6 Ways to Maximize Living in a Foreign Country

Author: Zach Lantelme

As I packed for my 5 month stay in Ecuador, I was so excited. Not only would I have another stamp in my passport (this marks 12 countries), I would also have a Visa, indicating that I was not just passing through, but also living abroad! (Again!) My friends at work knew that my routine was about to radically change and they asked, "What are you going to do?". 

I described all the things I would do through Submerge. Ministering at the soup kitchen we partner with, taking classes, attending art campaigns. These are all true... but now that I’m here and settled in, I want to peer through the fence in a side alley to see graffiti or order "cuy" (ginnea pig) because it’s available. I want to ride the bus with the locals or go bike riding for ten miles on the train tracks. Basically, I want to live and be present.  Here’s how you can live in the moment:    

Eating

This goes out with saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. I step out of my normal routines with food in a different city because you experience part of another culture through food.

Quito is a metropolitan city with many of the trappings of home: McDonald’s, Tony Roma’s Burger King, Papa John’s... the list goes on. But if I stayed with what I knew, I would have missed out on Cevichocho, a recipe which uses “chocho” beans in place of white fish or tuna for a twist on the classic ceviche dish. It has a sour front, rounded out with ketchup and orange juice, a real sassy flavor. And Ecuadorians put roasted corn on top of this dish, adding a crunchiness that pairs well with the softer beans.

However, often in a foreign country figuring out where to eat can be easy and hard at the same time. There might be restaurants lining the streets beckoning you to come in, and you have no one to guide you. TripAdvisor (a website that has reviews of many tours, hotels, and restaurants) might be one option, but often these reviews are written by people passing through. Not to say their opinions aren’t valid, but the local who drives these streets by days and goes to the hidden food cart later in the evening might point you towards a hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving handmade empanadas.

Making local friends

Photo taken at ONEUIO

My friend Rachel has done a great job of becoming friends with Ecuadorians.  She says this,

Most of my good friends come from being part of an organization and the ministries we do and/or the translators we use. Otherwise they're just people we meet here and there, living our normal lives. This city is big and people are everywhere, so you can literally make a friend anywhere you are, you just have to talk to them.
 

Making friends in another country will make your experience far richer. To being in the know about things only local would know about to having a larger network hang out and do life with--becoming friends with locals will give you more depth to your stay. And if your local friends have a car, that can help with the next point.  

Traveling

Submerge Alumni: Taylor Smith

When you are in a foreign city, sometimes it might feel like you’ve gone far enough away from your home that you don’t need to travel more. That may be true, but there is never a better time to travel to places that are a few hours away than when they are only a few hours away. For example, in Quito, it can be easy to stay in the city and feel submerged. Quito is also only two hours away from the largest outdoor market in South America, or only three hours away from Baños, a city named for its waterfalls and hotsprings.

These famous destinations and getaways will allow you to have vacations from your life, which even in a foreign country will begin to normalize with its own routines. Departing from the city gives you fresh perspective. These trips will also cement a desire to do similar adventures when you return home. To go visit the mountains near your home or go to lake in a neighboring state will not seem abnormal to you.

Packing smart

When I packed to come down here, I didn’t know all that I needed. So I brought as much as I could think of. Toothpaste, underwear, books, long underwear, Peanut butter…. The list goes on. But whether you're packing for a five-month trip or a two-day adventure there is one thing that helps immensely: Having a list.

In my suitcase, I have a list written out and zipped into a Ziploc bag. This list documents things I would want on every single short-term adventure I might go on. And since I leave it in a waterproof bag (that’s relatively durable), I only need to consult it when I’m packing to know I got what I must have. That way, whether I have a week to pack or 30 minutes, I get the same results every time and do not forget something that would really put a damper on my travel (like head phones… I would forget those often until I put it on my list).

Also, it turns out the long underwear I brought from Denver did not need to make it down here as I’ve been here for three months and haven’t used them yet.

Talking to strangers

If you go to a foreign country with a language different than your native tongue, and you want to get better at speaking, then speak! Ask for directions, Consult with people about food (“How is your food?” is a simple question) or negotiate buying something in the “tiendas”. Also, get in cabs and talk with the drivers. Cabbies will talk about pretty much anything if you ask. You get to practice asking and listening. Many people who want to learn a language will not practice for the fear of looking stupid. When you practice and make mistakes in the cab, you just get out of the cab at the end of your ride.

Which brings me to my final point.

Get lost on purpose, in a safe way. With some friends, go to an area of town that you are familiar with and get off the main streets. Go through the (safe) alleys, take a right here, and zag a left there. You will find beauty in the shadows as local churches with graceful architecture greet you at a corner, or hand painted murals of yellows, purples, and greens adorn the walls of small buildings reveal themselves .

In life, there is no substitute for experience. Do yourself a favor and go get it by traveling smart.

