This week Jairo and I went to eat dinner with some friends from the US that were in Ecuador on a short-term missions trip. It was a reunion of mixed emotions for me. On the one hand, I was really excited to see them, and Jairo was too. On the other hand, it was an awkward situation, because it had been over seven months since I had seen them, and I realized how drastically I have changed.
First of all, I have changed linguistically. It’s much easier for me to speak Spanish than English. Something that you may not realize if you don’t speak two languages is that the majority of what you say in one language you cannot translate perfectly into the other. In order to reach the point where you are bilingual, you have to not just understand the words but also the culture behind the language. You have to learn to think differently. In essence, you become another person. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I have experienced it, and have talked with many other people who have experienced it as well. So, sitting there with my friends from seven months ago, I found that they were the same, or maybe slightly different, and I was worlds apart from them.
Secondly, I have changed in my perspectives. Living a life of full-time ministry and immersing myself in a completely different culture I found I was often in disagreement with the most basic statements that my friends would make. My response was generally to say nothing; after all, there’s no reason to get into those long discussions when you’re only going to see each other for one day! It’s better just to enjoy the time together, I think.
It was an experience that will stick with me for a while, because it was when I started to really realize how “successful” my acculturation has been! I’m more Ecuadorian than North American now! What a strange realization to come to!
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