably over an hour a few days ago with a Chinese man who was my classmate in high school. One of his opening comments was, "you probably think I'm a heretic...", but as I listened to him, I really don't think so.

We are so used to our "Western Christianity" with all its terminology, and this man wanted to get back to his Eastern roots and how Jesus applies to his culture. He has "turned away" from all the terminology that we are used to, such as "accept Jesus into your heart", and even words such as the names for God and Jesus that we use; instead he tries to use as much Aramaic and Hebrew as possible. Is that "turning away" from God? I don't think so; in fact, it might please Him more than our Western trappings.

And if my friend is willing to help our translation project in Cameroon with whatever research he does (he enjoys digging into original texts to explore meaning), all the better. Go for it, Ben!