by David L. Coots
The first-termer’s problems of adjustment are very real, but this article puts them in some perspective so the new missionary will not find himself tilting at windmills as Don Quixote did. In addition, the author’s experience helps him give sound practical advice about how to rise above first-term doldrums.
The first-termer’s problems of adjustment are very real, but this article puts them in some perspective so the new missionary will not find himself tilting at windmills as Don Quixote did. In addition, the author’s experience helps him give sound practical advice about how to rise above first-term doldrums.
quix-ot-ic Adj. Idealistic without regard to practicality.
(The American Heritage Dictionary)
In a very real sense I find that first-termers are not unlike Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Like that humorous horseman, they arrive on the shores of their intended field of service with idealistic heads in the clouds. Decked out in full battle regalia and shouting a victory already won, they charge at full gallop with sword unsheathed to attack the windmill of missionary service.
Idealistic, some have instant answers to questions no one is asking. After all, valuable lessons have been learned from Professor Lastword during his course on "How To Do It" at seminary.
The problem comes when the set pieces and scenic pictures somehow don’t quite seem to fall into place, and the first-termer comes face to face with stark reality. Oh ‘yes, the trip to the field was so very exciting and the honorable departure was right from the annals of Danny Orlis. The geographic location has been reached and Quixote has ceremoniously been dubbed "missionary," but now a distinction is being made between the men and the boys. The dreams of instant success are unfulfilled and the older fellow missionary just doesn’t seem to want to do anything about the newcomer’s sense of despair. In fact, a look into his eyes reads something like pure indifference.
The first-termer lunges and parleys, feints and attacks the vanes of recurring problems, all part of the apprenticeship each new missionary must experience. And while he pauses to wipe the perspiration of exertion from his brow, a very subtle enemy creeps over the ramparts of his security. Very much like the biblical Legion, the enemy appears in many tiny circumstances and situations. In fact, from the instant of the first-termer’s arrival on the field the enemy has been quietly chipping away at his defenses. Though formidable and very complex, this enemy is simply called culture shock. And the ferocity of his attacks can overwhelm.
Culture shock is not something written into the mission manual, nor is it imposed by an unsympathetic senior missionary. It is the total impact of the entirely new way of life in which a first-termer finds himself. These conditions are very real and their impact comes to the dreamer as a very stunning blow. All that is contained in his inner self, whether under the control of the Holy Spirit or not, is brought out into, the open and amplified. Tendencies towards selfishness, jealousy, envying and covetousness build up to a crescendo of tinkling cymbals.
And this is where the analogy breaks down. Don Quixote was just a figment of Cervantes’ imagination. The first-termer finds himself in very real circumstances, and instead of blindly flailing away at the vanes of a windmill, he is fighting for his self-esteem, his own raison d’etre. Unable to rationalize these elements of his psychology, he is going to get hurt.
It is no secret that the insidiousness of culture shock has sent many a first-termer packing for home. Without exception, each new missionary has a reaction to the way of life that is so very different from his own. Now he muses that his work is so ineffectual in comparison to his lofty dreams of instant success.
The language barrier can be identified as another vane of that relentless windmill that is so swiftly upon him just when he was exulting over his victory over the vane of his resentment to the maze of the mission manual to which the field director invariably refers at each and every inquiry.
What are some of the symptoms of this ferocious enemy, culture, shock? The endless frustrations and pent-up feelings can turn the most docile person into a rage. This becomes increasingly evident in the countless criticisms. One by one all is taken apart and put back together in the way the new missionary thinks it should be. The establishment is under fire, the administration has its weakness pointed out, the unfair imposition of language requirements are assailed, not to mention the very apparent shortcomings of his fellow missionaries. Nor does his wife or husband escape unscathed!
The ever-so-long fines to fill out on those utterly ridiculous forms, along with the heat and lack of language proficiency can bring the first-termer to complete exasperation. The feeling that one’s total preparation and precious talent are unrecognized only causes added hurt and frustration, and it is easy for some to react as our Quixotic example. While some develop a false air of superiority, others withdraw into an island of seclusion in the sea of threatening circumstances. Their depression grows deep enough to eventually engulf them, and they saunter off for home – health reasons, you know.
I must confess to you, first-termer, that we in leadership positions sometimes forget what it was like when we faced your formidable foe. We get into the gray area where there are no absolutes, and this is where Professor Lastword doesn’t have an answer. Nor does this writer pretend to be able to solve your difficulties. The problems stem from your idealism and honest expectations, augmented by your own personality, drive, and ego. Blended together with a new culture and new language, this mixture is then pressed into the mold of your peers with the pressure of your organization. There are no set pieces; no pat answers. I just offer here a few suggestions that have helped me to overcome:
* Assure yourself that your frustration is not peculiar to you. Each new missionary experiences this apprenticeship.
* Be aware that the enemy of your soul will use every means to disturb you. Expect the same.
* Maintain a close relationship to the Lord, knowing that his will is the one constant on which you may depend.
* Believe that the very trials you face today are your preparation for a full and understanding ministry in the future.
* Don’t try to be everyone’s conscience. Sure you’ve seen some strange aberrations of your concept of a missionary. But missionaries are people, and they remain all too human.
* Hold your peace and save yourself many blunders. After you have won your place in the ranks you will be wiser and more readily listened to by your colleagues.
* Make it your business to be the authority on the mission manual. Policy decisions are all there. Master the maze and you’ll find yourself asking less questions. Pages of requests and endless explanations will be eliminated. Result: No more frustrations, much more self-confidence. You’ll have your smarts, tool.
* Get busy in some task. Set a goal, a realistic one, and press toward that mark. Your fellow missionaries’ ineptitudes and obnoxious habits will not sidetrack you then.
* Make a science of your problems. The victory cannot be won unless you can identify the enemy and assess the force of his attack. Ask yourself how much of the problem is due to your own personality, your particular background, your own little hang-ups. How much of the problem is due to the other’s personality? If there is an administrative weakness, can it be corrected now? The best cure for your cultural problem is to learn the language. Work on it now. Make cultural comparisons and discuss them with older missionaries -you may even impress some! Play the role of a man from Mars selecting the best of both yours and the new culture – Soon, the cliche "’West is best, " will be erased from your mind forever.
* And, if you’re real serious about missionary business and want to seal your career forever , just let a national family get close to you, or, you close to them. Do things with them other than evangelizing. Yes, go fishing with them. Shop with them. Eat, play, and above all, listen to them. I guarantee you that your first furlough will be one of exasperation fighting off that boring western culture, once thought to be superior to all others. You might even visit Professor Lastword and mention that there’s nothing like a little experience to upset a theory. And you’ll be more than anxious to clamber back on the jet and head for the land of your adoption.
Oh yes, I’ve been watching and evaluating you, first-termer. Let me assure you that I believe those vanes are real! Yes, I understand your frustrations. No, indifference is not maintained to your hostile world. I love you and I am praying for you, for it is only as you stay close to the Lord, trusting Him alone, that you will survive. And, I want you to!
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