OM IN NORTH AFRICA
by Nicole James
HONOUR, SHAME AND TRUST
By living like Jesus, OM workers build trust with local friends and gain opportunities to share Jesus.
As foreigners in this country, the only way we can share with people is through relationship,” states long-term OM worker, Amanda*, who is based in North Africa. “We want to look for avenues where the gospel makes sense. Amanda, who has lived in her host country for over a decade, understands what maintaining a good reputation means for ministry in the local context. Therefore, she cautions new team members to be exceedingly careful about their reputations. “The way they live portrays a certain reputation, and already people see they are different,” she explains. Building relationships in North Africa requires an understanding of the potential friends’ culture – one of the most important aspects of which is the honour/shame dichotomy.
“THEY LOOK FOR SOMEONE THEY FEEL THEY CAN TRUST, WHO’S NOT GOING TO JUDGE THEM.” Problems and issues convert into the shame category. Praises and good grades fall into the honour category. Every aspect of a North African’s life lands in one or the other. Shame, however, only surfaces when it’s known. Dishonourable occurrences, as long as they’re secret, cannot be used to shame someone. GLOBAL 4
