I have been home [in America] already for over a month!! Sorry for neglecting my blog!
One year ago today I was in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for Launch. I had no Idea what experiences were coming my way, I just knew that I was excited about them. Now looking back on the last year of my life there are so many cool and wonderful things I could talk about. But first let me tell you about Month 12: America.
In my last blog [which was a very long time ago, I know] I had been home for about 3 days. I was looking forward to so many things: going back to Michigan, Grand Rapids, surprising my parents, Christmas with my family, and of course getting to see my lovely D squad again in January at Project Searchlight. All of those have been great and wonderful things since being back in America.
When I flew back to Michigan, I got to talk to a lady on the plane who could tell how anxious I was to get to Michigan. I shared with her why I was practically bouncing out of my seat with excitement and anxiety and why I hadn't been home in almost a year. I was reunited with my very best friends and a couple of my youth group girls in the airport in Grand Rapids on December 11th at 9:41 p.m. I got to eat at my favorite places, drive for the first time, spend time with my friends who got married while I was gone, visit with some of my professors, and just feel the weight of the community I had on the race. On December 16th my brother and two of his friends came to pick me up so that we could surprise my mom and dad. We had been planning this surprise for months so it was cool for it to finally happen. My mom was surprised because she thought that she was going to pick me up a few days later to surprise my brother… but we tricked her. I spent my first few days back in Sanilac county hanging out with my dogs and going to my brothers basketball games.
It was hard though. My parent's lives didn't stop the moment I came back home, life kept right on moving. My cell phone barely gets service at my house, we don't have internet, my mom sold my TV and DVD player, my computer cord broke in Month 7 so I have no way to charge it, and there are only so many times I can play temple run on my Kindle before I am bored out of my mind. Home was hard. I felt distant from everything that was my new reality and really began to daydream about the places I have been around the world. Even Africa. But I knew that I would see D squad again, so that kept me going. I knew that if I could just make it to January 3rd I could get refreshed and my heart would be whole again. But the two weeks I was home seemed longer than any time I had on the race. Good things happened, it wasn't all bad, it was just hard to go from surrounded 24/7 to being alone for 18-20 hours a day. On December 30th I left home and went to Ohio to stay with one of my dear squadmates, then we drove to Georgia for Project Searchlight.
Even though my month home was rough at times, there was a major major theme of it. Receiving. God let me know back in month 10 [Cambodia] that when I got home it would be a season to receive. That I would be provided for and that even though at times it would be hard to receive, I would have to do it because it was him showering me with his love and grace. That could not have been more true. The minute I stepped off the plane in California it became about receiving. I have never been very good at it, but I am getting better because the Lord is gracious enough to keep giving. It has been awesome to see the ways that God has used so many people to show me his love for me since being home.
Now that it is a new year and month one of 2013 I am excited for what it will hold. Yesterday finished up an event called Project Searchlight where God did some big things, not only in me but in my squadmates and my fellow racers from C and E squads. I will update you on the happenings of that within the next few days as well as recap my 11 months on the field. I hope to continue blogging even now that I am home and hopefully you will continue to follow along with my journey as I move forward into my calling.
Much love! Here is to a great 2013!
-A
