Culture shock? Me? Apparently so. During my trip to Benin last October, I went through a real, if short, period of culture shock. It caught me completely off guard. Having lived in Tanzania for three years, I figured I would be immune to African culture shock, but I was so wrong.

I don’t know exactly what triggered the experience, but I suppose it was an accumulation of new and strange experiences combined with my inability to communicate on even a basic level. Here I was, a grown man able to speak three languages, but I couldn’t even make myself understood on the level of a small child. The stress and frustration gradually built up, and after two weeks in Natitingou, I found myself sitting on my bed in the guest house in Cotonou praying about the fear in my heart as I contemplated going out to get food for breakfast.

I have since studied more about culture shock, and hopefully I’ll be better prepared for the experience next time. Culture shock is a common experience that comes from the disorientation we experience in a new culture. If properly handled, it can bind us to our new people group in a way nothing else can.

You know what? I want to go through culture shock again! I yearn to return to Benin, hopefully this autumn, this time for much longer than two weeks, and this time with my family! I can’t get Benin out of my mind. I like the country, and I am beginning to love the people. My little culture-shock experience has bound my heart to Benin in a strange, beautiful and unanticipated way. Thank God for culture shock!

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