While reading a plethora of articles today as I tried to catch up on my sources I started to think about how everyone in these research plans had to simply DO. No one on this earth could be where they were if they hadn't chosen to take the steps necessary to make it to where they are. Lawrence Corbridge, author of the
"Fourth Missionary" said that "your life's greatest work is you". And ultimately is that not what this is all about? Life...its about bettering ourselves through service to others in order to make it back to our Heavenly Father; it is about experiencing, about learning, about choosing, and finding. I would not be where I am today without the work I have done and my constant efforts to be better and to DO more every single day. I am constantly striving to do more and to be more like the quote above says, but what does that mean for my research? I certainly would not be doing it if I were not trying to do more and be more for myself and my own progression, but more than that I want to learn about other people in our world and how they do more and how they
choose to be more. Agency will certainly come into play in my research. The doctors and patients I observe will be making constant choices and will not know the consequence or why they are saying this and doing that, though their background lead them to where they are today. With that, our discussion about dealing with culture shock today made me think even more about the choices I will be making each day. In less than a month I will be entering a culture that is so different from what I am used to. I really only know two worlds. Roseville, California and Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. I have not experienced much else. Not only am I going on an adventure on my own, away from all familiarity, family, and friends, I am going on a journey that will potentially rock my world. I am going to see and experience things that I did not expect nor will I anticipate the way this experience is going to affect and change me. So what am I going to choose? Am I going to choose to let myself get overwhelmed in wishing I was home, or wishing that my field experience was over because it is too stressful, or wishing that I could just eat a hamburger already...no. I am human, inevitably I will feel frustrated, lonely, confused, without purpose, hungry, tired, bewildered, overwhelmed, and just completely lost at times throughout this experience. BUT, the beauty of those feelings is in the opposition. I will also feel joy, gladness, full, hot, proud, full of purpose, productive, changed, etc... There is no telling what feelings my experience will facilitate. I am an open book. Waiting to be written upon. My pages are blank, I don't know what to expect, and I am ready to let this experience change me. I am ready to embrace this African culture. I am ready to face these challenges. I am willing to let Heavenly Father give me a mountain to climb and I am determined to reach the top. I am ready to suffer through the sleepless nights and the weight loss from lack of nutrients because my stomach is not used to the food. I am ready to get malaria (lets hope I don't but it would be great participant observation after all). I am ready to take bucket showers. I am ready to rely on the Lord as my comfort and my best friend when I cannot call my mom at the drop of a hat. I am ready to make this a success academically, spiritually, and emotionally. I am prepared to CHOOSE happiness and positivity. I know that I have the capacity to overcome those days where I feel lost and lonely and confused. I know that I can ultimately learn way more from this culture than they could ever learn from me and I am excited to let these people and this experience write my story this summer. It won't be anything like Rita Skeeter on Harry Potter, no twisting and turning and changing the words to fabricate gossip. This experience is going to be raw. The things I learn and the words I put on paper are going to be raw. I am going to face new challenges within the scope of my project every day that I am forced to overcome. Problem solving and quick wit are two things that I am blessed with which I know will come in handy. I know that the success of my project is up to me, but like I said in my earlier post about what success means to me...found
here ... I am going to choose to make each day that success. This culture is going to change me and it is going to be hard. I am going to feel culture shock, in all of its stages. I am going to be as happy as can be and know my purpose for being there. And ultimately, I am going to bear my name, the name of BYU and the name of one of God's children proudly.
This is going to be a great entry to look back on while you're in the field. I wish I would have done that more during my experience. Right now--before everything gets confused by culture shock and the frustrations of doing a lot of things for the first time (and not being as successful as you'd like)--you know exactly what you want out of this experience, exactly why you're doing what you're doing, and how you're going to do it. While it's okay for those things to change while in the field, it's essential that you remember these first feelings and convictions. Remembering these during rough times will get you through a lot of your toughest hours that feel like days. It's going to be really hard to remember your purpose sometimes, but I think the best way to remember is to simply talk about your project/research/field study experience with the Ghanaians around you. Just get them started and they'll provide you with all the questions you need to answer to help you remember what in the world you ARE doing in Africa. Great post, Lauren.
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