Though we're seven thousand miles from Uganda and transitioning to Kenya, we still have a huge investment of our hearts there. Perhaps the largest part of that is in the kids we have sponsored, which means that we continue to fill a parental sort of role in their lives. There are seven still in school for whom we are fully responsible, three partially, and two young adults who have embarked upon life (besides our medical students and biological children . . ). Paying and Praying are our main connection to these kids now, but I have the opportunity to send a few small Christmas gifts, which is the other main role of a parent. So Jack and Julia bravely accompanied me to two stores having good sales yesterday. None of us are super-shoppers, or great decision-makers about STUFF. But I found them very helpful in knowing how a certain thing would be perceived, what Ugandans might like. My last item was for the only girl, whom we've known since she was born, friends of the family and on Julia's soccer team, and who we partially sponsor helping her dad. I was looking at a display of necklaces and nearby were lotions and perfumes. So I asked Julia what to choose.
And she had no hesitation, which for those who know Julia may be a surprise. Mom, she explained, if you give her a piece of jewelry, then when she wears it, everyone will see she has something different and be jealous, and she wont' want to be excluded by the other girls that way. But if you give her this perfumed lotion, she can share it with the other girls, and everyone will be happy.
Which is why TCKs make good cross-cultural workers. They get it.
2 comments:
i love this.
thats my sister.
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