MDP Week 1!

Week one of MDP has come and gone and we are now into our second week. The girls really enjoy going to class. They are together with one other boy, so they are getting some real one on one time with the teachers. Karina has also been enjoying the craft room. It just happens to be in the basement of our lodge, so she is always scoping out her next project. Eden is doing well, she is taking long naps in the afternoons, and still getting up once a night but we're getting there.



Last week we figured out what our spiritual gifts are and our personality types. We're still trying to figure out how our personality traits are going to fit into our ministry. One of the most important things that we learned last week was to go to our new places as a learner of the culture and people. Culture is all the learned ways to relate to people around us. Our world view is all the assumptions of life itself. It's the deepest heart of what people believe. Then we were asked how much power does culture and world view have? And I'll tell you a story to explain. In a Native culture in British Columbia a Native father rushed to the missionary's house because he needed help. His son had swallowed poison. When the missionary opened the door and saw the man there he knew something was on his mind because of his mannerisms and what he had learned about the culture. The Native man started talking to the missionary about the weather, his horses, and all other sorts of things that come up during small talk. This went on for 15 minutes, then the Native man continued to talk and tell stories until almost 25 minutes had passed. Remember the real reason for him coming there? After 25 minutes the Native man finally asked for a ride to the hospital because his son had swallowed poison. I would have put my son in the car before I had even asked for a ride, but that's because my culture and world view are different. This Native gentleman had to fulfill his cultural obligations of small talk, and feeling the missionary out before asking for a ride.



We are learning so much, I hope the little blog will give you just a little taste of what we are learning. We're all healthy and doing well. Thanks for your prayers.