overseas life and faith
Birthdays are a great reason to celebrate, eat familiar food, and enjoy community when it often feels like all those things have been stripped from you (at least for a while). But what about all the opportunities for unmet expectations? Are there perks to having birthdays in a country other than your own?
What’s helpful to have for monsoon season? Here are 6 things I like to have with me to weather the storms.
This is what you might see if you visit a village in South Asia. The sights, the food, the roads, the animals, the beauty, and the people. Oh, and how do you get two vehicles across a rushing river with only a small foot bridge?
We wanted our wedding to reflect the true purpose for marriage & the Creator of marriage, to be a blessing for our friends and family, and to just be fun. For us, that meant lots of people, the outdoors, a casual atmosphere, barbecue, cookies (I’m not a huge cake person), & dancing. We also wanted our vows to be something that we could truly reflect on and cling to throughout all seasons of marriage– in the valleys and on the mountain tops.
One Saturday morning during monsoon, we found ourselves in a beautiful little hippy hang out full of Aladdin pants, dream catchers, and more.
We knew life would look different overseas but we didn’t realize exactly how and in what ways it would change. There are some things we knew about the culture in general but didn’t realize how much it would effect us and our marriage. We hope this gives you a glimpse into what we’ve experienced in our marriage overseas.
We were craving some time outdoors and just a cheap break away from normal life, technology, and the busyness of daily life. Even though it was monsoon season, we decided to take a risk, pack our rain gear and go for it. Although we thought about it a little bit ahead of time, it still seemed lasted minute so I just grabbed some food we had in the pantry and quickly ran by the store.
My desk is filled with language learning scraps, books, notebooks, flashcards, colorful markers, and assignments. It’s a place where I have language lessons on Skype, plan my time, study flashcards, and do language and computer work. Studying can feel monotonous and learning can feel slow which is why I knew I needed a space I could make my own.
Corporate worship took place in a house. We all sat on mattresses on the floor and the hubs and I worshiped in a language other than our own. After the message, we passed around the offering basket (a bright blue bag) as usual, each putting our hand inside and dropping colorful money. Next, we sipped hot chai and munched on banana chips as we talked (or attempted to speak) in the language.
You don’t really end up celebrating holidays overseas unless you make it happen. There’s no decor at Hobby Lobby or Target to remind you of what’s coming up or work calendars with the day marked “Holiday.” When you live overseas, you have to remember holidays, initiate, plan, and create so the day doesn’t come and go without you even celebrating it.
So, the hubs and I decided to host a 4th of July Party. I had no decorations except for 2 little American flags I inherited from someone who went back to the States.
