Time......

As an American, fill in the blank below:

Time is __________

Virtually every American knows that time is money. We need to SPEND our time wisely we need to SAVE time and not WASTE time...etc...

When we sat down with the missionaries here, one of the first things we were told is that as Americans, our culture has an entirely different perspective on time that is ingrained into us.

As you might expect, to the average Mexican, time is not a commodity. Time is life. It is meant to be enjoyed an not broken into small segments and managed. In this culture, love and friendship are commnicated by time spent together. As we`ve spoken with the missionaries, they`ve told us that one big adjustment here is that a neighbor might drop by and spend 2 or 3 hours visiting with you, or ask you to stop by for almuerzo (our lunchtime) or for the eveing meal, but then want you to say for hours and visit.

As I thought about this, I compared this with my own life in the states. I have 4 houses that surround me and I barely know the names of my neighbors. Most of them have never been inside my home, let alone over for a meal. I imagine your situation may be somewhat similar.

It`s funny that you really don`t see the ingrained parts of your own culture very well, until you are placed in a situation where the practices are entirely different.