Tico Tuesday, March 11th

You'll Never Be One of Them
It's the scary, most tense scene in the Sound of Music. The von Trapps are hiding on the roof of the abbey, and Rolfe has discovered them. Captain von Trapp comes out of hiding and tries to convince Rolfe not to give them away. But, a biting line escapes his lips, and snaps Rolfe back to reality, "You'll never be one of them."

I found Chowdah heeyah!

I've come to a conclusion: I will never be fully tica (Costa Rican). I will never have Spanish as my first language, I will always look like a gringa, and I will never blend in perfectly with tico culture. You might find this rather obvious, but it has been somewhat of a revelation for me, primarily the last point. If other missionaries who have been here for decades have not been able to adapt perfectly to this culture, why should I expect that I'd be able to? Just because my Spanish accent might be better than theirs and because I have always strived to surround myself with ticos/latinos instead of other gringos? Nice try, prideful machita (blondie)!
Over the past week, I came to realize that I had been expecting myself to eventually fit in perfectly with tico culture. I have learned an awful lot about it over the last several years. There are things I still don't get though, and some things I do get drive me CRAZY and help remind everyone around me, including myself, that I am a broken sinner in desperate need of grace.
And so, once more, I'm reminded of the high quality cross-cultural training I received through InterVarsity, which I didn't realize was high quality at the time because I thought I knew it all. At MAC (Ministering Across Cultures), we talked about different ways we could approach cross-cultural ministry. The two I recall the best are "Going Native," which I realize I've been trying to do, and "Incarnational," following Jesus and Paul's examples of meeting people where they are at and minimizing all possible barriers to the Gospel. I will never be a tica, and that's ok. That is not who God made me to be. He wants me to demonstrate his love as clearly as possible to my coworkers, the children and families we serve, the Arbolitos group from church, and everyone else I know and interact with here. I will never be "one of them," but that is ok. What matters is that we all be followers of Christ.
Thanks for walking alongside me and praying for me!
Love,
Carrie