Daystar Ambassadors
Trip & Cultural OrientationOnce again, we want to welcome you to Daystar University and to Kenya. We hope you are ready for an experience that will provide excitement and frustration; challenge and stress; puzzlement and rejoicing; friendship and alienation, and the whole range of emotions, sometimes at the same time. This trip will be a roller coaster of experiences and that is why we need time to debrief on a daily basis. We will learn to be “obedient listeners” and we will develop greater understanding and appreciation for own living conditions and develop empathy for others. This experience will “change your life.” The first step in developing a mission trip is to gain knowledge of the area you plan to visit. Read as much as you can about the culture and geography. Here are a few customs or attitudes that may help you understand and appreciate the culture and customs in Kenya. Kenyans always greet one another with a handshake using the right hand. Conversations always begin with greetings and pleasantries even if the purpose is business. You will see and be approached by many people who need financial help. Interaction with beggars and crippled people, mothers and children will be a common occurrence. There will be a time when you will want to contribute financially and that is OK, but first, talk to your Daystar guide. There will be circumstances where giving money, even the smallest amount may not be the wisest decision. The cultural values differ between cultures. Americans are more individualistic and have a direct contextual thought process, while most Africans are collective or communal in their relations with others. We Americans are direct and to the point; whereas, Africans have a thought process that has a more implied interpretation, especially if the encounter is casual. The American individualistic personality can be perceived as cultural superiority. If one does not know a custom, it is proper to ask for guidance. If one makes a mistake, it is OK to say, “I am sorry and I did not know. Will you help me?” Questions about African customs should always be asked from the standpoint of developing a greater appreciation and understanding, not implying that our way is better. One should avoid terms like “black”. Not all Africans consider themselves “black”. The most helpful cultural suggestion is that you don’t have change your personality, but learn to “listen”. Remember, we are guest in a foreign country and we want to help, but also we want to learn. One of the greatest thrills of going on a mission trip is the unexpected. We all have to be prepared for an event that does not go according to plan. Experiencing events that occur outside of our “comfort zone” can be and often are the greatest memories of a mission trip.
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