March 2008 E-Update

Angie Velasco

Dear Family & Friends,

I think every missionary has a cultural boo-boo story --- embarrassing things they do just because they are foreigners and continue to learn from their local friends.

Let me tell you one of mine.

A few weeks ago I had one family I´ve known for a while and one gal that is in my weekly Bible study come over for lunch. The usual lunch hour here is 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Of course being in Mexico, time is not a factor here. Even if I say to come at 3 p.m., if they show up at 3:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. no one gets uptight as no social event here starts on time. The family came at 3:30 p.m. and the gal came at about 4 p.m. We finally started eating lunch around 4:15 p.m. Of course no one eats fast, everyone has a story to tell and no one really cares about anything except to keep eating and talking. The next thing I knew it was almost 6 p.m.

I had forgotten that I had agreed to walk with my neighbor at 6 p.m. My phone rings at 6 p.m. and my neighbor shows up at my door. I was all confused on what to do as I did not plan on having lunch from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. My friends that came over for lunch, realizing that I had planned something else to do at 6 p.m., all quickly started packing their things and said goodbye as my neighbor was pressing on me that I had agreed to walk with her at 6 p.m. and that she only had one hour before going to a dinner at 7 p.m. Everyone quickly left and I went walking with my neighbor. By this time, I realized the big cultural boo-boo I had done. I should have told my neighbor that I have friends with me at this time and cannot go walking with her. This is the more culturally acceptable thing to do. You deal with what is on hand and forget about the person whom you had previous engagements with.

As soon as I got home from walking I called the one family and apologized. I also called the gal and apologized. Thank God both parties accepted my apologies, and praise the Lord it has worked out that my friendships with these people have gotten stronger instead of colder. Now, I know never to plan anything at 6 p.m.when I invite friends for lunch, as I have no control on what time lunch would be over. This is a very difficult concept for an American mindset when most of the years we have lived, time is a very important factor.

Now you know a little more on how to pray for me when I say cultural sensitivity. This means many humbling experiences like this one, so that I gain greater insight on how to fit better into this culture. Like many jobs, you learn from experience. One learns to be a missionary as you do the job and makes occasional mistakes.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support.