Team Italy One Deals With Culture Shock
By Niki Thiessen
April 1, 2008
Four months into their stay, Avant Ministries Team Italy One is learning to negotiate the affects of culture shock with their work. The team takes language intensives to minimize cultural barriers, but it is a slow process.
“For the first time, I felt the gravity of being in a place where I will never completely fit in,” team member Donna Pace said.
The affects of culture shock aren’t normally apparent at the beginning of a person’s stay in a foreign country. Excitement about a new adventure and hope for a productive trip often outweigh feelings of insecurity and doubt.
For Team Italy One, after the initial excitement of moving to Italy wore off, they began to encounter the difficulties of living in a place where they could not speak the language. Everyday activities that are often taken for granted at home became exhausting escapades in Italy.
“I basically would use hand gestures, English words, and if I was lucky I might know one correct Italian word,” team member Dustin Mahoney said...
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