Hello from the States! I made my way home to Montana last Wednesday and have been adjusting ever since. I have been getting over jetlag, easing my body into eating food that isn’t rice, not doing money conversions in my head, and remembering that it’s okay to drink tap water. I have to remind myself that I used to actually prefer hot showers, and flushing toilet paper won’t destroy the septic system here. One of the hardest things I have had to adjust to is not waking up to my team-which was really my family-every morning. (Miss you guys!!)
One of the first questions I have been getting asked is, “What was the biggest culture shock?”
To answer, I’d have to say that the hardest thing was coming home. I have been overwhelmed by the abundance of things that we have here. You go into a grocery store and there are 25 types of toothpastes. My mom asked me where I wanted to eat dinner the other day and I could not, for the life of me, make a decision between three restaurants. Going from being so content with what I have, to being overwhelmed with so many possibilities, is something that I am grateful for. It has humbled me immensely to know just how privileged I am.
Which brings me to another hard part of my transition at home; having grace for those who don’t understand how blessed they are to have what they do. I was just like them, and still am in some ways. How do you make people realize, when they can’t decide if they want to get a new iPhone or if they want to trade their car in for a newer year? The answer is; you can’t really. There is nothing like the act of living a simplistic life, because everything you receive makes it that much sweeter and makes you realize who you should be thanking.
In America there is such an abundance of everything, and it is all at our fingertips, so why would we have to give thanks? We work hard, we deserve it, right? It’s so easy to get stuck in the mindset that we must earn everything that we are given, but it’s simply not the truth. We are freely given anything we ask for. So I’m not saying all Americans need to drastically change their lives to learn how to praise God more. I think it’s just changing your perspective. Thank Him for that beautiful sunset He put in the sky for you last night. God is constantly showing off for us, we just are so busy looking down that we miss it. So, look up!:)
Thank you so much to everyone who donated to my trip, prayed for my team and I, and those who read every single one of my blogs. This was a life changing experience that I am still processing through, and God is still teaching me what He wants me to learn from this experience. Having your support has meant so much to me and I am unable to explain how appreciative I am. I am still trying to figure out the best way to respond when people ask how my trip went, but please ask. I love to talk about it, and I love bragging about how good our God is in all the ways He shows up!
