Nicaragua Post-Trip Reflection

My cross-cultural ministry just ceased! Not exactly.

Upon my arrival, I realized that my ministry was in a revolution! It immediately jumped from a relationship oriented to a task oriented. My mind simply froze. My emotion swells. What can I do? Well, I definitely got to re-evaluate my life as my cross-cultural ministry continues here.

Several goals:
-Jumpstart ASL "hang-out" small group for the springtime without any specific time or place to continue cross-cultural ministry in DC between two worlds.
-Advertise about Deaf Awareness event (for info, check noahbuchholz.com) and start to prepare a short, 15 min or so, presentation about Nicaragua coffeehouse where the funds will go to.
-Reunite with Nicaragua team for a dinner
-Look for any opportunity to continue learning Spanish in literacy
-Start to plan the next trip to Central America. I'm praying about taking a bus from Guatemala after a week mission trip toward Nicaragua to stay there for 1-2 months (July-August) to be able to continue advocating the Deaf there.

"His love is like a hurricane, I am a tree [not knowing what to do], bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy"

Ministering Cross-Culturally

"When Micronesians get together to work, their social interaction is just as important to them as getting the job done. Unfortunately, many task-oriented missionaries fail to comprehend or accept such a value. As a consequence, they end up rejecting the very people to whom they feel called to minister." -Ministering Cross-Culturally

I love those Micronesians! They valued the people more than the success. That's what Jesus did. But he didn't value only the people, he also valued the time. In fact, he missed a meal due to busyness that his disciples had to tell him to get away from the people. What did Jesus say? He told them that they need to get away and find food to feed them instead of sending the hungry people away. Jesus didn't stop interacting with the people, but he didn't pause his task either. He valued both equally. Are we a task-oriented or a person-oriented?

Well, I'm seasonal task-oriented and seasonal person-oriented. When I faced the relationship barriers, I became task-oriented person. When I lacked the time of solitude or was filled with new people, I became person-oriented person. In fact, I think I've been person-oriented person for past 3 weeks in Nicaragua, I admit that I carried the Bible with me a lot in hope to catch up with my fromgardentocity.com reading plan. I've been lagging a book behind for the first time! And I think that means I just passed the test as a missionary.

"If we are not meeting people and loving them through interaction, we have lost sight of the Great Commission and our activities lose significance."

Who do you think you need to interact within your mission field?