Stressed out by Culture Stress

I was incredibly blessed the other day when I was reading my "virtual" missionary friend's blog. She shared a link to an article that I could really relate to. What an insight into our missionary life experiences. Somehow having someone verbalize what we have felt helped me to say it's "ok" that we experience this. I need to just accept this as a normal part of our missionary life. Reading this great article also helped me realize I have to give myself (and my family) space and time to combat and sometimes just weather through the times when it comes from nowhere and unexpectately zaps us, leaving us wondering what on earth is wrong with us and why are we so tired.
It's "Culture Stress". Not to be confused with "Culture Shock" which we've all heard about. You know the "anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, uncertainty, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within an entirely different cultural or social environment" (Dictionary definition) . Now I usually write off culture shock after a few months. It's true, afte awhile we aren't "shocked" anymore by the culture we are trying to live in, we are just stressed. And "Culture Stress" can last a lifetime.

Another thing we realized is that we experience this "Culture Stress" even living here in the U.S. during home assignment. It takes so much energy and time just for us to figure out how to live, relate with others and find where we fit in to this place we were expecting to feel like home.

I hope I have made you curious enough to take just a few minutes to read this short, but insightful, article on "Culture Stress". Click HERE for a peek into this often "Cultrually Stressed out" missionary life of ours.