A letter of encouragement from a missionary I deeply respect, who has pioneered social enterprises in Nepal and India to help destitute women, and is now starting a shelter for underprivileged and vulnerable children from the red light districts of Calcutta:
Dearest Wai Jia,
Thank you for sharing your struggles with me. I am happy to lend you my ears, please feel free to share.
I think you are going through cultural shock. The views of time and delays are very different between developed and undeveloped countries. This is not to put them down, as there are many good things about their view of time as well.
Once a Indonesian field leader told me, “You have got a watch, but I have got time”. Being people oriented is more important for them than being time oriented. In India, when people say “two minutes”, it usually means ten minutes; when they say “ten minutes”, it means thirty minutes. It can be really stressful to take them literally. But now I have learnt to interpret their words.
Someone once told me, that to really understand a culture, it takes 7 years, so do not be discouraged. It is normal for you to feel this way.
Continue to press on and keep asking God to fill you and Cliff’s hearts with love for the local people. The first year is the hardest but gradually you will find it easier.
We will pray for you both. Take care and take plenty of time to share and pray for each other.
J