My Swedish tutorial sessions are typically on Wednesdays. My tutor is a Stockholm native Swedish woman about my age. She also teaches Swedish at the Swedish Club and Rosetta Stone online. I’m really trying to communicate as much as I can in Swedish, which makes it frustrating due to my limited vocabulary and beginning grammar. She is patient with me and graciously challenges me (but is not too keen when I sound like a Norwegian!).
For my homework, I was to prepare five questions, and she would do the same. Then we would have a conversation (with me trying to have a conversation). Thing were plodding along, when I asked her, what she liked about living in the USA. Wow! There was a lot! So, much so, I started wondering why I was moving to Sweden! We both prefer the weather in this area too!
I had to re-center and realize that I’m moving because I have a wonderful opportunity to live out my vocation as a “teacher of grace” as one of the Trinity students called me (though I’m also known as an academically challenging teacher, so I guess I teach grace rigorously!). I am privileged to walk with people in their journeys and to encourage them along in the joy that comes from loving God and loving others. I will have the opportunity to do this again in Sweden.
However, my move looks like it will be delayed. The huge influx of refugees to Sweden–twice as many per capita as Germany–has the immigration department bogged down. I found out yesterday that my work permit application will take over 7 months, not the 2 months in normal circumstances. This really puts a wrench in the plans for Anya to start school on August 18 and me to start teaching in the fall (75% FTE). So, it complicates things for my employer as well. I guess it is another opportunity to learn more about trusting God.
It was a discouraging day. However, now I have more time to learn Swedish. And if I continue to struggle, I can get this T-shirt to help me communicate. This T-shirt has 40 icons to help communicate when you don’t know the language.
Crosscultural sensitivities are a never-ending challenge. For my PhD defense, I’m prepare a “trial lecture” on intercultural and gender perspectives in the Book of Ruth and related to African women. Since I’m not an African woman, I have to be very careful here. However, I haven’t yet read a commentary or journal author who is an identified widow, and Ruth centers around the stories of widows. The non-widows still write about widows.
Here’s some of the books I picked up from the library and off my shelf for my lecture preparation. (I’m kind of glad that not too many people write about this stuff, so all the books I needed were on the shelf. It’s kind of like the good thing about a dying church is good parking–even on Easter.)
With blessings,
Beth