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A Connecticut Girl Moves to North Carolina
Who knew that I would embrace a culture other than Chile during our time in transition.
Y’all I love North Carolina! Go ahead all you Northerners - start making fun of me for using “y’all.” But it just seems to work!
I’ll admit that our first few months in NC were a little rough for me. I was completely caught off-guard and did experience a little culture shock. For some reason, I thought that moving to NC was like any of the other moves I’ve done in New England. I mean, moving was kind of part of my DNA - five moves before graduating from high school, three years in Vermont for college, three different apartments after college. NC wasn’t going to be any different, right?
Well, not quite…
For starters, people around here seemed to be speaking English but it was different enough for me to be pretty confused for a while.
Why would a grown man ever say that his father-in-law “tickled” him? (Translation: The father-in-law made his son-in-law laugh.) It does make for a pretty funny mental picture though, doesn’t it?
Why would someone be “fixing to” eat? Was something broken? (Translation: Fixin' to = getting ready to do something.)
And getting around - what happened to giving directions that include actual street names, rather than telling me to go past “where the old A&P used to be”? Or when we are going into the next county over, we’re told it is pronounced “Rulfton” when it is spelled “Rutherfordton”? Or that the CVS is on the “five-lane” - but not the new “five-lane,” the old one?
I’m sharing all of this today because even though I didn’t understand many things unique to this part of the country (and still don’t sometimes), something amazing has happened: Not once have I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be here. In fact, it’s been the exact opposite. I’ve been received like a long-lost family member! And it’s these sweet, gracious folks who are teaching me about their home, while simultaneously sharing their love for Jesus with me and my family.
I’ve learned how to ask lots of questions, how to give and receive hospitality, and how to be a better listener. All things that are good lessons to learn for any season of life, but I think these lessons are particularly relevant as we prepare to be launched back to Chile.
I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be in North Carolina, but these are some moments I will always treasure:
Wednesday night prayer meetings at Story Memorial Presbyterian Church, especially with the ladies. Something special happens when Christians gather for prayer. Megan Hill writes in her book, “Praying Together,” “‘There are many parts, yet one body’ (1 Cor. 12:20), and this is beautifully expressed in a church prayer meeting. The thanksgiving of one person reminds another of a related blessing; the praise of one is expanded by another; and the request of one is taken up and advanced by someone else. We pray for one another and we pray with one another, allowing another’s public prayers to give rise to our own. We are the body.” (Hill, Megan. “Praying Together” p. 101). My faith is stronger having been a part of these regular, public prayer gatherings.
the Saturday mornings spent with Ronnie & Marie finding the best local produce at Irma’s or the Western NC Regional Market in Asheville. You see, those outings became so much more than getting a great deal on the ripest tomatoes or beans. We shared life together, as Bonhoeffer encourages all Christians to do.
meeting Kevin at the YMCA and learning about his wife Francesca’s heart for immigrants & the non-profit she founded.
always having a place to be for a holiday, usually at the Lonon family’s table. Man, there are some good cooks in that bunch!
the Mountains and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where God’s handiwork is on full display!
I am so fortunate that God sent us here.
This is exactly where we needed to be. So thank you Connecticut family, friends and our church family for believing us when we said we needed to leave the state as much as we didn’t want to be away from you guys. And thank you North Carolina friends for accepting us even if we are the ones with the funny accents!
Next up, get the boys over to North Carolina's oldest barber shop (right here in town) - City Barber Shop - and Mr. Bob’s Donuts for a treat!
