Don't Forget to Laugh

Well today marks the one week milestone of my time here in Portugal. Thus far, I can safely say, I am loving it! Getting to know Otto and Marjorie (the missionaries we will be working with) has been wonderful, and it’s been great to start getting to know people in the different churches here. I’ve been constantly encouraged by the little coincidences God has put in my path simply to encourage me and remind me that he will use who I am and the things I’m passionate about in this upcoming season.

Being a new culture has involved many wonderful little surprises. For example, when I logged on to write this blog post, I suddenly exclaimed “Oh my word! My blog is in Portuguese!” Not the actual blog posts, obviously, but all the little login buttons are no longer in English. The trial and error process that followed of attempting to figure out what was what very much resembles the rest of stepping into another culture. In so many ways, I feel like I am five years old again. I don’t know how things work, I can’t always communicate effectively, and I have a constant stream of questions running through my mind. Over the past week my team and I have been making our way through the murky waters of jetlag, braving the dangerous new world of the subway, and struggling to communicate using only the words “thank you” (obrigada) and “no problem” (no fashmal). It has been crazy and wonderful all at the same time. One of my favourite moments was on the train when someone got off after staring at us, and I turned to our language teacher and asked “are we that obviously different?” I immediately noticed the young man beside her start smirking. As our conversation continued, the smirk turned to a “look-away-and-chuckle-quietly,” to an outright chuckle, to just plain laughing at us. Before I knew it, we were all laughing at ourselves together. This is probably one of the most valuable tools we have as we try to figure out a new culture: laugh at yourself, and don’t take yourself too seriously! Remember that other people aren’t laughing at you, they’re laughing with you - just make sure you don’t forget to laugh!

We are learning about the Portuguese culture and history, which fascinates me. I love studying history, so I have felt completely in my element. We have been able to begin meeting people from a few of the different churches, and start to build relationships with the youth here. I’m looking forward to getting to know people on a deeper level over the course of the next seven and a half months.

I love new cultures. There is something about going grocery shopping, figuring out public transit, and trying to speak a new language that excites me to no end. I am excited for this upcoming season. It is going to hard and it is going to be challenging, probably more so than anything else I have experienced up to this point, but it will also be good. I eagerly anticipate what God is going to do in and through me.

Prayer Requests:

- For the ability to learn the language quickly and effectively - this will be critical for the majority of relationships we will have.
- That God will set up divine appointments for me to meet and connect with people, and that I will be mindful of those opportunities.
- That God would give me his eyes to see the people around me.
- For diligence as I continue to do school work while I’m here.

And I would also love to hear from you! Please email me anytime and let me know what’s going on in your life, and how I can be praying for you. My email is brittany.reddicopp@gmail.com. Talk to you soon!