The newness wears off
Ryan and Sarah Warner are beginning to feel the stress of adjusting to a new culture and a new language as they minister among the Akolet people of Papua New Guinea.
"Our first month [among the] Akolet was a lot of fun," Ryan wrote. "We got to experience a bunch of new stuff and the people were really nice because we were new. We were excited to get up and learn new words every day and couldn’t wait to get out and explore our new surroundings. But then the newness started to wear off ...."
Now the Warners are facing the reality of living in a remote culture and are dealing with the stress of everyday life.
"We have found ourselves completely exhausted, quick to get frustrated … , very emotional when things don’t go exactly as planned and some days we really don’t want to leave the house," wrote Ryan.
Ryan and Sarah know that this is a small part of the effects of culture shock. Sarah finds that even fixing a simple meal can be complicated. Making scrambled eggs for breakfast can turn into a real hassle when you have to open 7 eggs to find two that are not spoiled. She made a serious dent in the eggs that are supposed to last for three months. She felt overwhelmed and the day hadn’t even started yet.
As they work hard at learning the Akolet language it is frustrating to find that their one-year-old son Elijah is learning as quickly as they are without even trying.
Pray for Ryan and Sarah as they adjust to the Akolet culture. Pray that they will begin to build close relationships and that their remote village will soon feel like home.
"Our first month [among the] Akolet was a lot of fun," Ryan wrote. "We got to experience a bunch of new stuff and the people were really nice because we were new. We were excited to get up and learn new words every day and couldn’t wait to get out and explore our new surroundings. But then the newness started to wear off ...."
Now the Warners are facing the reality of living in a remote culture and are dealing with the stress of everyday life.
"We have found ourselves completely exhausted, quick to get frustrated … , very emotional when things don’t go exactly as planned and some days we really don’t want to leave the house," wrote Ryan.
Ryan and Sarah know that this is a small part of the effects of culture shock. Sarah finds that even fixing a simple meal can be complicated. Making scrambled eggs for breakfast can turn into a real hassle when you have to open 7 eggs to find two that are not spoiled. She made a serious dent in the eggs that are supposed to last for three months. She felt overwhelmed and the day hadn’t even started yet.
As they work hard at learning the Akolet language it is frustrating to find that their one-year-old son Elijah is learning as quickly as they are without even trying.
Pray for Ryan and Sarah as they adjust to the Akolet culture. Pray that they will begin to build close relationships and that their remote village will soon feel like home.