Cross-Cultural Experiences = Good

One part of the curriculum here at Luther, and at all of the other ELCA seminaries as far as I know, is to spend a January-term (or some equivolent) participating in a cross-cultural experience either in the US or abroad. I can't say enough how glad I am that the seminaries do this! These classes add such a rich depth to the seminary experience. Even though I studied in Ecuador in college, I was really glad to have another opportunity to take another school-organized international trip. I think it is fair to say that going abroad often causes people to get the traveling bug, so I jumped at the chance to spend my first J-term at seminary in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala! (I'm actually in this picture, but you can only see my blue, T-shirt clad shoulder in the second to last row.)

Our trip was absolutely amazing--worth every penny and dose of Pepto Bismol! (Traveling doesn't always agree with my stomach.) We were there for a total of a few weeks, but because of the way that we were so warmly welcomed by the people there, you would have thought we were all long-lost family. We shelled soy and coffee beans, and helped build a playground. We went to neighboring towns to learn about the history of the area and hiked in the surrounding mountains. We worshiped with the community there and we got to spend a lot of time just getting to know people and listening to their stories. We also learned of the many struggles that San Lucas is facing because of social and political unrest, as well as the violent history that this community has lived through because of civil war. I also had the amazing experience of being one of the translators for the group who tried to express these stories for my tripmates. It certainly wasn't easy, but it was moving and meaningful for me to be able to do so. (I tried to spend a lot of time with the children because they spoke more at my level, but in the end we all seemed to get by just fine.)

It's hard to express in any succinct way just how important this experience was for me because it impacted me is so many ways and on so many levels. The faces of the people I met are etched in my memory. What I feel most strongly is a deep connection with the people of San Lucas as my brothers and sisters in Christ. Even though we come from extremely different backgrounds, we are united in worship of Christ as the savior of the world. I would challenge those of you who are able to take advantage of one (or more) of these amazing cross-cultural trips. It's true that you will probably have to step outside of your comfort zone, but it will be worth it and I guarantee that you will remember it for the rest of your life!