please don't touch. thank you.

I don't know whether or not it's possible for short-term exposure to a culture to start altering your personality, but I think it might have happened to me.


Those of you who are even remotely acquainted with me realize that I am NOT a touchy-feely person. You could probably call me a kleptomaniac, or maybe even organized before you could call me a hands-on person. Because I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, touchy-feely. Or should I say, was not?


All the social graces in my family were bestowed upon my mother-- she is a brilliant hostess, can make conversation with anyone, and has this talent for making people feel generally welcome. And that is where the social graces in my family end. I have been described as 'endearingly awkward'. Endearing? Maybe. Awkward? Ding-ding-ding. Spot on. To throw me in amongst a room of strange people always makes me feel like a dog that a bunch of guys threw in a pool to bet on whether it would sink or swim. That's just conversing with others. If you were to actually touch me...good heavens.

So, back to Africa. You would just be having a conversation and realize, "Okay, you are definitely going to stand here and hold my hand THE ENTIRE TIME we talk." or you are going to stand with your arm around my shoulders, or through my arm. You are going to drag me off by the hand somewhere. Or, hey, guess what, apparently everyone here wants to hug everyone else. Why must you people constantly touch me?

Yeah. And so then, all of the sudden, I was the one standing with my arms linked with other people, or dragging people off by the hand, or hugging people. Where on earth did all that come from? It was like, out of the blue, I couldn't not touch people. Someone commented, "Was that Ashlyn in that picture, lying on the floor with her arm around some lady's head while smiling?" Um. Yeah, apparently it was.

Temporary, or permanent change? I have no earthly idea, but as intrigued as I am, it freaks me out.

Aside from that, everything was incredible-- God really showed up and did a lot of things in and through the team. He opened some opportunities and closed others, but then, any mission trip is like that. He also painted an incredible picture of the global Church-- our family half a world apart. The whole thing takes my breath away.