Ready to Travel?  
Get outside of your normal and have the travel experience of a lifetime. If you find yourself in a season of life where you are ready to shake things up; if the 9-5 grind and the expectations of the status-quo aren’t doing it for you anymore; then we invite you to Submerge, a semester overseas, designed to awaken your creative heart and soul. Fill out the form below and one of our Submerge Reps will contact you. 

In the midst of mess

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristen Tideman, (A.K.A. Ktide) is the Admissions Director of Submerge.tv. Kristen is passionate sharing people’s stories. She has a degree in Nonfiction English Writing with minors in History and Spanish. She currently makes her home in Quito, Ecuador and loves exploring, reading and speaking Spanglish.

When talk about my time in Ecuador--as I often do having lived there for some time--I inevitably end up talking about the boys’ juvenile detention center.

I first went to juvenile detention center over three years ago. Before our first visit, I remember our leader prepping us a bit, letting us know that while these young boys had been through a lot, but that this was a time to just be there for them--to listen and encourage. Not so hard, I hoped, and in that way it wasn't.

When we arrived the kids turned out to be just that—kids: goofy, soccer-loving and occasionally immature teenagers. They cracked jokes with one another, and liked rap and dancing salsa and, probably 95% of them wanted to be famous fútbolistas (soccer players).

We began going every Thursday. Most days we would play a game and then have a short message pertaining to God’s love and forgiveness as well as our purpose and the importance of vision. Afterwards, we would break into small groups and talk more about the message. We would talk about dreams and hopes for the future. Although initially quiet during group time, the boys began opening up a bit more as we saw them week after week. While we never ask the boys, “So why are you here?” it became clear that these boys weren't just carefree teenagers. They were young men with incredibly heavy burdens and life stories that we could not fully imagine.

Some had been abused. Some were heavily dependent on drugs. Others had sold drugs or stolen out of perceived necessity. Some had killed at an inconceivably young age. Some had people out looking for them. Almost all had difficult family situations and some, at only 16 or 17 years old, had families and children of their own that they could not take care of on the outside.

But they also had dreams.

Some wanted to be pilots or travel the world. Others wanted to be writers or architects or (as I said) famous soccer players.

One time, a boy told us he had wanted to be a goalie when he was younger. He showed us his hand, which had been broken and hadn’t healed correctly. He said there was no way he would be able to be a goalie due to the injury, and he would probably have to resort to the “family business” as a hit man.

It was hard to hear the stories and feel that what we were doing was actually helping. I one day wondered out loud if there was anything more we could do. I wanted to go more often to the prison or to do more--anything that produced evidence that we were helping to change lives. A friend gave me some great advice:

He said, frankly, it didn’t necessarily matter what we said; these kids were already adults in their own minds, and they didn’t think they need to listen to anything we say. After all, what did we know? We hadn’t lived what they had. We didn’t know what it meant to feel what they felt. Even the everyday hardship of living apart from family and friends was a foreign reality. What did matter, my friend said, was that we continued to go. That we showed consistency. That was what would speak louder than anything else.

And he was right. I remember one day in particular when one of the guys told our group that--although it was nice of us to come--a lot of the boys in the center would return on repeat offenses because at the center they had food, a place to sleep, and safety from anyone outside who might be looking for them. 

Initially, we were a little taken aback. But should we have been? I think we still wanted to be the people to swoop in and make everyone's lives better or maybe bring the gospel and BOOM! Make everything just hunky-dorey. But regardless of how often we would go, the boys we visit in the center were not going to get out the day after we shared with them a moving message. Some of them had years to wait before they are free again, but even when they were, a whole new series of questions would arise, like how will they get jobs when all they know is a life inside prison? How will they return to a family after years of being away? And to tell them everything is going to be okay was not necessarily the answer they need.

My friend was right. What we said didn’t matter: we couldn’t fix them. 

But he was also right that even with the lack of answers and the “unfixable-ness”, there remained a deep value in going to the center. In reality, if we are unable to see the people right in front of us as a complex human, as more than a problem, then we were missing the point anyway. We were helping them for our sake, not for theirs. However, to be consistently present for someone--even if we never see expected “results”--means we will not have failed. Sometimes that’s all we can--and maybe should--do.

To refuse to be deterred by someone else’s mess--to be able to see them through the midst of it--allows for a real relationship instead of controlling and fixing-focused one. And it gives us the opportunity to trust that God’s plan is always good and oriented towards an eventual and total restoration. And while I don’t know if the boys in the prison will remember what we said, I hope that they will carry at least some recollection that we saw them as people, not as their past. 

After all, the more we accept the imperfectness of our human relationships, the more we can see what our Father, in his patient love, has done to reach the messy group of humans that is all of us. 

