I've felt very out of sorts with my sense of time and days lately. Last Tuesday, a friend dropped me off at the airport that's 10 minutes from the Children's Home. Three flights and 36 hours later, I met my mother in the Atlanta terminal. 36 hours after that, I arrived into Indiana to visit with my church family, friends and supporters. Later this week, I plan to return to GA to attend my brother's wedding which is scheduled for this Saturday.
Thankfully, other than a spinning sense of time, this return visit to the US has been remarkably less overwhelming than my previous return trips. Returning to my own 1st world, fast-paced, Western culture after spending months in a crowded, impoverished, honor/shame-based culture was quite shocking when I was still in the initial stages of processing the vast differences. But the growing feeling of routine brings a welcome sense of peace rather than the emotional and sensory overload from before. I'm so thankful!
Due to changing my visa, I no longer need to leave the Saffron Land for 2 months at a time, but I am still required to leave for a few days. Because my brother is getting married, I decided to fulfill the requirement by coming to the US for 3 weeks, May 1 - 21.
I'd told the children for months that I'd be leaving in May for 3 weeks to attend my brother's wedding. But still, the day before I left, I stood talking to several elementary school age children outside my door, explaining to them my travel plans. A few of them piped up: "Didi, don't go." I looked at their sweet loving faces.
"I won't be gone very long," I explained to them. "My brother is getting married, and I want to go to the wedding. I'll attend that, then come right back in 3 weeks, in time for VBS."
The children understand marriages, they've attended several wedding celebrations on campus themselves as graduates from the Home often chose to be married in the Home's facility. The celebrations are always a joyous festivity. Everyone dresses up and goes to the service, then afterward there is potpourri thrown, delicious food eaten, and often fun dancing. To the children, my attending a relative's wedding made sense, so they quickly agreed, "Yes, Didi, you go to the marrige. But come back soon."
Of course they had no way of understanding that my flights were already booked and I had no way of returning any earlier than the 3 weeks I'd already promised, but in an honor/shame culture it's always good to say yes whenever you can, so I agreed that I'd do my best to return to them quickly. I also plan to take pictures of the wedding so they can see what an American marriage celebration looks like. Several girls have been asking me questions pertaining to that, so it'll be fun to give them a slide show experience of an American wedding when I return.
Thankfully, other than a spinning sense of time, this return visit to the US has been remarkably less overwhelming than my previous return trips. Returning to my own 1st world, fast-paced, Western culture after spending months in a crowded, impoverished, honor/shame-based culture was quite shocking when I was still in the initial stages of processing the vast differences. But the growing feeling of routine brings a welcome sense of peace rather than the emotional and sensory overload from before. I'm so thankful!
Due to changing my visa, I no longer need to leave the Saffron Land for 2 months at a time, but I am still required to leave for a few days. Because my brother is getting married, I decided to fulfill the requirement by coming to the US for 3 weeks, May 1 - 21.
I'd told the children for months that I'd be leaving in May for 3 weeks to attend my brother's wedding. But still, the day before I left, I stood talking to several elementary school age children outside my door, explaining to them my travel plans. A few of them piped up: "Didi, don't go." I looked at their sweet loving faces.
"I won't be gone very long," I explained to them. "My brother is getting married, and I want to go to the wedding. I'll attend that, then come right back in 3 weeks, in time for VBS."
The children understand marriages, they've attended several wedding celebrations on campus themselves as graduates from the Home often chose to be married in the Home's facility. The celebrations are always a joyous festivity. Everyone dresses up and goes to the service, then afterward there is potpourri thrown, delicious food eaten, and often fun dancing. To the children, my attending a relative's wedding made sense, so they quickly agreed, "Yes, Didi, you go to the marrige. But come back soon."
Of course they had no way of understanding that my flights were already booked and I had no way of returning any earlier than the 3 weeks I'd already promised, but in an honor/shame culture it's always good to say yes whenever you can, so I agreed that I'd do my best to return to them quickly. I also plan to take pictures of the wedding so they can see what an American marriage celebration looks like. Several girls have been asking me questions pertaining to that, so it'll be fun to give them a slide show experience of an American wedding when I return.
That is cool , Audrey. I really liked that post. What does Didi mean,I wonder? I hope you have been having fun in GA since we left.
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Burke
Hi Burke! "Didi" means older sister. The children here call me "Didi" like you call Grandma "Grandma". Yesterday I arrived back to the Children's Home. All the children shouted "Didi" excitedly because they were happy to see me. They are all asking how Kenny's wedding was. I tell them that it was very beautiful and pleasing to God. I also tell them that I enjoyed seeing my family, relatives and friends so much. I am so glad your family came! I really enjoyed seeing all of you!! I hope you are doing well since you got back to Michigan and that Reid is feeling better. I love you all!
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