Our Creed on Culture

We, The Mosby's love God & His Son, our Savior, Jesus.

 We also love people. People that He created in His image, out of love.

We believe...

 ...that the differences in culture, people, language and customs are good & we celebrate them.

...that culture & differences among us are to draw us closer to Jesus & to glorify God.

...that in every culture there are pieces that are reflections of Jesus. We love discovering new cultures.

...that every person, created in the image of God, reflects aspects of who He is and His character.

...we live in a fallen, sinful world so sometimes, those pieces are really hard to find in a culture and a person. Sometimes they are buried deep. Sometimes they're buried deep by sin, government systems, pain, loss, grief, greed, selfishness, pride, beliefs, customs, and the list goes on and on.

...Sometimes those pieces of God, are more obvious and easier to see;  like; in the Chinese & how they take care of their family & in the province of Yunan, in the passion of the Koreans & in the beauty of Sorakson, in the huge smiles and hospitality of the Thais, & in their Northern Mountains & in their beautiful beaches,  in the free spirits of the Costa Ricans & in their lush coffee farms, in the determination of the Americans & the Tex Mex of the Texans ;),  in the simplicity of the Haitains & in the strength amidst the rubble of Port Au Prince.

We are determined to see God's fingerprints upon all the cultures He allows us to, even if sometimes we have to dig deep.

...that God loves every person and that Jesus died for every man & woman.

...that He is God over all. Over every culture & every heart, regardless of a country or culture's belief.

...in loving the world & it's people as Jesus loved us. Humbly, selflessly, courageously & fully.

...God wants every nation, every tongue & every man/woman to know His love for them by Jesus sacrifice on the cross.

What are some of your beliefs about culture?

If you lived in China, you'd know...

-that indistinguishable smell walking up to a public bathroom.

-that awkward moment you walk in on someone using the squatty because they don't lock the doors.
-the frustration that comes when your VPN won't connect.
-the excitement that comes when you find that random American food that you never ate at home but are still ridiculously excited to find & purchase at least 3 of.
-the skepticism you have of anything brand named being sold on the street.
-the hope you have that the brand name is real because it's a great price!
-the feeling of being stared at all the time.
-the gratitude you feel from Chinese hospitality.
-that taxi drivers are like free Chinese tutors.
-there are so many places to see and things to do in China, some that you won't find in guide books.
-that moment when your Chinese friend, server, student, coworker, etc. farts really loud in front of you and you try to hold in a laugh, because nobody else seems to care or notice.
-that clausterphobic feeling you get when sardining onto a 8 am or 5 pm bus.
-the heat stroke you try to avoid when waiting in the 20 person check out line at noon, 4:00 to 8:00 pm or anytime on the weekend, at the supermarket.
-the delight that comes when you buy 4+ bags of groceries for less than $50.
-how to cross a street, with a gazillion cars, who do not yield for pedestrians, and not get hit.
-the sound of the knife sharpening guy or electronic repair mans magaphone chant attached to his bike.
-where to buy hard cheese, tortilla chips or avacado in your city.
-that with a bribe you could get anything done.
-with a bribe you could get out of any ticket.
(we don't do either of these, but everyone knows, if you really want something done, you could get it done with money)
-the frustration of renewing your visas.
-the paperwork involved with renewing your visas.
-that lines and who was "here" first don't really count in China.
-you'd sometimes pay an arm and a leg just to get good Western Mexican food.
-pizza is ridiculously overpriced.
-taking toilet paper to the bathroom is optional for your Chinese female coworkers and students.
-you always have to bring your own 'paper' to the bathroom.
-there is never soap in the bathroom.
-Starbucks is the place to use the public bathroom: hello toilet paper, soap AND toilet seat covers.
-that moment where you don't have a 1 yuan for the bus so you just put in the 5 yuan you do have so the bus driver won't yell at you for asking for change.
-that summer time is NOT the time to go to the beach in China, unless you want to be a sardine, in which case, it's the best time.
-clothes are expensive here.
-food is cheap here.
-the daily "eye exercises" song in Primary Schools. "yi, er, san, si!"
-that that sound of an American ice cream truck, that once got you excited, that now annoys you because of the let down.
-that that sound of an American ice cream truck is coming from a street cleaning car.
-there is no season wrong for Christmas music or the wedding march here.
-Maybeline is something fancy, like behind make up counters, here.
- your friends will educate you on the "most famous" singers and bands in America and be baffled that you don't know them. (Here's a little secret: You don't know them because they didn't make it in America.)
-the feeling of getting a taxi after you've waited 20 minutes.

Have you or do you live in China? Anything else to add to the list?