Indians

Indians...not the Asian ones...but Native Americans. after working for them and with them for a solid 5 days, i can say that i've learned far more about them than when i had to do a 15 page research papaer on them earlier this spring. my assignment was to shadow a nurse in a medical setting that catered to a cultural minority. while i would have liked to go overseas to fulfill this practicum, i figured i should just stick with something in the U.S. to save some money. when i asked my parents about this transcultural practicum, my dad immediately told me to look into the N.A.C.C. in Mpls (explanation: we used to live in Mpls and my dad is just obsessed with Minnesota). so, long story short, i ended up going there for my 5 day practicum. on my first day there i basically felt like a piece of poop. haha honestly i just didn't mentally prepare myself for the whole experience. i had completely neglected the fact that Native Americans rarely show affirmation or appreciation for others- especially towards strangers. sooooo being the timid, people-pleasing person that i am, i started freaking out. i felt so new and useless, but it seemed that the more i stood aimlessly around the more they resented me. bah it was so frusterating. they were extremely unassertive but incredibly passive-aggressive. after that first day i knew that i had to rely on God's strength to give me a positive attitude and a good work ethic. needless to say, God provided. though it was a challenging week- He brought me through it. i got to see a lot, interact a lot and learn a lot. also, it didn't hurt when i brought in the final "peace-offering" on my last day at the clinic: muffins. all i had to do was set those puppies on the break room counter and before i knew it i was magically best friends with the whole staff! haha makes me laugh. i got sooo many Native American beaded key chains that day it's not even funny. all in all, it was a good experience. it was rocky at first, but God proved to me that perseverance always wins!