My tent is finally warm around 11 am. The sun is warming up my tent and I am listening intently for the sound of a bus, specifically a bus carrying my sister. I have been traveling the world, looking forward to this day for 8 months. Every time I hear a car ride by I peek out my tent looking for the big yellow bus my sister told me was taking her to Camac Camp grounds in Dublin where all the squads would stay for our conference. My team and some friends are going into town to see sights but I don’t want to miss the moment she pulls up so I stay back.
I am enjoying a little music and journaling when I hear the sound of a big bus pull up. I look out the window expecting to see a camper or maybe a big truck but no, this time it is a bus. No, two busses! Then I see packs being unloaded from under the bus. I hurry and stick on my shoes and quickly walk over watching each person exit the bus. I am getting a few funny looks because the look of disappointment that Kim didn’t just get off the bus must have been smeared on my face like a mask. I realize pretty quickly that this isn’t Kim’s squad and I help a few girls carry their things to where they were going to camp.
I go back in my tent and nap for a while. Not a restful nap because every time I hear a car pull up I jump up and look for Kim. An hour or so passes and I crawl out of my tent and see Kim’s squad leader. She tells me that Kim won’t be here until around 8. Disappointed I decide to take advantage of the time and go into town and see Dublin. I grab some friends and we begin to walk to the bus stop.
While I am walking I see a group of racers walking into the camp with all their gear on and I kind of scan just to make sure she isn’t there. I don’t see her and again, disappointment is plastered across my face. Then I see a girl carrying a violin. I think to myself, “Who takes a violin on the world race, but that’s cool.” Then I look closer, “No that’s not a violin that’s really, really tiny guitar. How funny. I wonder what that sounds like…..no wait that’s not a guitar, it’s a UKULELE!” This year for Christmas my mom got my sister a ukulele and she told me she had taken it with her on the race. I realize that is her. There is my sister. I start a slow jog toward her and begin yelling. I speed up as she looks up. She looks at this crazy screaming lady for a moment and has the same realization. She drops her bags and runs up to me, screaming of course. We hug and cry and laugh. I have dreamed of this moment for months and I can’t believe it is finally here. This is amazing.
I help her put her things away and give her the gifts I have been carrying for her. We take a long walk to a little pub for dinner. It is almost like I am not on the world race anymore. Almost like I am at home. Just out to dinner with my sister. We laugh and talk. For the first time in months I can see her expressions and read her body language. We really communicate. I love my sister and the Lord is working in and though her and now I get to see it for a few days. She tells me about how the Lord has freed her from things that have bound her for years and has begun to open her eyes to things she hasn’t seen. I also see how much I have grown since the last time I have seen her. The last time I sat with her I was bitter and judgmental, full of excuses for how I acted. I was stagnant and unsympathetic, clinging to my logic and my theology. I am not the same person that gave her a hug on December 31st and got on a plane to New Zealand. We will both never be the same and I got to see that today!
