Relationships

This week another long-term volunteer arrived at First Love. This volunteer, Gail will be staying at First Love for an even longer time than Anna and I. She has been serving with the orphanage for many years prior as well. When people have arrived at the orphanage to serve who have a long history with First Love I have found myself being a bit intimidated by their apparent standing. I know that they know more than I do about how First Love runs and from where she comes. I want to come off as humble in their presence and not an over-confident-4-month intern. Gail seems sweet. She has already invited Anna and I to her apartment for supper. Perhaps she will become a mother-aged comrade.

Colleague relationships are a curious specimen around these parts. If there is not a language and or culture barrier separating us there is 30 or more years of life. In social work no matter what sector I will be serving I will always have colleagues. These relationships will be most enjoyable if they're at least civil, preferably fulfilling containing mutual interest. As social work colleagues we should be hold each other accountable to the standards we work under in the NASW Code of Ethics. We should be able to confront one another in love and expect to be confronted when we ourselves have fallen short.

I have built a solid rapport with most of the African staff here at First Love. Most of them speak english really well, a skill for which I am thankful. The young women with whom I have grown quite comfortable are all 20somethings and work in the kitchen. They know how to use a knife like nobody's business. In the mornings I make sure to walk over to the kitchen where they have been serving since 5am (at least) to say my hellos. Throughout the day when I have a free moment I feel welcomed to head over to the kitchen and share laughs with those women.

With others however there have been less laughs and more disagreements. This is to be expected as I know people do not always get along. And the Lord even gives us standards of noble, mature confrontation in Matthew chapter 18. As professionals it is important that we hold to noble and mature standards of confrontation whether referencing the Word of God or not. With some people whom I have unknowingly offended, their means of confrontation have been less direct than I desire and than I think is helpful for maintaining respectful team relationships. This, I've learned is a very Kenyan characteristic. Apparently Kenyans are very passive when it comes to conflict. Those who passive-aggressively approached me (or approached someone else about me) were not all Kenyan but they seem to have taken to this Kenyan way of life.

Now I know that I am in a new culture and I have to adjust to the way of life around me. But when certain habits of this culture prove more unhelpful than progressive to our common goal of serving well at First Love am I still expected to adjust? When the characteristics of this culture are borderline going against the Holy Scriptures should I adapt? Hmm.  Something to think about indeed.

I am eager to continue building relationships with the long and short-term servants who pass through First Love.