Daily Life
Ongoing Language Learning
Host Culture
Daily Life
Goal
To know the basic practical things that allow you to function and meet the needs of yourself and your family
…I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Phil 4:12-13
Learning how to function well on a practical level in your new culture will help you to adjust and feel more at ease. While Jump Start introduced you to a few of the immediate things you need to deal with, there are a number of other aspects of life, many of which are listed below, that would be helpful to discuss with your facilitator now that you are starting to settle a bit.
Issues to address:
- Home setup
- Shopping/navigating the market
- Food preparation and cooking
- Sanitation
- Personal and family health
- Transport
- Driving
- Repair facilities
- Banking and local money
- Dress code
- Your children’s education
- Public holidays
- Leisure, recreation and family time
- Personal security
- Crisis management and contingency plans
- Time management
- Hiring people
- Means of communication (radios, phones, internet, etc)
- Reliability of local utilities (if applicable)
- Appropriate protocol in your host culture for interacting with the opposite sex (including teammates), local children, community leaders, etc.
- Developing basic guidelines for giving
To Discuss
As you become more and more familiar with your new settings, think through these questions regularly and discuss them with your facilitator:
- What activities are you performing in a different way than in your own culture?
- What things do you enjoy or appreciate about this culture? What is the most challenging thing so far about living in this culture?
- What are you learning about yourself from your cross-cultural experiences?
- What are you doing to keep healthy physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually? (Likewise, how are your children’s educational, spiritual, social, and recreational needs being met?)
