A Matter of Perspective

[Note: Please realize my intention here is not to promote or condemn any political system. It is clear from Scripture that believers are to respect and pray for their leaders regardless of the political system. I simply want to show the importance of understanding the mindset of another person or group of people.]

Living for an extended time in another culture will bring a person face to face with many differences.  A different language, different foods, different clothes- all of these are surface things that are easier to identify.  The differences in a way a group of people think may not be so readily seen.  However, understanding those differences is of utmost importance- especially for one who is seeking to share the Gospel cross-culturally.  A good example of this is a person’s perception of the USSR. 

I grew up in free, democratic, capitalistic America.  I was taught that it was a good idea that our Founding Fathers created the three branches of government to check and balance each other.  We have presidents, not dictators.  I was taught that Communism is a corrupt system.  I heard about the religious intolerance in the USSR.  Looking back, I realize that without anyone specifically teaching me, I came to the assumption that all governments should be like the United States.’ 

It was a t-shirt that began opening my mind to a different perspective.  During our survey trip in Moldova in 2008, we saw a shirt with the letters “СССР”- the Russian equivalent to USSR.  As a freedom-loving son of America, it was hard for me to fathom why anyone would want to be back under the Soviet Union. 

Bit by bit I began to understand more.  A conversation with a Moldovan pastor this past week helped me put those little snippets of information in perspective and begin to see the big picture.  It would take too much time and thought to present everything, so I will just try to summarize a couple of key lessons I have learned.

1. While believers in general (and Baptist believers in particular) were oppressed and persecuted when the Soviet Union was in power, many unreligious and Orthodox people were not.  They had a place to live.  They had a job.  They had income.  They had plenty to eat.  Children got the best the state could offer.  People could afford the best health care that was available.  There was structure and regulation in society.

2. For many, life now in the Republic of Moldova is not easy.  Jobs are scarce.  Around one-fourth of the population works outside the country.  Housing, food, and health care are expensive.  There are societal issues that were never a problem under the Soviet Union, for freedom is only as good as the personal responsibility of those who live under its banner.

3. Because of the above two points, many Moldovans, especially the older generation, talk of their life under the Soviet Union as the “good old days.”  If they did not personally experience the oppression in the past, it is easy for them to look back fondly on those days.  Many would give up what they have now to go back to what they had then. 

My point: We are here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to minister to people.  Each of those things is built on interaction with people.  If I do not understand what a person thinks, or, more importantly, why he thinks that way, I will be greatly hindered in my ministry to him.  It is crucial that my love for others is more important to me than my loyalty to my cultural ways of thinking.   

A Reminder from a 10-year-old

As with anything new, learning another language is exciting at first. Mimicking the unique sounds of the new language, learning the first few vocabulary words, picking out a word or two from a conversation and having a sense of new found knowledge are all exhilarating things . . . at first.

As time wears on, the thrill of learning another language fades and each aspect of the process starts to resemble something else.  Inability to form sounds correctly, failure to recall a vocabulary word, a feeling of helplessness when you cannot make someone understand you- all of these can be very frustrating.  The student finally realizes that language learning is less like an adventure and more like old-fashioned hard work.

About three month into our Russian lessons, I finally came face to face with the difficulty of the task.  Things became more and more maddening until the Lord allowed me to learn a simple lesson from a 10-year-old.

About the time Russian was overpowering me, we had begun helping a lady from church in her English lessons.  She taught the class and we were there to help the students with their pronunciation.  One week, the beginner class came to the question words in English- who? what? where? etc.  The teacher had us begin saying the words in English and the students would answer with the corresponding word in Romanian.

This back-and-forth exercise grew in intensity when I kept asking the one word a 10-year-old student kept getting wrong.  She was determined to answer each question correctly and to answer them as quickly as possible.  Each incorrect answer simply fed her competiveness to not get it wrong the next time.

I needed that little circumstance more than I realized.  As I thought about it later, I came to the conclusion that I was no longer enjoying learning Russian.   All I could see were the obstacles.  I failed to see the excitement of it.  By simply having fun learning, a 10-year-old taught me a lesson I greatly needed.

Hughes News #31

Dear Friends,

Being able to accurately gage our progress has been one of the more difficult aspects of language learning. While we are certainly months away from being functional in Russian, we are thankful for some encouraging signs. Our knowledge of the grammar continues to grow. Also, increased understanding has boosted our confidence. The added confidence has greatly helped us with our speaking.

Recently we were guests at a friend’s home for a second time. This time we understood much more and were able to add to the conversation. That was definitely the most exciting part! The visit was valuable not only for the practice time, but also for the cooking lesson. Our friend graciously taught us how to make two traditional Moldovan dishes.

The Lord has provided us some opportunities to serve others. Each week, we help a lady from church teach English to young people. Right now, we primarily help the students with their pronunciation. While teaching English is certainly not our ultimate goal, we welcome the chance to serve. On Sunday, one of the pastors of the church approached me about getting involved in some of the church’s ministries. Serving in a ministry will allow us to both minister to others and be stretched in our Russian. Thank you for your interest in our lives and your prayers for our ministry!

Prayer Requests:
1. For us to make steady progress in Russian
2. For a family to work with us here
3. For a church ministry in which to serve

Praises:
1. Noticeable progress in Russian
2. Budding Moldovan friendships
3. Ministry possibilities

In His service,
Jacob & Viola

"Tie your shoes and pray for the Hughes."