“Re-entry Shock” is a term to explain the culture shock when missionaries come back home after many years in the mission field. We too definitely are going through it. Since we left home, Samar Island, on November 1st, we have been living out of suitcases for 10 days in Seoul, Korea, 10 days in LA, California, now in Columbia, Maryland. Thus my body and heart are trying so hard to adjust to each time zone, weather and culture. Though my previous experiences tell me eventually my body will get used to whatever changes it faces, the issues of my heart are a totally different matter.
This past Thanksgiving was the first holiday get-together in nearly six years. That evening when all the food was spread out, I was literally shocked by the amount of food we had on the table. Automatically my mind was racing to Samar and the gathering we just had a month ago. For the 20th anniversary celebration of the SICAP Ministry, we had to feed close to 90-100 people for almost a whole week. Beginning with Sunday dinner to Saturday breakfast, seventeen meals altogether we spent $2,000 which also included two whole roasted pigs. Does it mean that the cost of food is much cheaper in Samar? Actually it is pretty comparable with the food price here except rice. Then how did we do it? Tons of rice with one side dish usually in the form of soup or stew which contains meat and vegetables. However, even that one dish meal is far better than our people usually have at their homes. By contrast, on the Thanksgiving table we had almost ten different kinds of food which were cooked by four different families.
I guess the natural part of the re-entry shock is to compare constantly between where you came from and where you are now. But I usually don’t verbally express it because a few years ago I learned a lesson. I kept saying every time we had gathering, “I can’t believe you guys throw these things away (meant disposable plastic utensils). In Samar we would use these for years.” Then Sofia got tired of it and said, “Mom, don’t say things like that. You can make people here very uncomfortable.” Therefore although I won’t say anything, in my mind, I am immediately estimating how many people I can feed with this much food. How long could these disposable utensils last in Samar ? I even think about our dogs and cats which can be fed for days with all the fruit peels, bones and leftover food. The difficult part is that we live the re -entry lifestyle back and forth constantly. After a couple months of plenty and comfort here, we need to re-enter back to the other life style in Samar again in January.
Hence how do we deal with these often head spinning encounters? Consequently over the years, we have learned to rely on things that remain perpetual like this enduring body of Christ we call our home church and its familiar faces. Around next March when we move most of our possessions from Samar to Southern California, our lives will again go through topsy-turvy moments. Nevertheless we will keep on looking upward for our Father and eastward for our Family.
From Missionary Ruth’s Heart
December 2, 2012