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You would take a bilingual dictionary with you when you went
to the doctor. You and the doctor still have difficulty understanding each
other, partly because the approach to treatment and the governmental
regulations relating to it are not what you expect.
You would be
mystified by notices from the government. You would hope for a friendly
neighbor to help interpret these things. You would ask your school-aged
children to look over and correct your replies.
When your child’s teacher asked everyone to bring an old
t-shirt to school, you would send the child with an old dress shirt. You didn’t
understand the difference. You also didn’t understand all kinds of things the
teacher and the other parents take for granted. What school supplies does your
child need? How is math taught here? Why do they write the numbers like that? Numbers
are confusing, anyway. You have trouble finding the right hymn in the hymnbook
at church. You have trouble writing down phone numbers and addresses.
You also have trouble with time. What do people mean when
they say, “Come by tomorrow afternoon”? Why are they surprised when you show up
at 12:30 PM? Or 5:30 PM? And when it is obvious that you do not understand the
language completely, why do people speak louder instead of simply slowing down?
You understand enough to take part in local Bible study. You
can follow most of the discussion but do not get most of the jokes. When you
confuse the word for “horse manure” with the one for “apartment,” everyone laughs.
You do not appreciate the humor. You do appreciate people who are patient
enough to let you practice speaking their language with them.
You wish those patient people would remember to include you
on holidays. Some holidays that are special to you are not celebrated here.
Others are celebrated in very different ways. You are far from your own family and
traditions. You feel even more sharply that you are a stranger in a strange
land. I know first-hand. We are foreigners here. We bless everyone who makes us
feel even a little more at home.
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