Today in America, most people are off work, people are home. Its Memorial Day. Over here in Nepal its a special day of sorts too. Today is in fact, our last day of ministry. I’m writing this right after lunch and we will be going back out to ministry in about an hour, but after that there is no more. Tomorrow our final debrief will begin and after that we get on a plane, homeward bound.
With that being said, my head and my heart are focused on finishing my Race, and going home. The thing that I can’t seem to wrap my head around is just how normal my life on the field has become and yet just how normal being home is going to feel as well. I’m used to team times and vaguely directed ministry, walking everywhere and hand washing clothes. Yet, I know that back at home the world has just kept turning and those things are strange and out of place there. Even though I’ve lived in America for eighteen years and only been on the field for nine months, washing machines, the streets of Champlin, and people speaking my language are not quite as normal as they should be. I’m super pumped about Caribou Coffee, Target, my own bed, quality toilet paper, and baby dill pickles, don’t get me wrong. I’m gaining a ton when I go home! I’m also leaving behind some of my closest friends, culture focused on relationships, unique opportunity to share about Jesus and milk tea.
Coming home is going to be really, really sweet. Mostly, it’s going to be really great things and good adjustments, but some things will be difficult. The fast paced, consumeristic, American Dream world is not what I’m used to. Reverse culture shock, here we come!
I know that I won’t see all of you when I get home, some of you reading aren’t actually where home is for me, but that’s okay. For those who are, here are my requests:
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be gentle, and give me grace
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ask all the questions you want- I’m going to get really sick of answering the few common ones but hey, they are common because people want to know, and I’d rather you ask than assume
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give me time to answer those questions- there are nine months worth of my life to sort through with each
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know that I am not the exact same person I was when I left
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but also know that I’m still just me, I’m still Melanie
