There has been a theme running through our lives for the past year or so. We are noticing it everywhere. We see it in several of our neighbors. We hear it in lots of our conversations with other cross-cultural workers (CCWs). We see it in immigrants and natural-born locals. It isn’t picky… it is prevalent in all socio-economic groups, all ages, and all races. So much so that Billy started doing research on it for his dissertation. It’s a growing sense of loneliness and the need for connection and community. It’s the reason that my neighbor stands on her front stoop every day and talks to whoever walks by. She lives alone. She’s in her late 80s. Standing outside every day to talk to the folks walking to the bakery is what is keeping her sane and alive. Because if she stays inside her cozy little living room sitting in her chair and watching TV, she will quickly lapse in to a deep loneliness that eats away at life. So instead, she holds court on her front step every day, waving and greeting the neighbors and having 5 and 10 minute chats with everyone who passes. She’s a doll! Paco walks his little Yorkie dog by our house every day. I’m convinced that the little dog is finished with his business long before Paco is finished with the walk. Actually, the walk isn’t very “walk-ish”… it’s more about standing in the park and waiting for someone to come along so Paco can talk. And that someone is me on many days. I take our dogs out and while the dogs all run around and check out every smell and every pinecone and every tree in the park, Paco tells me anything and everything. His wife died a couple of years ago. He’s alone now, just him and his little dog. He tries to wow me with his ability to say greetings or phrases in several European languages. He gives me the town history, or gossips about folks that walk by, because “I’m a foreigner and I need to know these things”. Really nice man. Billy and I attended a conference on Trauma and Resilience for care workers in early April. The research is quite compelling. The number one factor in resilience is Community – feeling connected to others, having people who you can share with and talk to, people who are there for us, who are available, who laugh with us and who cry with us. People who have connectedness and community are people who have the highest ‘survival rate’ when the tough stuff happens. Hmmm… Then I went to a workshop on Team Development, specifically teams of cross-cultural workers. Guess what the number one factor was for team cohesion and success. A sense of belonging and community. Hmmm… The thing that makes me sad is that the research also shows that the biggest factor that is missing for CCWs (and immigrants and refugees and anyone who is living in another culture or in transition) is a sense of belonging, community and security. Think about it. When you move, you immediately lose those things. There is a sense of feeling a little lost, you don’t know where you fit, your normal routine is no longer there, your friend group (and family) is now far away. Your sense of identity might take a pretty big hit due to these losses. Speaking from experience, I would have to agree. With every move we have made, we have had a sense of loss, a sense of no longer belonging, a sense of feeling insecure in where we are or who we are. Our friends from home are now thousands of miles away. Our families are also far away. Who do you call when you need a hand? Who do you call when you want to celebrate something or when you have had a bad day and you need to vent? Who just shows up at your house for an impromptu cookout on Friday night? That used to happen EVERY Friday night in Texas. But when you move to another country? The key is community. We are so lucky! We have never been completely without community. Sure, we moved far away. But we have always had our foot in several types of communities, no matter where we are. And, that automatically makes us more likely to be resilient, to be able to bounce back and survive the tough stuff, and to thrive wherever we are. “Everybody has a home team: It’s the people you call when you get a flat tire or when something terrible happens. It’s the people who, near or far, know everything that’s wrong with you and love you anyways. These are the ones who tell you their secrets, who get themselves a glass of water without asking when they’re at your house. These are the people who cry when you cry. These are your people, your middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people.” ― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way I’m going to make a little observation on that quote. Not everybody has a home team – because everybody doesn’t work to cultivate that connection - but I think everybody NEEDS one. We have these people! Yes, most of them are 5000 miles away, but they are there! They are always there. We also have a community of friends and peers who are CCWs. People who we can always call or text and say, “Hey, I need to talk. Do you have some time?” Yes, most of them live in other countries all around the globe, but they are community for us. They are a place where we know that we belong and we feel loved. They are the people who ‘get it’. I was talking to one of those friends just yesterday and I realized that she knows all of my bits and pieces. She knows all of my personality, my quirks and my ‘stuff’. She knows what I’m thinking and how I’m going to react under stress and what pushes my buttons, and she knows that it’s okay and I’ll bounce back after I process and chill. She knows that she’s Miss Bubbly and I’m Mrs. Reserved – but I wish I was more like her, and she has the unique power to make me laugh till my sides hurt. She lives 4000 miles away from me! And we talk every week. Folks, that’s belonging and community. Thank you, Internet! Messenger and Skype and other programs make connection work for us! What about local community and belonging? Yes, we have that, too. It’s a little tougher. Language and culture sometimes make deep connections harder to come by. It takes a longer time to cultivate. But we have it. We have local friends who do life with us. We have folks who we trust with our stories and our laughter and our tears, and who trust us with theirs. People who are helping us raise our daughter or navigate cultural norms. And there are a few who are on the fringes, who are just now – after 5 years – starting to open up their lives and connect. Trust takes time. Does it always have to be deep emotional connection to be community? No, not always. McMillan & Chavis define sense of community as "a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members' needs will be met through their commitment to be together." For my friend, Delilah, the ladies in her gym class are a community. They matter to each other. They notice when someone doesn’t show up and they call or text to check on that person. They cheer each other on in their goals. Do they all have a deep emotional connection? No. But they are connected. They matter to each other. For Ana (my neighbor across the street), community looks like all the individuals who pass by and chat with her each day. They aren’t part of a formal group. They don’t meet at a designated time. But they all stop and chat with Ana. They matter to Ana. And they notice if she isn’t on her front step. I have seen people knock and call out her name and check if she’s okay, simply because she wasn’t out there when they passed. The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food. ~Dean Ornish I’m going to challenge you. Right now – Who are your people? Who is your community? Who comes to mind when you read this? Right now – call them! Text them. Go see them. Reach out. Because this is deeply important! People need connection and community, and people need to be seen and heard and loved. So do it. Right now. Check in and let them know that you’re thinking of them and how important they are to you.
