A Gentle Clash of Cultures

"Each chapter is a revelation, from the first . . . to the last." -Terese Thonus, PhD, Applied Linguist and Professor, Director of the University Writing Program, Klein Family School of Communications Design, University of Baltimore

"Insightful, sensitive, and a great read! Anyone interested in travel or cultural anthropology will find perceptive insights into Philippine life." -Don H. Abbey, PhD, Retired Professor of Biology, Retired Field Director, Adventist Frontier Missions

When the Claytons accepted the mission of teaching at a small college in the Philippines in the late 1970s, they had no idea how much their lives would change. Dale Clayton taught science; his wife, Karen, worked and took classes; and their young children, Kimberly and Jeff, attended a one-room, multigrade school. But this simple summary doesn't come close to encompassing the thrill and shock of becoming embedded in an entirely different culture. Martial law, academic politics, homesickness, and ruthlessly hot weather presented many challenges, but through it all, the Claytons inevitably learned that people are more alike than different-yet the differences make life more vibrant.