I'm home!

When I stepped off the plane in JFK on Tuesday afternoon I could help but look around at the oh-so-familiar cultural sights-- and sigh. I'm in AMERICA. America the Beautiful. Land of the free. Home to the brave. My country. (Though I don't always feel so brave.) I couldn't believe how instantly I felt RELAXED. I could read the signs. I could understand the people. I wasn't worried about committing any horrendous cultural faux pas. It was marvelous! I even wondered if I might get bored living here! lol (Of course not.) But after going from Asia, to Belgium,and then to Germany, I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be somewhere where everything was normal. It is wonderful.

So now I'm back. In my hometown. On my second day (Wednesday) I attended Small Group Bible Study. Even though I should have been tired from jet lag, I was so excited by seeing my friends and hearing deep biblical teaching again that I called my sister afterward and talked till 2 am. How nice to talk on the phone almost any time I want with no exorbitant charges or signal cutouts or who-knows-what kind of cross-cultural interruption! I'm so thankful to be back.

But the Children's Home is on my mind constantly. I love those kids. I've never thought of myself to especially be a "kid person". But when you have 300 children looking at you, longing to be loved and known, how can you not? I am thankful to be here. But I'm thankful to be called to be there. He is doing powerful things there. It really is amazing. But it's hard too. I must admit, even though it's exciting to be part of it, my complaints to Him were many. I missed my family. I missed my friends. I missed fresh drinking water. I missed fast internet. I didn't understand the culture. It seemed wrong. Worse. Messed up. Inferior. No matter how much I cleaned, nothing was ever clean. God, why am I in this god-forsaken place?? I crabbily complained. Why me? Why me when all my friends are living in comfy cushy America? (I ignored the exaggeration and generalization.)

Then He convicted me. He hasn't forsaken that place. You see Me everywhere. He was right, of course. I did. He is moving mountains there. He is moving masses into His kingdom. They need to be taught. Trained. D*scipled. Loved. And I have the opportunity to be involved. To go. To love. To live and to serve. Lord, why me? I ask again. Why do I have the privilege of going? Of doing what so many people have told me they've always really wanted to do but have never been able to? It IS hard. But these children would be impoverished, malnourished, Hindu beggars if it weren't for the Children's Home. Instead, they are fed, clothed, educated, loved, and sent out into the Saffron society as faithful followers of the King, and shapers of the world. It is hard, but oh so very worth it.

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service."

1 Timothy 1:12