As the plane began its bumpy descent into Chicago, I couldn’t help but smile. It’s the same smile I get every time I go to this city. Even after I’ve been gone for ten years, I have no family left living here, and I seldom get the chance to visit, it’s still home. In some ways, it will always be.
Because home isn’t a house. It isn’t a condo, an apartment, or a tent on the side of the road. Home is where you feel comfortable. It’s that place where you feel like you’re where you’re supposed to be. And in my experience, home tends to change often and change in the most unpredictable ways.
One of my greatest prayer requests as I venture to Manila is that home would once again be redefined. My prayer is that Manila would become the place that I feel most comfortable. My prayer is that I would find friendship, community, and accountability with the volunteers and staff of Kids International Ministries. I pray that as I wake up each morning that I can’t help but feel joy at knowing that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, loving every second of it. My prayer is that Manila would not just be the place that I live or the city I’m serving in, but that Manila would truly be home.
So as I spend my last 11 days preparing and am soon on my way, I hope that you too will join me in this prayer.
