Three Cups of Tea

Yesterday I just finished reading Three Cups of Tea. It's a beautiful story of Greg Mortenson's adventures in building schools in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. He did not plan on building schools, but while getting lost after his failed attempt on K2, he found himself in a remote village in the hills of Pakistan. 

My degree is in Intercultural Studies. I usually have to explain it to most people, but it involves problem solving and researching case studies for being a relevant missionary in a cross-cultural setting. Though Greg's work was not a Christian missionary endeavor, stories like his fire me up for what I love to do: serve people and build peaceful and meaningful relationships.

I find that the concept of this title seems somewhat lost here in the US. Sure, we love to grab coffee (or tea) and get to know someone at a trendy cafe, but this is different. How often do we invite someone into our home the first time we meet? What if the house messy and you didn't plan for anyone to come over? Would you offer someone your best wine or meal or dessert - the best of anything that you had? For this rural village, they offered Greg, a foreigner, their finest tea. 

Mortenson explains that sharing three cups of tea is a literal way of business and interaction for Pakistanis (and many other cultures). Just imagine how long it takes to drink three cups of tea. You really have to spend time with that person: getting to know him and building trust with him. When Greg first saw the children of the village without a school to go to, he decided he was going to find a way to build them one. Oftentimes, when we see people that seem like they're in need, we assume we know what's best for them--like in Mortenson's case, he wanted to build a school. But after spending time and drinking tea with the elders, he found out what they really needed first was a bridge.

A large part of being good at cross-cultural communication or any communication for that matter involves LISTENING. I believe we learn so much more when we listen! Sit down, have tea, be engaged! Before we ignorantly make assumptions or cast judgement, take the time to get to know people and understand where they come from. 

Yea, so it may be a few years old, but there is so much this book has to offer - especially in dealing with: communication, culture, culture shock, international travel, media, following your dreams, perseverance, making a difference, etc. 

Let's drink tea together!