The Expat Blues

The lights dim as the red velvet curtain rises. The crowd holds their breathe in anticipation of when The Iceman will move those nimble fingers across the strings. The artist held that Fender Telecaster electric guitar with expertise. As he opened his song the crowd was enraptured as the band joined. "Baby, Baby, the ex-pa-tri-ate blue-oo-oos."

This scene has been playing in my head for a few months now. I would love for Albert Collins to play for me as he did for Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting ( Click this link or watch the video below).

Most of my readers have never lived overseas. So this blog series is for you.

An expatriate (or expat for short) is a person who does not live in their native country. Whereas an immigrant wishes to relocate to settle permanently in another country, expats, generally, do not wish to become citizens in the country they reside (Source). There are many different types of expats: missionaries, military or government personnel, people who work for NGOs, students living abroad, etc. (Picture Source below).

As a missionary, there needs to be some assimilating to your new culture. I have witnessed many people burn out quickly when they try to maintain their own cultural identity without acclimating to another. It would be hard to reach the people you are living amongst, if you do not try to speak their language or wear clothes appropriate to their culture. There are certain things to which you will need to adapt.

One of the main things you will need to adapt to is the food. Living in Nigeria, when I meet new people they always ask if I have eaten amala (a traditional Nigerian starch commonly called "swallow") or gbegiri soup (a bean soup). A Nigerian swallow is a starchy food ball that does not need to be chewed, but is easy to swallow. Think of a dense ball of thick mashed potatoes. When I respond in the positive, it opens up a conversation and they are super excited that I appreciate their food.

I met a Nigerian who went to the US for school. While in the US, he lived with a host family. From what he explained, they took good care of him. But he complained about the cooking. Nigerians don't think they have eaten a meal unless there is swallow. Food may be vastly different from what you are used to when you move to a new location, or even visiting for a short term trip. As a missionary, you should really hold to Luke 10:8. You should eat and drink what is placed in front of you. I have been to houses in villages in Nepal, where the host family feeds you better than their family while you are there. There are many places that if you refuse the host's hospitality, you have lost the audience to share anything about the gospel.

In the States, what I wear is an expression about how I view myself. In many cultures, what you wear matters. In my current culture in Nigeria, what I wear shows how I view the people with whom I interact. If how you dress is counter-cultural or looked down upon, you will probably not succeed in your endeavors. If I, as a native American, try to share the Good News of the Gospel in some Northern African countries, I would not even be able to open a conversation with the nationals without wearing a dress down to my ankles, and my full arms and hair covered. For all you fellas out there, in those same countries, you might need to grow a beard. Just wearing native dress opens the door to building relationships and shows that you care about the people with whom you interact.

The major thing missionaries should do is learn the local language. I have been asked by family in the States, as well as locals here, "Why are you leaning this language?" By speaking someone's heart language (the language you use when you are alone or praying) to them, it shows that you actually care about them. By speaking in the same language, you are removing all chances (well most) of skewing the meaning of what you would like to say. The saying lost in translation is a common saying for a reason. In Nepal, my favorite thing to ask when shopping was, "Is the Nepali speaking discount available?" In Nigeria, I have actually learned a few phrases in another language (not the local language) so I can get good prices at the vegetable market. (Picture Source below.)

Assimilating to aspects of a new culture is not a bad thing. Keeping aspects of your native culture is not bad. One expat blogger observes, "Living in a foreign country means that your idea of what ‘normal’ is will be challenged on a daily basis. At least until the day that you go back to visit your friends and family and realize that you've changed, and what used to be foreign has become your new normal" (Source). Remember, nowhere is as good or as bad as you think it is.

*Edited 10 July 2023. Removed potentially copyrighted photos and/or replaced with open source. Embedded the Babysitting Blues video.