Am I ready for what will take place in 18 days?
Am I ready for packing up 2 years worth of things (and a dog!) in 7 suitcases?
Am I ready to say goodbye to my fellow staff at ECA?
Am I ready to tell my Seniors goodbye as they head off to college?
Am I ready to say goodbye to all the students at ECA that we may never see again?
Am I ready to say goodbye to my neighbors and their kids?
Am I ready to go back to the US and try to explain what the Lord has blessed us with the last two years?
Am I ready to leave our home in Alcala?
Am I ready to not be able to shop at Mercadona or Carrefour and do a happy dance when you find American products?
Am I ready to go back to our "old life" in the States?
Am I ready to begin deputation again?
Am I ready to go through another culture shock?
Am I ready to see friends that we haven't seen in 2 years?
Am I ready to see my family in the States?
Am I ready to rejoin my co-workers in the States?
Am I ready?
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
reflections
**Warning**: this will be a sad post!
I woke up this morning to a dream about my nearby hometown neighborhood. In my dream, my family was taking a Sunday stroll, and Adam and I were gasping at how different everything was since we had to returned back to the States from Spain. (In my dream, it was pretty bazaar...the neighborhood had erected gigantic statutes of jungle animals throughout the cul-de-sac with the HOA fees...where I come up with these things I do not know :)) I usually have silly dreams, but I woke up from this one sad. Subconsciously, I am having a hard time wrapping around my brain about transitioning and moving back to the US. Don't get me wrong - we are excited about returning to the US, once again close to our families. I am thrilled, as well, to be going back to my old job with my former co-workers! But deep down, I am so sad to transition away from here.
6 full-time staff will be transitioning away with us and that, I think, makes it even harder for me, along with all the ECA kids that will be graduating or graduated when we return to Spain. Adam and I and three other full-time staff were chaperones for an honor roll field trip this past Wednesday at a theme park outside of Madrid. As we were driving home, we, staff, were chatting away about the days activities, enjoying each other's company, and singing to the radio, and in those moment I started to tear up. Maybe because I'm a softie, but because, these are the friends and memories that we have had the blessing to have over the past two years, and it just makes me so sad to leave.
Serving on the mission field is very difficult on many fronts. Almost always you have to adjust to a completely different culture, learn a different language, and are far away from blood relatives. But the part that affects many even more is the constant saying goodbye and transition that is endured. In light of eternity, small singing to the radio memories don't really matter, but God did give us a love for people here on earth, so transitions are naturally difficult for us to handle emotionally.
The next 5 weeks that remain here in Spain will be a whirlwind of activity. I am dreading/happy about it because it will fill our days with great memories, but I am afraid that all will whisk by, and I will return back to the US still grasping at the transition that just took place. I pray God will give me strength and peace in all that will come. Because only He can help me with all the change that is to come.
I was talking with a Spanish lady last night at a Mother/Daughter banquet at our church and she asked me quite bluntly, "Why come here from the US and leave all your family behind?"
"To serve," I replied.
That has been THE greatest joy here. And while it brings tears to my eyes as I skype with my family to see how my nieces and nephews have grown exponentially the last two years while we've been away, God has really blessed us to be here and serve our neighbors, community, and the students at ECA. Being called to serve is difficult but the eternal rewards, truly, are even more worth it.
I woke up this morning to a dream about my nearby hometown neighborhood. In my dream, my family was taking a Sunday stroll, and Adam and I were gasping at how different everything was since we had to returned back to the States from Spain. (In my dream, it was pretty bazaar...the neighborhood had erected gigantic statutes of jungle animals throughout the cul-de-sac with the HOA fees...where I come up with these things I do not know :)) I usually have silly dreams, but I woke up from this one sad. Subconsciously, I am having a hard time wrapping around my brain about transitioning and moving back to the US. Don't get me wrong - we are excited about returning to the US, once again close to our families. I am thrilled, as well, to be going back to my old job with my former co-workers! But deep down, I am so sad to transition away from here.
6 full-time staff will be transitioning away with us and that, I think, makes it even harder for me, along with all the ECA kids that will be graduating or graduated when we return to Spain. Adam and I and three other full-time staff were chaperones for an honor roll field trip this past Wednesday at a theme park outside of Madrid. As we were driving home, we, staff, were chatting away about the days activities, enjoying each other's company, and singing to the radio, and in those moment I started to tear up. Maybe because I'm a softie, but because, these are the friends and memories that we have had the blessing to have over the past two years, and it just makes me so sad to leave.
Serving on the mission field is very difficult on many fronts. Almost always you have to adjust to a completely different culture, learn a different language, and are far away from blood relatives. But the part that affects many even more is the constant saying goodbye and transition that is endured. In light of eternity, small singing to the radio memories don't really matter, but God did give us a love for people here on earth, so transitions are naturally difficult for us to handle emotionally.
The next 5 weeks that remain here in Spain will be a whirlwind of activity. I am dreading/happy about it because it will fill our days with great memories, but I am afraid that all will whisk by, and I will return back to the US still grasping at the transition that just took place. I pray God will give me strength and peace in all that will come. Because only He can help me with all the change that is to come.
I was talking with a Spanish lady last night at a Mother/Daughter banquet at our church and she asked me quite bluntly, "Why come here from the US and leave all your family behind?"
"To serve," I replied.
That has been THE greatest joy here. And while it brings tears to my eyes as I skype with my family to see how my nieces and nephews have grown exponentially the last two years while we've been away, God has really blessed us to be here and serve our neighbors, community, and the students at ECA. Being called to serve is difficult but the eternal rewards, truly, are even more worth it.
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