Personal Narrative: Personal Experience

Critical Thinking #1

Through my short time in Uganda, I have gain a great insight from class this semester that relates directly to my experience. For example, through my host family, practicum, or interacting with other Ugandans. It has been an eye-opening experience learning about a culture that I have never interacted with or experiencing going to a different country for the first time.

In class, I am truly learning how culture does in fact matter. I am discovering how God is perceived differently in other cultures compared to my culture. Reading Primal Vision, Taylor states how others view “the inner significance of the complaint that Christianity is the white man’s religion” (Taylor, 5). I believe growing up in a Western culture, I have

Before reading compassion, I considered myself a compassion person, however this book has helped me recognize areas that I need work on. The book has challenged me and also encouraged me as well. For example, I had the opportunity to prepare a lesson at my practicum for the holiday program with one of the teachers. Through that interaction with the teacher, the preparation for the lesson could have been finished in ten minutes or less, however it took more than an hour. It was a challenge working with someone who was difficult to understand because English is not her first language. As a result, the conversation required more explanation and description from me and her. I believe that even though it was a challenge it was rewarding at the end because it was a learning experiencing communicating with someone from a different culture. As a result, I got to learn more about her and at the end I made a new friend. Through that interaction it demonstrated my short fall of not being compassion and demonstrating patience. In compassion, it states “patience involves staying with it, living it through, listening carefully to what presents itself to us here and now” (Nouwen, H. J.M., McNeill, D.P. & Morrison, D.A., 91). This experience has challenge me to be patience even if it requires giving up control and moving out of unknown zone. I believe that it has prepared and gave me confidence in striving to interact with other Ugandans the rest of my time