It is an honor for me to meet each of you. I look forward to learning together. Cross-Cultural Communication is an important topic to me. As a child, I grew up in a small village of 200 people. Almost everyone in this village were children of immigrants from Sweden to the United States. My father did not speak English when he started grammar school. As a child, Swedish/American culture seemed normal to me - it was all I knew. 

Since then, I have traveled in over thirty countries. My family and I lived for one year in southern Germany, and we loved learning a little bit of the German language and culture. More recently, I visited China many times with a mission that provided biblical education by extension. I learned to love my Chinese brothers and sisters. I loved how they prayed with enthusiasm and power. I love Chinese food. 

Now I am looking forward to learning some things about Philippine culture. Yes, I will be one of your teachers. But I will also be a learner.

I am also very happy to be teaching this class together with Ralph, my daughter’s husband and the father of two of my grandchildren.

May the Lord bless each of us with love for one another and new insights and tools for cross-cultural communication.