And so I guess I’ll say, if life has become more complex than you thought it would be, don’t be discouraged. Press on. And if you’ve come to the point that I did, where you want to live this in a new way, in a risky way, check out Submerge. I’d love to tell you more about it! Just fill out the form below.

Creativity: Make Ideas Come Alive

AUTHOR: Zach Lantelme

Have you ever said to yourself, “Someone should make a…..(fill in the bank)”? Well, if you have, you are exhibiting the first signs of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Consider the following:  
+ Uber was created out of Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp complaining that cabs were impossible to hail.

+ Airbnb (Air Bed & Breakfast) was created after Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky came up with the idea of renting out three airbeds on their living-room floor and cooking their guests breakfast because all the hotels in the area were full.

+ Knix Wear’s Evolution Bra was the Kickstarter's most funded fashion project after Joanna Griffiths realized that no one had aimed at innovation in sports bra technology.

What do all of these companies have in common?

Besides being founded in the last ten years, these companies' founders pay attention: they have seen problems and designed solutions. The initial thought in each case was not to become rich, but for Uber & Airbnb, the the market now values them in the billions. KnixWear has also hit a sore spot with women as money poured in, and in 30 days $1.1M was raised on Kickstarter.

And here’s another thing: None of the folks who ultimately launched these businesses were in that “industry” when they started.
 

+ The Uber founders were in web development.

+ Brian Chesky of Airbnb was in design, while Joe Gebbia was dabbling in helping those who suffered in back pain.

+ Joanna was about to be employed by Youtube before turning to underwear.

So, what does this mean for us?

You might think to yourself, “I’m not creative like that”.

And I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong.

How do I know this? Because we are image-bearers of a creative God. In the Bible, Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

So what does that mean for us? God creates mankind in His own image. And we have the attributes of God. We are therefore creators. We have it written on our hearts to create. He has also differentiated our abilities among humanity. We are not all blessed with the same styles of creativity. This means creativity is not just limited to the artists, poets, and designers. It is meant for everyone, but will show up differently. Creation of business is different than creating of the arts, just as much as creating specialty food is different than creating military strategy.

Regardless of how our creativity comes out, the world needs our ideas because ultimately these ideas comfort and bring joy to others.    

If you are looking for a community that can help you discover the creativity that is inside you, we invite you to Submerge. If you would like more information about Submerge then fill out the form below and one of our reps will contact you. 
 

To Know

AUTHOR: Zach Lantelme

In Spanish, there are two words for “to know”.  Saber and Conocer.   

Saber equates with knowing facts.

Conocer translates to being familiar with something.
 

And there is the rub: The “know”.    

When I came down to Submerge in Ecuador, I would put myself in the first category.  I know a lot of information. In fact, in the first few days of the course, we met with Greg Baca, who would be leading the program and teaching many of the classes. He started talking about books that we will go through. Books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The E-Myth Revisited.

Truth be told, I freaked out internally because I already “knew” what he was talking about.  I already read those books.

But whatever, I might know in book knowledge. I only “sé” and do not “conozco”.  I “know” Spanish on paper, but it does not flow out of me when I speak. I “know” how to have passive income, but right now, I could not design my life to depend on that revenue because it doesn’t exist.

But in this program, I’ve watched Greg walk out the principles of The E-Myth Revisited in the structure of Submerge. I’ve seen my friend Lindsey (who works for herself) employ strategies of goal setting that I’ve read countless times, but hardly implemented. I’ve seen Ashley learn web design and then a week later set up a web page calling for donations to assist in disaster relief from the recent earthquake that rocked the country we currently call home.  

I mean, what good is knowledge if it sits in your head? What good is knowing the ins and outs of Photoshop if you never create? What good is knowing the theory of website design if you never choose to lay it out and press “Go Live”.  

To have knowledge without application is trivial.  

But if you do apply it, fellow journeyer,  you can design your very dreams. This could look like

• Signing up for Spanish lessons to start learning Spanish, and then actually talking in Spanish.

• Putting $10 per paycheck aside so you have a travel fund, and then buying the plane ticket at the end of the year.

• Setting aside 30 minutes a day to write, and then writing in that time.

• Listening to aPodcast, and then implementing one thing you heard.

The list would go on and on. Whatever is personal to you, you must act. Make a plan and follow the steps. And when you act and continue to act, you will learn to live your dreams.  

If you are ready to act, then take the first step and fill out the form below.  One of our Submerge representatives will contact you on how spending a semester overseas can help propel you towards living the life of your dreams. 

FOLLOW US

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zach Lantelme is a member of the Production team for Submerge.  He and his wife, Anna, currently live in Quito, Ecuador,  but call Denver, Colorado their home.     He cut his teeth writing common-sense personal finance blogs, and has moved on to travel writing and goal setting.  He and his wife love doing outdoorsy activities, like snowboarding and rock climbing, but his favorite pastime is reading suspense-thrillers while drinking hot chocolate.     

