It’s not just about learning the language, it’s also about learning the culture. Americans have a bad record of going into foreign countries (including as missionaries) and acting like poorly behaved mini colonizers. The culture is every bit as important as the language.
I went from SoCal to Alabama to work in a church...Boy what a culture shock I experienced!
I know how you feel! My family moved from Illinois to Georgia in 1983. Talk about language barriers! LOL I was used to hearing about a water hose...down there it's called a "hosepipe!" I heard about flowers growing up....down there they call them "flares!" South Carolina was a great state, as was North Carolina....but after I started hearing about Socalina and Nocalina, I felt like I needed to move to France! LOLI went from SoCal to Alabama to work in a church...Boy what a culture shock I experienced!
I used to love the idea of the cooperative in the SBC. But, with all of the trouble brewing in the NAMB, with Kevin Ezell and his attempts to make the SBC a hierarchy, and the way the IMB continually impedes on missionaries sent to countries where they feel the need to stay whether there is danger or not forcing them to leave instead of following God's leading, I have to say, I would rather opt for the missionaries who raise their own support by going church to church, are accountable to those churches, and have to stay in contact with regular updates to the churches supporting them. I've made mention of this many times to my pastor (we are members of a small SBC church here in Tennessee) and though he supports me after having me showing him several of the concerns, it's NOT a popular position/opinion.
i would say it;s a combination of both.... when i first moved here i began learning different languages that my new friends at school spoke... and also learning about the different cultures at the same time.. ...doesn;t mean i adopted any of their cultures... but i became aware of them in a way that allowed me to be around them and interact with them without causing insult.... and that;s important if someone wishes to help rather than harm the people of the new country they are moving to......Very good explanations given. So really it could also be called Culture School, but we all know that would really be a turn off for a missionary to write his supporting IFB churches that he is going to Culture School, 'cause we all know being cultured is of the devil.
A lot of us wish all these dadgum Yankees moving down South would adopt this mentality!
Hey! Hey! Hey, now! I'm a "Yankee" having been born a Hoosier, and raised an Illini after the age of six. My family moved to GA in 1983, and I married a GA peach in 1984. I've spent most of my life in the South, and consider myself a Southerner, and so do all that I'm in contact with. But, my roots are Yankee!
I’m speaking more of these people from New York, Jersey, etc. I’m ok with the midwesterners, except some of the Chicago people rub me the wrong way, but I almost don’t count them as real Midwestern people.
I totally agree! They've forced missionaries from Ukraine and countries in Africa to leave because of war/political unrest/etc. Some of them protested stating that they believed God wanted them to stay, and the IMB threatened to pull funding. That's not right. If the LORD tells them to stay, who is the IMB to tell them otherwise? Also in this country, the NAMB is a joke. They aren't funding underserved areas by sending missionaries to those areas in states that really need preachers.