Missionary Life
Airing Your Dirty Laundry
When language learning has smelly consequences
There are two things that don’t mix well: laundry and language learning. I found this out at the cost of my ego.
For about a year, I lived in a flat above my landlord’s house. He was a very kind landlord and the flat was very nice. The one thing that it didn’t have was a working washing machine. It had a washing machine. But it wasn’t plumbed in. It was just sitting there, collecting dust.
There was a laundrette just around the corner. This was great for several reasons. First, it was a convenient way to get my washing done.
Second, when they hung all the sheets, shirts and trouser out to dry on the street, you could smell the laundry detergent. It covered up the fragrance of the nearby stream, which smelt like rotten garbage and death. I live in a country that gets very hot at times, so this stream would often stink-out the whole neighbourhood.
Third, it gave me a great opportunity to practice some of the local language. None of the young women who worked at the laundrette could understand English, and my language was limited. But usually, it worked out.
Except one week. This week was different. I had a few important meetings, so this week I wanted my clothes to be ironed as well as washed. So, I thought I asked, “Can I have these ironed after they are washed?” I may have accidentally asked, “Can I have these ironed instead of washed?”
As I mentioned, I live in a hot country. I think my clothes were obviously in need of washing. But because of the confusion, the women started getting the clothes out and sniffing them.
Yes, they were passing around my stinky, sweaty underwear and sniffing them. They were disgusting. They were putting the disgusting, unhygienic pieces of cloth up to their faces and inhaling.
I was mortified.
So, pretty soon after this, I asked someone to install the washing machine for me.
Justin Marsh is a missionary that has served in Asia for over six years. He is the country leader of a team of missionaries and has just completed an MA that looks at missional practice. Whilst his team works within a range of contexts across the country, Justin’s focus is the Muslim minority groups. He is the owner of the publication THE CO-MISSION.
