new zealand: graduate culture shock
Two things happened to Ben when he migrated from Malaysia to New Zealand. First, he reacted to his new-found independence from family to take a break from school, relationships, responsibilities and God. Secondly, he suffered from culture shock, and spent the first year complaining about everything from food to the education system to church.
Fortunately for Ben, God didn't take a year off from him but gave him a persistent friend who helped him get involved in the Auckland Overseas Christian Fellowship, part of TSCF (the IFES movement in New Zealand). Ben became a committed member of the group.
Five years later, Ben was back in Malaysia, working long hours in an office, struggling with differences in culture, friendships, the church … in short, experiencing culture shock all over again! At first he thought most of the problem was the transition from student to working life, but then he began to see other areas where he had to adjust to change.
He writes: 'I had to rebuild old relationships again. When I got past the small talk, I realised that friends I had known for more than ten years had gone down such different pathways in life.'
Ben now looks back on the first months of his new life and sees how God has graciously helped him to adjust in many ways. 'I am learning to serve in church. I am getting to know my childhood friends better. Conversations on faith and Jesus have been few and far between, but by God's grace it comes up from time to time. If nothing else, I would be happy to be home just for these conversations.'
Let's spend some time reflecting on the people God has used in our lives to lead us to him and give thanks for those people. Let's also pray for young people who are wandering, that God would send someone to be part of their journey back to him.
Pray for international students everywhere who may be suffering from culture shock, that God would use their confusion, loneliness and openness to new things to draw them to himself. Pray too for Christian graduates in the workplace, that they will work with all their heart, as to the Lord, and that their lives might show to the world the riches of God's grace.
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