When your world shakes

When the earthquake began I was on the ninth floor of a large building with four friends. I was sitting on the couch with one of the other staff members here when we suddenly realized we were moving. Although I couldn’t tell you who it was now, someone in the apartment yelled, “It’s an earthquake!” After taking several seconds to accept that indeed, this was really happening, our Ecuadorian friend with us said we needed to get out.

As the building wobbled in a way I have never felt before (it’s still insane to me how much a building--made from cement and metal--can move) we ran down the stairs as the lights flickered on and off. I prayed, “God, please protect us” over and over. And then, somewhere around the second floor, the shaking stopped.

We continued down the stairs and outside, joining the people who had already flooded outside, all equally bewildered. As I looked around I realized we were fine. We were alive. Not only that, but all around us there weren’t any buildings falling down or cracks in the road. We were really really okay.

It’s strange: to feel the ground move beneath you, to wonder, “Could I die right now?” and yet to be fine. It brings a very immediate satisfaction of surviving. But not everyone was so fortunate.

Although we didn’t know it then, on the coast, hundreds died from the earthquake. Thousands of people have been injured. Buildings have crumbled with people trapped inside. Near the epicenter towns have been almost totally decimated.

It’s strange, too, that I can write about this from my almost completely undisturbed apartment in Quito. (There is one very tilted picture on the wall, but that’s it.) It’s odd to think I felt the same shaking that has totally altered so many lives. I don’t know what to do with it.

And perhaps, wherever you are, you are in the same boat. You are okay in spite of the terrible things that happen each day in our world. We are used to hearing bad news. We see people in plight and know it’s horrific, but sometimes--perhaps most times--we can’t actually comprehend the magnitude of these catastrophes.

So what do we do? How are we supposed to feel and act in these situations? How much sympathy can be extracted from us?

Well first of all--and this will require a change of tone in this article I suppose--it’s good to turn our compassion towards those who need it and not simply ignore all of the bad news. And while it’s possibly easier to feel guilty about not having anything bad happen to us than to actually do something to improve the situation, that guilt doesn’t help anyone.

So here are some ideas:

1. Pray

Someone once said, “Do what you can, not what you can’t.” This is not my original idea, but I think it makes a lot of sense. We can’t fly to every location in the world where they need help. We can’t give a million dollars. We can’t know every story of every person in pain. But, at a minimum, we CAN pray. And that matters. God knows what people need more than we do and sometimes this is the most important help we can give.

2. Donate

BUUUUTT.. most of us can also donate. You can donate food or time or money (and the nice thing is, you can pick!) I know it can feel like so many places are asking for money, and that’s probably because so many places are asking for money. But there is real need. And you may not be able to give much, but you can most likely give something. Heck, you can donate the money you would have spent on just one coffee to donate somewhere and it is still doing something. Even if it’s a little something.

I like how The Message words 1 John 3:17: “If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.” This is the time where people need to see God’s love more than ever.

3. Go

While donating and praying help immensely, we think sometimes it is also important to take action. Due to the impact this tragedy has had on the country, we feel it is only right to do all we can to help, and so this June we will be combining the efforts of the Submerge team with anyone who is willing to spend ten days in Ecuador helping to rebuild, restore and bring hope to those who have suffered from the effects of the earthquake. If you want to help us in our efforts, please CLICK HERE to join our relief team.

4. Be okay with not feeling okay

There are several problems that come with tragedy, but the biggest is that tragedies don’t make sense. I doubt they ever will. We live in a world full of problems with people hurting and sadness and, try as we might, we can’t stop it.

We ask in these times the questions people have asked for ages: Where is God? Why did these things happen? Why didn’t he stop them?

There’s a book’s-worth of thoughts I could write about this--as I’m sure many people already have--but it’s not going to make anyone instantly feel better. What I will say is that I do believe God is still good, even when these things happen. And if you feel you don’t understand why these things are happening, I only encourage you to talk with God about it. Regardless of the “Whys?” God sees far more than we can.

5. Live today.

This has been on my mind quite a bit recently, but I don’t think it can be said too much. Today, now, is the only time we have. We cannot live in the future, and to live in the past only ruins today. Jesus said tomorrow will worry about itself. Ask what you can do today.

And so, I’ll leave you with the words of Christian writer Frederick Buechner:

“Much as we wish, not one of us can bring back yesterday or shape tomorrow. Only today is ours, and it will not be ours for long, and once it is gone it will never in all time be ours again. Thou only knowest what it holds in store for us, yet even we know something of what it will hold. The chance to speak the truth, to show mercy, to ease another’s burden. The chance to resist evil, to remember all the good times and good people of our past, to be brave, to be strong, to be glad.”

---

FOLLOW US