Besides nurturing your relationship with God, here’s another strategy for persevering through Culture Shock, the second in the Stages of Acculturation.
Nurture Your Relationship with Your Spouse.
This is another commitment that is significantly longer than the commitment to service overseas. You said, “Till death do us part.” Be sure that you are doing things that continue to give that that message. For the first time in your marriage, you may have to do things differently. You may have to rearrange your daily schedule, to make special meals, or sit and listen at times that weren’t needed before. You may have to make unique sacrifices that were not needed in your homeland.
If your spouse is suffering from “culture shock” you will need to attend to him or her in special ways until he or she comes through it. Do everything you can to communicate, “We are forever” and “We will go through this together.” When your spouse is struggling with the language or with adjusting to a new home, with your actions say, “I will wait for you.” For example, if your spouse cannot handle having many guests, wait a while before freely inviting neighbors into your home.
I wish I could say that I was good at communicating my commitment to my husband while we lived in Mongolia. But, actually, this strategy is written in hind-sight. I’m afraid selfish motivations and a strong sense of obligation pushed me during the stressful times of living overseas, and I did NOT know how to put my husband’s needs above my own.
