Cultural Reflections

I went to my first staff meeting last week and during the meeting, all of the younger kids were here since the house parents had to come. It was absolutely crazy with all of them running around the courtyard! The craziness of it all is both endearing and intimidating. I love seeing the kids interact with each other and have fun. It’s also intimidating, because it’s so different than what I’m used to since I only had one sibling. The boys are so full of energy, always running around and antagonizing each other. The girls are precious – some of them run around, while others are content to just sit and talk. But the thing that always sticks out to me when all of the kids are together is just how full of life it is. That’s the best way I can describe it. It’s like here, the Mexican people really know what’s important and really know how to live. There are so many things I love about the culture ...

-One of the biggest things is the almost non-existent concept of time. This can be annoying at first, especially for someone like me who plans everything. But here, time is not of the essence. Time does not govern everything. No one skips out on a conversation because “they don’t have time.” There is always time for conversation. I love this.

-The people are very friendly. They always make a point to greet everyone. This is very different than what I’m used to. Usually, you just greet the people you know and are genuinely excited to see. But not here. Everyone matters. Everyone is worth greeting. I am trying to remember this and be good about introducing myself and greeting others since it is a cultural norm - and a good one at that!

-Another thing I see is a team mentality. I am so impressed with how hard the people work to get things done. After church, everyone helps pick up the chairs. Here at the Genesis House, every girl has a daily chore that they are responsible for - cooking (which is no easy feat with the stoves here... I learned that last summer cooking french fries), cleaning, cutting the grass, mopping, etc. If there's something that needs to get done, everyone is willing to help and willing to help almost immediately.

-Life here is very family oriented. Everyone pitches in with the younger kids. It doesn’t matter if they are yours or not, you take care of them and look out for them. All of the adults and children seem to be inherently good with babies. Meal times are always filled with conversation and laughter.

-Church is truly a time of worship. People clap, sing, and lift their hands with enthusiasm - it's all about God. Singing is something genuinely enjoyed, not just done out of routine. The service usually lasts for about 2 hours with worship, announcements, communion, testimonies, and prayer. The service is interactive as people go up to the front to give testimonies or to be prayed over. Visitors are always acknowledged during the service and asked to stand up so they can be welcomed. When the service ends, most people stick around for awhile to greet others and enjoy fellowship. No one is in a rush to leave. I think this is the way the church is supposed to be, the way the family of God is supposed to be.