1 Kings 19:1-14
Ecuador was hard for me. The ministry I was in was not where my natural gifting a lie. I didn’t see the fruit of my ministry. Mama’s birthday was the day before thanksgiving. The day after thanksgiving is the day without fail when the Christmas season begins for our family, as we go to retrieve the Christmas tree. There are several other things that made Ecuador a hard month.
This was the month that showed me the pride that I have for family and country that I didn’t know before. I’m always ready to start my own family and life. I’m always ready to leave home and be in another state. In fact I’m usually ready to be out of the country. I’ve spent several years disappointed with they way that the US has done things ( there are still issues, those didn’t go away). Most always wishing rather to be a part of a different country. Even on this trip, Jezie and I, have joked around together with Oscar about me being the third Mexican on the team.
But what I found out in Ecuador was that I miss a lot of the normal it’s of the US. I’m not talking about the comforts for the sake of calling me spoiled and a “rich American”… I’m talking about the simple little things that feel like home.
For example, BREAKFAST SAUSAGE! I don’t know what it is but I’ve been on a kick for some ground breakfast sausage, and I will for sure miss our Christmas morning tradition of sausage balls this year.
Other southern food. Who knew I was such a southerner, as much as I wanted to be out of the US I sure have craved casseroles, apple butter, biscuits, and Chic-fil-A (which is a given for any person really). All these things weren’t what I consumed on a regular bases, including breakfast sausage. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of it all, or maybe it truly is you don’t know what you got until it’s gone.
Being in a car! We’ve been in buses A LOT on this trip. So much to the point where I don’t really get car sick anymore, but rather my body stresses out at the thought of getting on a bus because it takes so much energy to not fall over if you’re standing, there’s a lot of jerking around because of the combination of breaking and gear shifting (fun fact: there are no automatics in Quito Ecuador because they couldn’t handle the altitude, so if you’re moving to Quito, learn to drive a stick).
A cozy place for the holidays. There’s nothing like being with family around the winter season and enjoying all of the snow, cookie baking, laughter of family, gatherings in the kitchen, late night talks in the living room, and Christmas movies together.
Family… I know I have less of a list in relation to the list of cultural things I miss, but I do miss my family the most. Ecuador really put me in a position to be “homesick”. I NEVER thought I would be homesick on the Race, let alone month 2. The leaders have reassured me that month two does seem to be a heightened point of homesickness. They also told me it waxes and wanes…. Hooray. The holidays have made it really hard to be away from family. It’s my first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from them and it is not easy. So hold your loved ones a little closer and tighter this year for me. I have cried a numerous of times. I’ve cried on a bus to ministry because I made the mistake of listening to Frank Sinatra Christmas songs. I’ve cried in the mall because of Christmas songs such as “For the Holidays you can’t beat home sweet home” or “I’ll be home for Christmas”. Uhg! Who even created songs like this? They were literally written for people like me for an excuse to cry… At least that’s my theory.
I’ll be honest with you all, this month as we left Ecuador, I would have been quite content with just returning to the US. I missed my family, the US, the South, NC that much. I had in my head believed I would be miserable, longing for home the rest of the 9 months.
But there is a morning to this mourning… So check out my next blog, coming soon to you, from Perú!
