Tag: United States

The Four Hardest Things About Intercontinental Travel

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts, Christian Posts, Stories14 Comments
Travel Airplane Sunset Lake

Intercontinental travel is part of being a missionary kid. Sure, businessmen and rich people all travel abroad, but missionaries and missionary kids alike travel, it seems, as often as we breathe. When discussions about the military arise, I always joke, “I’ll join the army; I would get seasick with the navy and I’ve had enough planes for a lifetime, so that just leaves one option.” Jokes aside, this is true. I can’t even count the amount of times I have been on an airplane, let alone the thousands of hours driving to particular destinations.

Despite being a “veteran” within traveling, there are still several changes that affect me greatly when changing countries or even continents. Indeed, the latter proves to be far more difficult, as country changes usually stay within continents, reducing the cultural change therein. Driving from Uganda to Kenya will prove far easier then flying from Uganda to the United States. The differences between Uganda and Kenya, while existent, are minimal compared to the differences between Uganda and the USA. These changes are massive, and despite the experience I have in “continent hopping”, they still hit me like a punch in the gut. Some, such as jet lag, can be reduced with experience, but there are four others that seem particularly difficult to avoid.

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Three Reasons You Should Celebrate Halloween

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts31 Comments

Pumpkins

Halloween, the spooky holiday. Commonly understood as Christianity’s most controversial holiday, Halloween is the subject of much talk during the month of October. Kids, excited for a new holiday, prepare their costumes weeks in advance. Moms buy literal pounds of candy, ready to give it out to any hungry trick-or-treater. Dads buy new garden hoses, preparing to spray any potential pranksters (see Calvin and Hobbes for more details).

Today is Halloween day. In just a few hours, children will be preparing to don costumes and eat candy. Across the continent, hundreds of thousands of children wait in joyful expectation. However, many parents are anxious.

Halloween is a holiday that provides potential kidnappers easy access to stray children. On a day with throngs of children in the streets, who would miss one? This, and more, goes through every adult head during Halloween.

Despite its drawbacks, Halloween is often described as one of the most fun and enjoyable holidays that we celebrate. After all, who doesn’t love dressing up to get free candy? However, too many, Halloween isn’t a question of safety but a matter of conscience.

Across the United States, thousands of parents lock their doors and close their blinds, quietly protesting what they claim is “a dark holiday that celebrates death”. While their claims may have some legitimacy, I personally believe that all Christians should celebrate Halloween, and here’s why.

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America or Uganda?

On By Elisha McFarlandIn Blog Posts7 Comments

 

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You know, as an MK to Uganda, I receive a lot of weird questions from both sides of the globe. When in Uganda, I receive strange questions about America. When in the USA, I receive strange questions about Africa. Interestingly, there is one question that appears on both sides of the planet. This question was actually something I wrestled with for over three years. Here’s how it usually goes.

“Out of both the United States and Uganda, which is your favorite country?”

Or

“You’ve lived in two totally different cultures. Which one is your personal favorite?”

Some of you will laugh that this seemingly simple question has been something I’ve drastically wrestled with for years. Others, having asked me this question, will scratch their heads, unsure as to why this question is so difficult to answer.

It should be simple, right?

Honestly, it’s far harder than you would think. There are elements in both countries that I love and hate. For one, I love pizza! That, to me, is one of the best things about the USA. However, I also hate the “my personal space” atmosphere found in America. The fact that you don’t greet that random dude on the street often grates on my nerves. While in Uganda, that man would have greeted you cheerfully, without any regard for “stranger danger”. But upon arrival in the United States, I instead find that the harmless runner on the sidewalk will call the cops if you say hi.

Honestly, if you are repetitively telling your kids “stranger danger”, then how do you expect to meet anyone?

Anyway, I digress. There are many, many factors to my likes/dislikes of the USA and Uganda. Despite these, there is no clear cut answer. As a country, I find that I like Uganda a bit better than the USA. However, the USA also contains some of my favorite people.

So, to answer the question: I can’t answer the question. There you are. There is no real answer to that. While I like and dislike things about both countries, there isn’t a clear-cut answer to the dilemma.

So, if you ever have the misfortune of meeting me, or you somehow already know me, make sure to ask me: What do you like and dislike about the United States? You will receive an interesting answer!

 

Alright, that’s all for today. Thanks for reading! Also, I’d like to apologize for my inconsistency in blog posts. Our internet has been down for the last week, and I’ve found it very difficult to publish posts. Please bear with me!