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Every time that someone partners with us in ministry, they become a hero. That’s right! Through their gifts and prayers, they step in and give a helping hand to us and to the work we do in Spain. Let’s give a special shout out to a couple of our heroes this month: Jennifer and Alan Shoalmire used their feet and their hearts to be superheroes this month! They challenged their friends and neighbors to raise support for this ministry by donating when they ran in the recent Run Houston! 5K race in Minute Maid park. By setting TMS Global and our ministry up as their Reason2Race http://info.reason2race.com/about-us/how-it-works/ they raised $388! That’s enough funds to sponsor 9 full days of care, coaching, counseling and debrief for a cross-cultural worker or humanitarian aid worker— that includes lodging, full board meals, and care services! That’s amazing!!! Thank you for helping give care to those who are in desperate need of a break, a little TLC, and restoration!!! To learn more about Reason2Race and how you can raise funds while you have fun in your local 5K or triathlon or marathon (any race, any time!), go to http://info.reason2race.com/about-us/how-it-works/ Thanks, Heroes!!!! Interested in becoming a hero? Want to have your photo or your business highlighted for being a hero and helping the ministry and care work we do? Check out Looking for a Few Superheroes for some ideas, or go straight to the giving link at TMS Global and sign up to be a hero in service to others. We are looking for a few Cross-Cultural Superheroes - people who can personally champion some important aspects of this work. Maybe that hero is YOU! Do you know of a business who might sponsor something on this list? Do you know a doctor or a care professional whose practice might wish to sponsor the important care work we do? Could your class or your group help? Could you put on a superhero cape and sponsor a part of this life-giving ministry? Situations currently in need of a Superhero: La Posada Care Apartment - lodging, full board, care / coaching / counseling / debrief for cross-cultural workers, humanitarian aid workers, pastors… folks in need of restoration and new life. Sponsor the cost of a one night stay for a cross-cultural worker to receive care? $40/night Could you sponsor a week of care and restoration for a worker? $280/week A small sink, a microwave, and mini fridge are on our wish list. The cost for installing the sink and outfitting La Posada’s kitchenette is budgeted for $1000. Are you the Kitchen Hero we are dreaming of? La Posada desperately needs a dedicated bathroom. Local workers in Spain have estimated the budget to be no more than $3000 for this work project. Could you give the gift of a good hot shower and a dedicated bathroom to the La Posada apartment? Local Heroes - Our presence in Antequera, Spain helps to build Kingdom in a variety of ways. We are active in our community and in service to others. Coaching local pastors, teaching in the church, building up and caring for other cross-cultural workers serving Spain, serving with the food bank, helping immigrants connect and find community, and leading discipleship groups are just a few of the things we are involved in locally. And every day, ministry in the local setting looks like doing life with our neighbors, having conversations with the single elderly woman across the street, and sitting in the park with the widower while we watch our dogs play. Our daily presence and ministry needs a few good heroes, too. Could you be a Dollar-a-Day Hero? Could you commit to $30 per month to help us reach out and help our community in Antequera every day? Already a Hero? Are you already a member of our Team? First of all, THANK YOU for being a faithful partner of this ministry! Seriously, YOU are already a HERO! Thanks for donning your cape and super powers and taking up the cause! Second - we have a few partners who are raising the bar… they are digging in and giving a little more each month. Gotta love a superhero who decides to go even higher! If you find yourself in a position to become a Hero at a higher level, we encourage you to do that! If you decide to add to your giving for us, great. If you decide to begin to support a new CCW, we can give you ideas and suggestions! We just want you to be a blessing to the Kingdom and God’s work, wherever that may be! “A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know that the world hasn’t ended.” ~Bruce Wayne, Batman If you are ready to put on that cape answer the call and help sponsor part of this important work, go to the giving page at TMS Global and give to this ministry. In the Give to a Missionary Box, you can type in our name and our account number #0321 and give online to help us serve others. We all need a hero every once in a while. Thanks for answering that call! |
Laurie DrumIn my USA life, I was a teacher in Texas for 15 years. I was also a professional photographer, a soccer mom, a horsewoman, and the neighborhood hospitality queen. I did "Joanna Gaines farmhouse style" before Chip and JoJo were even a thing - we restored an 1884 Victorian farmhouse in small town Texas and did shiplap walls until I thought I'd go crazy. I taught at NASA, scuba dived with astronauts in training, and studied animals at Sea World for educational purposes. I've tried just about everything, because I have an insatiable need to know if I can do it! Never underestimate a Texas girl in cowboy boots! In 2006, my husband Billy and I became cross-cultural workers (CCWs) with TMS Global. For five years, we served in three rural Quechua Wanca villages in the Andes of Peru. And when I say rural, I mean RURAL - like no potty! I spent my days in Peru learning to live a Quechua lifestyle in a rustic adobe house - cooking Peruvian foods, sewing with Quechua women, raising my chickens and goats and pigs, and planting my gardens. Now I live my life in small town Spain, serving other cross-cultural workers via teaching and training and care, and helping displaced people to navigate their new reality in Europe.
I'm passionate about fostering personal growth, growth in community, and growth in The Kingdom. Walking alongside others and helping them to use their unique design, their gifts and strengths and maximize their abilities to fulfill their God-given purpose - that's what makes my heart sing! Archives
August 2024
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