Before we totally wrap up the Richmond box, I wanted to reflect on five fun things that we experienced at Orientation/training.
1. Cultural worship. Every Sunday night we had a worship experience from a different part of the world. Highlights of this event include starting 20 minutes late for South America night, having to wear head coverings and bring a prayer mat for Middle East night, dancing and making tribal calls during worship for Africa night, leading worship in Icelandic with Colby for Europe night, and having everyone pray out loud at the same time for East Asia night. The girls were especially cute with their head coverings.
2. The squatty potty. Everyone was expected to participate in this cultural activity at least once during our time there. Darcy was especially a fan and preferred it to the regular potty.
3. House church. Every sunday morning we met in our small group and worshipped together in the quad. It was so relaxing to not have to be anywhere till 10:30 in the morning. After the kids got used to it, it was enjoyable to have the whole family together. I am looking forward to having house church in Reykjavik, too…smaller groups=more intimacy.
4. TCKs. Has anyone heard this term (besides Keilan?). The phrase MK (Missionary Kid) which I heard all growing up, is being replaced with the new paradigm of Third Culture Kid. A TCK is a child who spends a significant portion of his/her developmental years in a culture other than his parent’s culture. One of my goals at training was to become aware of the challenges presented to TCK’s. I interviewed different missionaries and read a book, “Children of the Call.” During my interviews, I became increasingly jealous of all the missionaries in the Pacific Rim. Every last one of them has hired house help because it’s so cheap. Tough luck for me.
5. Darcy’s mirror: One of Darcy’s teachers, Chesed, had curly hair that looked a lot like hers. Apparently, when Chesed first came to her class, Darcy stared at her all day long. Finally at the end of the day, she went up to her, put her little fingers around Chesed’s cheeks and remarked, “You my mirrow.” Chesed wrote us a letter the last day of school that was so special:
“Garmans,
So, I’m pretty sure that I’m not supposed to have favorites in this job….but….I have fallen utterly and completely in love with your daughter! Know that as you guys go and live in Iceland, I will be praying specifically for Darcy and Haley. I have always been taught that heart connections are purposefully placed by the Father and I do not doubt His purpose in my loving your children.”
The rest of the pictures are not loading…stay tuned……
LOVE the story about Darcy-Doodle and her teacher! so adorable! and it is true, your girls are just so lovable, you can’t help yourself.
And Darcy is so beautiful in her head covering, so cute!
Miss you guys and really wish we could have been there this past Sunday at Stafford, sorry Annie! 🙂
So Stafford is in South America? We always start late.
Annie and Colby, I’m really enjoying all of your updates.
Don’t be too jealous of the Pacific Rim folk. In Bali we learned that it’s a cultural “requirement” for them to hire someone. If they don’t, they are looked upon as greedy because they are not helping to contribute to their community (i.e. by giving someone a job). It doesn’t make it any less awkward for them to actually have servants. 🙂
Oh, I totally scrolled past the part about Darcy’s teacher! How sweet!!
That is the cutest picture of Darcy! House church = intimacy, this is why we absolutely love our Monday night Bible study! We too like so many love your girls and your entire family. You will daily be in our hearts and prayers…
yeah i’ve studied “3rd culture kids” a little. Thanks for posting all these pictures! You’re going to have the absolutely most adorable third culture kids ever 🙂