This is a two parter. So be excited! This is part 1. Colin will share with you in this post, and Rachel will do a follow up post with her thoughts on the subject!
We have been on a quest to understand Filipino culture as of late. Rachel has been meeting with a professor, Ruth Ann Price, who has spent time in Manila. She gave us several books to begin to understand aspects of the culture and specifically what the challenges are for a missionary as well.
We have even been looking up recipes of typical Filipino food. I think we are going to cook one of the recipes soon, so check back to see how that goes!
Colin has been looking up information in blogs and online about the culture. Here are some things he would like to share about what he has learned.
(Disclaimer, this was all found on the internet, and might not be true.)
I learned that is is not polite to fill your own glass at a table, rather you fill the persons glass sitting next to you. If you fill your own glass, you are essentially saying that the person sitting next to you is not very hospitable.
If invited over to a home for dinner, it is customary to bring a gift, and write a handwritten thank you letter later in the week. You also cannot begin eating until the host gives you permission, even if it's a buffet.
Another aspect I learned about is the idea of not ever saying "No". If you ask someone to do something or whatnot and they want to say no, they will say yes, and then never speak to you again, and avoid you so they don't have to say no.
Check back soon! We will be posting more regulary. Things are starting to get underway. We have our applications completed, and are now in the process of hammering out the details. It seems that we will get to stay with a Filipino family, which is what we want, so we are very excited!
Thank you for keeping us in your prayers,
Blessings
Colin
