Is There Racism in Northern Iraq? Hannah and Colleen describe how they observed different skin colors and nationalities are treated and valued in Northern Iraq. How were our black teammates treated? Asian-looking ones? Is there a difference between how men and women of color are treated? How did we as very white women enjoy being [...]
What's it like going to church in Northern Iraq? Colleen and Hannah talk about what "going to church" looked like in Iraq. A lot of people have questions about this and a lot of preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian living in a pre-dominantly Muslim country. Â Â Â Â Learn [...]
Hannah and Colleen chat about the various steps to the ever changing process of getting a visa in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. This isn't the nuts and bolts, just the experiences from our perspective of foreign bureaucracy and how to walk through it. We are so grateful for our Kurdish friends who made [...]
Do you love soccer? Are you looking for a 3-week adventure you’ll never forget? We are excited about a new opportunity to send a team of 2-4 guys to Iraq this fall to plan and implement a soccer camp for kids from rural villages in Northern Iraq. We’ve been sending teams to Iraq for 26 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
One of the most exhausting things about living in Iraq is the travel back and forth to the U.S. For a lot of our team members it is almost exactly half way around the world! This means lots of time on airplanes, in airports, and some time in hotels too! Our major take away today? [...]
