God speed, little man

Mom asked me to write a letter to Erik's supporters explaining why he might be having a tough time, with the tragic news he's recently recieved, in addition to the difficulties of being away from home. Maybe you'd like to read it too...



Being out of your comfort zone can be traumatic. If you do not have a proper support system for traumatic events, they will scar you rather than help you to grow stronger. In our daily lives there are plenty of uncomfortable experiences. We each have "issues" that we face, and as we do, we make the decision to continue in comfort or try to grow through and above that issue. Sometimes we face conflicts that require us to chose between our passion and our comfort. Let's just be honest and admit that we usually choose our comfort; it's more natural. Some of us, however, attempt to be faithful to our God-inspired passions and trust that He will see us through what ever discomforts come along. Erik chose to go with his passion... He's in a very uncomfortable place now.

Just over 24 months ago I left America and joined the US Peace Corps. I now teach English in a small town in south eastern Bulgaria. If you haven't experienced life in a foreign country that is below the level of "developed," I can tell you something about it. I can't tell you what Kyrgyzstan is like, but you can assume that what Bulgaria or Romania is like, is intensified dramatically in the Asian countries of the former soviet block.

Any time you leave your culture, whether that place is developed or not, you must face a new and unknown culture. A development worker (and missionaries should be in the business of development on many levels) is required to attempt to understand and integrate into this culture. This assaults you on so many different levels. Your ideas of right and wrong are challenged. Is it Right? or is it just different? Everything you know to be familiar is gone, from food to sanitation. Etiquette, public and private; communication, group dynamics, ethical and moral standards, unspoken codes of behavior... And at the end of the day you just want a hug or a chocolate bar. Or mom's pot roast, or apple pie, or your favorite fast food take out. The effective development worker realizes these differences and is forced to analyze them, decide which they cannot participate in (for me, it's blatant cheating and race-bashing), and more importantly, how to delicately and respectfully show their own values with out losing the respect of the host culture. In my 24 months, I've learned a tremendous amount about the culture I'm in. I respect it. Parts of it I adore. Parts of it I detest. Every day I learn something new. And every day that I challenge myself is exhausting. Some days I choose to be comfortable though. I have the luxury of a TV, Internet, and a "supermarket" (that means three isles and two checkout counters, rather than shouting my order at the one lady behind the counter). I can stay in, stay warm, and stay safe. All Saturday, I can stay in my pjs if I please.

But what about when crisis strikes? For us in our safe places, we turn to our support system. That probably includes your friends, family, your faith, and your church. Some of us have some unhealthy things we do such as over eating, watching TV, or alcohol and/ or drugs. There are of course some healthy distractions, like music, exercise, socializing, and pets. But what about when those support systems are not available? I can tell you that first, everything seems so much bigger than it really is, unless you push it off to the side and don't handle it at all. Second, daily life becomes more of a chore and less than a great experience full of potential. You are merely dealing and managing- floating in a cocoon you create to make a safe place. Third, healing takes much longer. It's like trying to cure a wound with out Neosporin. It'll heal on its own, but not as quickly and not as cleanly.

Erik found out recently, as many of you know, that Eric Falk and Emmy Scott were killed in a car accident. Pastor Falk was not only a pastor and mentor to Erik, but a good friend and camping buddy. Another problem of being far-flung, is that frequently communication is sketchy. So Erik ended up finding out about this tragedy through a church mass email, rather than through a face or even a voice. Now, with nearly two weeks left in their service, Erik must face every day with the challenges this foreign culture, climate, language and people present, but with the grief of losing a good friend. In development work, every next day holds more potential than the one before. Your skills are greater, your contacts have increased, the host community has developed more trust and respect for you. This makes that last leg of the period, whether it's 9 months or 9 days, the most valuable for everyone who has invested in that development. Unfortunately, it is naturally a very difficult period where most people develop an exhaustion or "senior-itis" syndrome. Can you imagine adding to that the grief of losing a good friend and mentor?

We need to pray that Erik can stay strong and encouraging. He needs your prayers to be the leader and comforter that God has created him to be. There is a lot of development left to be done by that team and Erik, through his grief, frustration, and exhaustion must find a way to do the work of God there.