Hannah and Colleen just got back from a wedding, and it's June! So they chat about their various wedding experiences in Northern Iraq, complete with fireworks, cars, photographs, and loud music! We found a few weddings on YouTube that look a bit like what we've experienced! 1. A Rented Hall (check out the bride and [...]
Hannah interviews our director, John, and his wife, Mary, about how they became parents while living in Iraq and what it was like raising their family there. Living in Iraq has unique challenges for parents. (While Colleen watched the kids!) Want to join us? We're always looking for more adventurous families to join our teams in [...]
Hannah and Colleen share all about the six things you can start doing NOW to get prepared for living overseas. Some of these may seem a bit obvious, others may seem like too much work, but each of these skills we found immensely helpful in our life abroad. To learn more about how you can [...]
Hannah and our Director, John, recently took a trip to Iraq to visit our teams there and to meet up with old friends. So we asked Hannah about the food, the weather, how things are on the ground in North Iraq, and lots more! Â If you have questions you would like to ask send [...]
I am hot and sweaty. I recently arrived back home in Suly after spending two days trekking across Northern Iraq to see the schools in Dohuk and Hawler (Erbil). It was an interesting adventure of bumpy roads, security checkpoints, and back roads. I was again impressed with the beauty of this country. The mountains and [...]
Part two on re-entry! Did you know it supposedly takes as long as you lived in the foreign culture to readjust back to your home culture? And even then, you are permanently changed. There is no simple "There and Back Again". Hannah and Colleen continue their conversation on how to adjust well and also give [...]
Re-entry is the evil cousin of culture shock and because it isn't talked about as much, often catches people by surprise. In this episode, Hannah and Colleen share about their own experiences in "coming home" to the United States and the struggles of re-entry. Submit questions or comments to Hannah@servantgroup.org or on FB, Instagram, or [...]
Sometimes I am astounded at my kids. This week has been… I struggle to find a sufficient adjective to describe the strange combination of blessings and struggles. One boy brought me a little charm of the American Flag. A girl brought me a necklace that she made herself out of little gold colored glass beads [...]
So now that you know all about what culture shock is (see part 1!), it's time to learn how we responded to it and what are ways to cope and come through with your perspective altered but intact. If you have questions or comments please send them to us at hannah@servantgroup.org.
Culture shock is a bit of misnomer, but we're jumping in and using it to help everyone understand what they or their friends go through when living in a foreign culture for an extended period of time. Obviously not everyone has exactly the same reactions, but these are things we've experienced and are reported as [...]
