I’ve thought about it once or twice (actually a lot more lately)…especially in the last few weeks. It freaks me out, but it also excites me at the same time. I will be around everything I am used to again, but how will I adjust? I’m talking of course about re-entry into the United States in less than 70 days. Re-entry has been on my mind a lot lately and has made me think about how I am preparing myself to go back home. It’s hard to explain this to others who haven’t been out of the states this long, but I will try my best. I want to share my heart and my own thoughts with where I am on the race at this point…I will try to not stay on my soapbox for too long 🙂
You may ask, what does re-entry have to do with the cereal aisle anyway? As you can see in the above pictures, there is a stark contrast between what I see here in the third world and what I will see at home in the United States. The picture on the left is a scene that I have gotten used to seeing a lot (it is the ENTIRE grocery store), and the picture on the right is a scene that I’m not sure how I will handle in a couple of months. I see how much we have back home as well as how little people have here, and the contrast breaks my heart. This comparison between a small shop that comprises everything people need here and a supermarket that contains tens of thousands of items that are not always necessities is a real wakeup call to me of how much we live in excess back home. This includes me too. Having things aren’t inherently bad, but having an excess when others are in need is not what Christ called us to be. I know one facet of this trip that has really affected me is how I give. Throughout this year, God has continued to show me how to be more magnanimous, and has given me a more generous heart. It’s hard not to be more giving when I think of how generous He has been with me and how much He blesses my life.
I’ve heard stories of people getting off long mission trips like this and breaking down in the grocery store or at a restaurant because of being so overwhelmed by how much we have. I feel like it’s part of the process to have a few emotional moments like this because after seeing so much, I think it allows us to cope with transitioning into a totally different culture. We live on just under $4 a day here for food everyday (and are full every time we eat). It’ll be weird to go back home to get a meal for $5 and it’s considered cheap (I hope Subway still has $5 foot-longs). I’ve been reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan lately (awesome book…highly recommend it) and at one point in the book he talks about how 53% of the world lives off of less than $2 a day…that blew me away. It is such a reality out here though. It makes me think about how much we could really live off of if we gave more away and lived more modestly. Again, I’m saying these things to me too. It’s going to be a real challenge for me not to return to the lifestyle I was used to before this trip.
I want to have an open mind about the whole process too. I know God works all things together for His good (Romans 8:28). A lot of the time I initially spend at home will be time I need to process and evaluate my experiences on this trip, and see how they relate to life back home. To be honest, I don’t see how I could come off this trip and not have an open mind. The Lord has truly done a great work in me by opening my mind more to Him and His Kingdom. He really has shown me that there is real need around the world, and that we are called to preach the Gospel everywhere. He has shown me how to be thankful for the “little things” like a bed to sleep in or a hot shower or clean water to drink. Especially back home, we are incredibly blessed in so many ways. I don’t want to forget how much I am blessed when I go back home too.
All this being said, I am at a point on this trip where I am also thinking about how I will support myself when I get back home. To be perfectly honest, I believe the transition back to the states will be challenging. I believe it will be wise to hold off from getting a job for a period of time to rest, decompress these last 11 months, adjust and process back into life at home. I feel like the things I have described so far in this blog are things I will experience in the first few months of re-entry. I am still prayerfully considering what I will do next, although I have a few ideas in mind. As far as finances go, I have the option of receiving a reimbursement for funds that are given that go over my fully funded amount for up to $1400. This reimbursement helps cover expenses that were out of pocket before the trip like immunizations and travelers insurance along with a couple of flights to and from Charlotte to begin and end the journey. While processing through the adjustments and praying into the next steps, it would help tremendously to have the reimbursement funds to live off of for that period of time. I have already raised $400 of this amount, but would really appreciate anyone else that would be willing to give to help me with re-entry. If you would like to give, you can do so by clicking on the “Support Me” link on this page or by clicking here.
I want to say how appreciative I am for everyone that has given to my trip so far. God’s faithfulness has been so apparent in every aspect of my life on this trip and He deserves all the glory for everything I have raised. I actually spoke on God’s faithfulness the other day at one of the churches in the community. I want to leave you with one of my favorite verses from that sermon: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He has always been faithful and always will be. Period. I am so blessed to see how faithful He has been and will be in raising funds for this trip. If anyone has any questions or would like to send me a message, you can do so here. Thank you for continuing to follow my journey on this trip as God draws me closer to Him and His Kingdom.
