A brief preface to this post: Colin calls me the vernacular queen, probably for good reason. The time I've spent here in Huntington has been rich with cultural education, and I have been a willing sponge. Therefore, when I throw around words related to cultural adjustment, know that I am only a learner who is excited about the things that she is learning... not an expert. With that said, I've begun to apply my education to what little I know about Filipino culture and will try to explain it to my American friends and family. I welcome correction and elaboration. Remember, we haven't been there yet!
Filipino culture seems to be INDIRECT.
American culture is very direct. We like to "sit down face to face" and "handle conflict." We hate when people "talk behind our backs," and equate passive-aggressiveness with immaturity. Right?
Forget about that in the Philippines.
If there is a conflict, sometimes the only way that you will find out about it is from careful attention to small changes in the routine of everyday. A wife does not have hot tea waiting for her husband after he gets home from work, and he instantly knows that he has upset her in some way. Colin and I are especially direct...even for Americans. I've been told that my boldness can sometimes be off putting. Oops. You can pray for us now. Haha!
Filipino culture seems to be COLLECTIVISTIC.
When someone asks you who you are, what do you say? Most Filipinos would answer based on their relationships to others. They might say, "I belong to such-and-such family." Most Americans would answer with a list of personal characteristics. For example, "I'm Rachel. I'm silly, creative and a lover of God."
This makes sharing the gospel especially relational. When you invite someone from a collectivistic culture to be a Christian, in order for their faith to grow, it MUST be in community. Of course it is the same here, but no one in a collectivistic culture would ever say "My faith is personal so I don't need to go to church." A Filipino would probably not even say that they "go to church," they would probably say "I am a part of the church."
Worship is expressive in the Philippines. They outwardly share their excitement. Here, we focus inwardly during worship. Heads bowed, arms raised, but often the lights are off or we avoid looking at each other.
I will share more later, but for now these are my observations. I used to joke that being a Missions Major at Huntington University was a lot like going to spy school (at least how I imagined spy school to be). Professors teach us how to read cultures and "fit in." However, one of the most important things I've learned is that no matter what you do, you'll always be a foreigner. You can't lose who you are. Somehow, when someone from one culture is immersed into another, they become a third culture child. I find such beauty in this concept.
Quick update on financial support: because we are Interns with Wycliff and not official full time staff, we won’t have an account through them that you can make donations to. However, we are working on partnering with a church so that donations might be tax deductible. In the meantime, please prayerfully consider what God might be calling you to contribute to our ministry with Wycliff serving the Asia Pacific Region. There is a real chance that these donations will not be tax deductible and simply have to be written out to Colin and I. Do you trust us? Is the purpose of your giving more than a tax write off? If 100 people donate $75, we will be financially set for 7 months. I hope your answer is yes. Email Colin and I at thewhitehursts@att.net for our address if you would like our address. We love you!
Rachel
