Most everyone grows up in some kind of family, in a geographical region, in a language group, in some kind of social setting.... From all these sources, we learn from an early age how to act, we learn how to reason, we learn what’s “normal” and what’s not acceptable, and we learn how to think about our world.
We all just presume that our experience is the way the world works, and that’s that - until we go somewhere else, meet other people, and become part of another social group. Then we start to see that the world can be different than what we always thought.
Some differences, like language, are very obvious, but others, such as worldview & mindset, are more subtle. This adaptation to a different culture is a very real issue faced by cross cultural missionaries. The learning curve is often long and sometimes painful, but it’s so vital if they are to have any hope of speaking to the heart of the people they have come to serve.
Pray for missionaries to learn and adapt to a culture that is not their own so that they can share the message of Jesus.
Prayer: “Father, You have made the people of the earth in amazing and different ways but they are all made in Your image and need the salvation You have given through Jesus Christ. Please help missionaries to understand and adapt to the cultures they live in so they can bring your message to those to whom they have been sent.”
