I can hardly believe that I’ve been back in America for almost a month already; time has passed so quickly. I haven’t written in quite a while, so I’ll try and catch you up on the last few weeks.
Our squad had a wonderful final debrief in Kiev, Ukraine prior to returning. It was bittersweet to say the least, but a fun and reflective time to look back on the last 11 months that I spent with previously complete strangers. Leaving the group was sooo much tougher than I anticipated, but I was excited to see my friends and family again. My parents and a good friend of mine were at the airport to pick me up, equipped with lots of a hugs and a huge, attention-drawing banner that my church had put together. Welcome home!
Since then I’ve spent all of my time trying to share about my last year, trying to include everyone on the process that I went through last year and catch them up to speed on where I’m at now. Some are interested, some aren’t, some just want to see pictures and hear stories, and some have asked genuine questions and have tried to grasp where I’m at now. There have been some frustrating times and some lonely times, but my family has been extremely supportive and has really eased my transition.
Time has passed so quickly that I feel like my senses have been dulled a bit, unlike it was on the race but very much like it was before the race, which concerns me some. Our pace of life is just so fast that it can be tough to step back and take a look at God and what He’s doing where you are. But I did have one WR-like moment where time seemed to stretch and slow down. Towards the end of the race my mom told me that one of my aunts had been diagnosed with cancer. During the last few weeks of the trip my mom kept me posted on her condition, and when I got home we went up to Baltimore and surprised her at one of her chemo sessions. She obviously wasn’t expecting us and teared up when we walked into the room. The experience was a bit surreal to me because, at that point, my return to America had been nothing but luxury: great food, driving a truck, indoor bathrooms, my own bed, HDTV, a complete wardrobe of clothes, etc. But then I walk in a room and see my aunt with a bald head, big smile and IV tubes sitting in a row of people who are all receiving treatment and I wasn’t ready for it. I wasn’t ready to see the same brokenness and hurt in my country and in my family that I’d experienced all year. It was a wake up call for sure.
It’s been tough to try and apply everything learned from the last year to life at home, but I’d like to think that I’m doing better at it each day. The more that the newness of America wears off, the more that I see everyday situations for what they really are. Behind all the nice houses and the 7-Series BMWs are many of the same pains and struggles that are all over the world. I have prayerfully tried, and will continue to do so, to be like Jesus to each person that God lays on my heart.
Now, on a lighter note, the two most frequently asked questions since I’ve been back: 1) Which country was your favorite? and 2) What’s next? The first question is way more difficult to answer than the asker ever realizes, but I suppose an all-encompassing answer would be Thailand. I really liked the Thai people, Thai food (minus the peanut sauce), the city of Bangkok, the beautiful scenery, and coconut jam (well, the leftovers that Ashley didn’t devour).
As for question number two, I’m going to be moving down to
Gainesville, GA to work for Adventures in Missions for a year. I want to fill you all in on that, but this blog is already pretty lengthy, so I’ll save the job details for the next blog. I promise it won’t be another two months in coming like this one was….
In the meantime, please be praying for my aunt and her family.
