Dealing with the Unfamiliar

 

I’m taking you all down memory lane today as this is a season I was in for the first time, five years ago.

I was opportune to travel out of Nigeria for my degree in Information Systems back in 2014. I remember the first time I announced the agreement Babcock University was to make with the University of Computer Sciences and Skills in Poland, I wasn’t so excited because I wasn’t sure what their response would be but I spilled it anyway. I decided to delay it by a semester lol. I told them when second semester ended after several struggles. I know some of you can relate.

I was shocked when they began scolding me as to why I didn’t inform them earlier. After a few days, my mom and I prepared to go to the immigrations at FESTAC as this was going to be my first time out of the country. It was during one of those trips my Nokia C2 got stolen at Oshodi.

R.I.P dearest phone

wipes my tear

After about five months of preparation, off we were!

The journey was fun.

My colleagues on board were lively.

They cracked jokes.

Some meaningful. Others very bland.

Across continents!
Seas!

Boundaries!

New faces!
New environment!

We arrived Poland on October 3rd, 2014 in the evening. I wasn’t sure what to expect. We all weren’t. We were told it’s a private school. I remember doing some research about the currency that was spent and the courses they offered on their website. The currency was spelt zloty but pronounced zwoty because of the letter variant(l & w) in the Polish language. You probably tried pronouncing it lol.

 

I didn’t know the correct pronunciation till we started learning the language anyway. One of the things that surprised me was the great difference in the exchange rate.

 

1 Zloty ~ #50, this was five years ago! Before we left in 2016, it was over a #100. You know what that means. I had to learn to manage what I had and what ever stipends I’d get as we weren’t permitted to work lol. I learnt how to be prudent in my finances as I knew borrowing wasn’t an option for me.

 

 

We were only three females out of 16 of us who went on the exchange programme. For me, it was an adventure! I knew I was going there to shine like the light I am. Academically. Spiritually. All-round. A season I was really looking forward to enjoy and get the best of. Although I was unsure what was to come next, I wasn’t scared since I knew I was going to a place where God is too.

 

Be open enough to find meaning in the unfamiliar. You have to find meaning in different seasons of your life as they lead to greater assignments. If you don’t have an open mind, you’d miss out on the fulfilling life God wants you to live. If you don’t step out as He leads you, you’d remain stuck or limited. It would remain strange and unfamiliar till you reach out to those around you. There’s a reason why you are there. Find out!

It is very important you don’t fall into the ‘guilt-free’ and irresponsible gang. Maintain your integrity.
We all make mistakes. Learning to take responsibility for your actions will not always be easy but it would sure earn you the respect of those around you. I struggle as I write this because I have only shared it with few people when it happened.

I remember during our VB.net exam sometimes in 200level, I cheated during that exam. I had to let pride go away, look beyond myself because I knew it was what God would have me do. I remember being restless till I took the bold step of going to report myself so my mind could finally be at rest and at peace with the lecturer too. This is really important. Don’t miss the point. I’m in no way encouraging you to do wrong but to admit that you did and understand that what is wrong IS WRONG. Wisdom is required based on the situation. I didn’t want to build a fake life and then get rewarded for it.

 

What’s my point? The world has enough people who would do wrong, people who would do wrong and try to get away with it. As much as I don’t buy into exam malpractice, I decided to take the road less travelled because it’s not just about me but the One I’m living for. It was part of my building process. I didn’t do what I did to prove anything to my lecturer but I had gotten to a point where I wanted to get better and stop giving excuses for doing wrong.

I also had to deal with changes in my diet which wasn’t so pleasant. One amazing thing I love about this aspect is that I could try out desserts on my own. I loved that. I’m naturally an adventurous person so you’d see me getting different kinds of fruits and combining them to make salad. Bibin, my Indian friend taught me how to make a fruit salad dressing using condensed milk, eggs, sugar and milk. Yum yum (contact me for the full recipe and procedure!)

The major foods the Poles have are rice, bread, potatoes and soups. I knew what dumplings(pierogi in Polish) really looked like on getting there. I visited a Polish home where I learnt its preparation. I prefer dumplings with cheese filling when it’s below room temperature and meat filling sprinkled with honey.

I had set my mind to adapt because I knew I had no other alternative to feeding and I learnt a lot. There were a few times some of our custodians brought food stuff, plantain and some soup ingredients(bless my mom and you Tuman too!) from Nigeria whenever they traveled. It was such a delight eating home made food at least once a week.

Don’t allow religious beliefs hold you back from being who God has called you to be. Mindsets would hold you back and limit what God would do in and through you. In the unfamiliar, seek to be all He’s called you to be. He would direct and order your steps by bringing people your way.
If I wasn’t studying, coding, reading, doing an assignment I was worshipping and rehearsing as I wanted. It built me up spiritually as I found direction for my life at this phase of my life.

 

Find a place where you can worship: It took me about 5months before I could find a place to call home. This should have been my first point, it is very important to ensure you maintain that fellowship you need as a believer. I stayed in Poland for almost two years and I can say that fellowshipping with believers help you stay accountable.

 

Like many of us, we find ourselves in unfamiliar territories, we sometimes look forward to them but we forget they might not always be places we enjoy. They might not include seasons we want featured in the movie of our entire lives. At least not initially. It records our victories as well as our failures. Maybe our struggles with our identity as well and choices to make. Those seasons might not include people we’re familiar with.

This season was one that shaped me in different ways. I learnt that it’s not so much the unfamiliarity of a situation or a place but your willingness and ability to adapt to new territories, open up your mind and understand that God’s plan for your life cannot be altered by the unfamiliar.

Like Joseph, we might have been sold out. Like myself, you might have come to study to get a degree. We meet new faces, cultures and personalities with different mindset. But the question is how? How do you deal with the unfamiliar? If you’re going to be who God has called you to be, you just have to learn. Learn not just to know your values but also hold on to your convictions. You need to understand that how you utilise such season is dependent on the outcome of the next. God wants you thriving but are you not complaining about the change without asking how you can use that period to grow? What is it you’re afraid of? Is it truly worth it? What does God you to learn this season? You need to ask yourself these questions!

It is a part of the process, for your growth so He can bring out His best in you till you’re fully equipped and formed. Stop dreading the unfamiliar, trust in God. Take your stand. Walk by faith. Keep the right attitude and never forget there’s nothing new you’re going through that hasn’t happened before.

 

I hope this blessed you!

Feel free to drop a comment and share with others.

I’d love to know your thought.