I was sitting across from our newest teammate as she struggled to put into words just how frustrated she was with everyone around her. She'd only been on the field for a few months, and the honeymoon stage of living life in a totally new culture had just gone up in burning flames. Plans had been changed on her at the last minute, and she was frustrated and annoyed. But more upsetting to her, she was frustrated and annoyed at herself because she felt like everyone else was just accepting the way things were and not at all bothered. 

We've all been there. Maybe you are also confronting culture shock for the first time after the excitement of your new life has started to wear off. Or maybe you are on home assignment and struggling with the same feelings of annoyance and frustration at the way of life that is no longer yours. Let me encourage you: this is normal. You are normal. 

Perhaps you are in a similar life stage as I am, trying to guide new teammates through the highs and lows of adjusting to a new culture. Chances are she is looking at you, thinking you've got it all together and feeling guilty because it seems you love these people while she can't… encourage her with these words: this is normal. You are normal.

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). Most of us would love to hear how amazing we are. How talented. How strong. How qualified. We want to be exceptional, to be special. But sometimes what really encourages our hearts is to know that we are normal, that the struggles we are having don't mean we aren't meant for cross-cultural work or that we are failing in some way. Just as Paul reminded the Corinthians that “no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind” (1 Corinthians 10:13), hearing that the culture shock we are experiencing is totally normal can be a real balm to the soul.

We've all felt it. It's normal to feel it. And it's possible to get through it.