Terminology

When we were students, studying to live in a cross-culture environment, we use to say things like;
‘Tribal people’
‘Those people’
‘Villagers’
And the worst, ‘Our people’

But after 5 years living among these amazing people, our vocabulary has changed. Now, we cringe when we hear our friends labeled as ‘tribal’, ‘ours’, ‘those people’, etc.

Instead these people now have names, titles, relationships. They are now our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents. They are our neighbors and friends. Some we know as teachers, officials or church-mates.

We no longer see this place as ‘our village’ or these people as ‘our people’, actually, we are grateful that they even allow us to live here. The truth is, we are THEIR people in THEIR village! What an honor.

Dinner with friends. Well, they feel more like family to be honest!

The only world Ally knows, one full of black hair and eyes, dark skin, laughter, and friends who speak a language different to the one spoken in her home.