Reflections From the Field: Highland Home

See Highland Home: Snaps From a Life in Southeast Asia.

Can you share a highlight from living in this part of the world?

Absolutely. I think a huge highlight for us has to do with the dynamics between men and women. Though discrimination exists, there are women at every level of society in every conceivable position. They are part of the very fabric of the community here. As a family with daughters, we found this pretty awesome.

We’ve experienced other places in the world where men can be super aggressive, but here we found that cat-calling and other nonsense just didn’t happen. It felt safe for girls and women to go to the market alone.

And because women aren’t hidden away, we didn’t have to split up to do ministry solely with our own sex. It’s normal for us to be together in public and make friends with other couples. This makes doing life with not-yet-believers in our community very natural for us.

What about a lowlight from living there?

A lowlight? Hmm. I’d say driving. The local people are some of the kindest and most courteous around. But once they get behind the wheel, all bets are off. It’s a survival of the fastest out there, and the stakes are high.

What’s the spiritual landscape look like there?

Wow, that’s a big question. A couple of things come to mind. There’s a saying that to be a national of this country is to be Buddhist. That is, their faith traditions seem deeply connected to every part of their identity. Yet these faith traditions often include a mix of beliefs, with influences from Hinduism, animism and even witchcraft.

This creates conflicting outcomes. On one hand, many people may seem open to discussing spiritual matters. On the other hand, Jesus might only be seen as a wise teacher or simply another force or power in the universe, alongside other spirits they try to appease.

Has following Jesus overseas changed you?

Undoubtedly, in ways too numerous to count, we’ve been stretched beyond what we thought possible and blessed more abundantly than we could imagine. We've endured hurts deeper than we believed we could survive, and yet we would do it all again if given the chance. Our sense of gratitude and thankfulness has grown stronger, and we see more clearly than ever that we can do nothing without the grace of God.

‍