Well....there was no snow. Not one inch of it. Weather was in the breezy 30s and 40s (F) and though many of my fellow Minnesotans were thrilled at the warmth and lack of snow/ice/slush that could threaten travel plans at Christmas, I was devastated. No sledding, ice-skating, or snowboarding...! What is the world coming to! I believe I am most likely headed back to colder temperatures in Nepal, where we have no indoor heat. *sigh* Looks like I'll be spending my first week back in Kdu at the Civil Mall movie theater (supposdly the one place that has indoor heat in Nepal) and trying not to bump into things in my apartment in the dark (did I mention we are at 11 hours/day of no electricity?)
Ok ok enough of the pity party: I am actually THRILLED to be going to back to Kdu, and seeing friends and family there who I have missed dearly while being away over the holidays! The only sad part to this will be the LONG travel involved in getting to the land of no heat and electricity (haha) and most importantly, saying goodbye at the airport. For those of you who aren't aware yet, my brother Zach will be getting married (!!!!hooray!!!!) in August to his lovely fiancé Hannah, so I will be returning to MN for the wedding. However, though we know I shall return in a short 7 months, the physical act of turning away and walking through that security line is excruciating. My stomach is in knots just thinking about it. So your prayers would be much appreciated this Saturday as my family and I drive up to the Minneapolis airport.
And now to reflect on my time at home: it was both good and bad. First of all, the jet lag returning to the USA was horrible: my first four days were literally a fog, and the sleepless nights were somewhat brutal. I also found myself tongue-tied at the thought of having to express to people at home what my life in Nepal is like: how difficult it when someone asks "so, how is Nepal?" My brain jumps into overdrive: "Do they want a real answer? Are they just asking to be polite? Should I keep the answer short and sweet (and what does that even like) or give them a more detailed answer? Actually, how do I describe my life in Nepal without stealing three hours or so of their life? Oh shoot, they are looking at me waiting for an answer...." So I hid in my house for a long time - and really, why do you ever have to leave your house? There is a fridge full of food, multiple rooms with comfy, plush furniture, TV's with hundreds of channels, endless (fast) internet, books, HEAT...truly, there was little incentive for me to leave my house at all that first week :)
BUT God loves to stretch and challenge his people! Now as I look back on my time at home, I cherish all the coffee dates and phone calls and trips to the twin cities to share with friends and family about my experience in Nepal - their encouragement, excitement, and empathy at what I was sharing (even the ugly stuff) was a balm to my heart, and witness that it is only "by the grace of God that I am what I am, and His grace to me has had great affect" (1 Cor 15:10). Looking back on journal entries written during my four weeks at home, the reoccurring theme I see is "LORD how kind you are to your people!" It certainly was not necessary, but God in his kindness gave me the chance to go home for Christmas: to participate in all of the fun and quirky family traditions (yes we still go caroling), pray over the New Year with them, welcome our new foster brother, Stephon, into our home, and celebrate Zach and Hannah's engagement with wine and chocolate fondue :) And He also generated necessary healing as I shared my stories and experiences with friends and family here - men and women who truly are rare gems among God's people. Funny how you have to leave your home to discover what a treasure it is. Thank you, Jesus, for your gifts to your people, and that your are always molding us to your good Purpose.
And now: back to Nepal, always in the arms of our kind Savior!
Ok ok enough of the pity party: I am actually THRILLED to be going to back to Kdu, and seeing friends and family there who I have missed dearly while being away over the holidays! The only sad part to this will be the LONG travel involved in getting to the land of no heat and electricity (haha) and most importantly, saying goodbye at the airport. For those of you who aren't aware yet, my brother Zach will be getting married (!!!!hooray!!!!) in August to his lovely fiancé Hannah, so I will be returning to MN for the wedding. However, though we know I shall return in a short 7 months, the physical act of turning away and walking through that security line is excruciating. My stomach is in knots just thinking about it. So your prayers would be much appreciated this Saturday as my family and I drive up to the Minneapolis airport.
And now to reflect on my time at home: it was both good and bad. First of all, the jet lag returning to the USA was horrible: my first four days were literally a fog, and the sleepless nights were somewhat brutal. I also found myself tongue-tied at the thought of having to express to people at home what my life in Nepal is like: how difficult it when someone asks "so, how is Nepal?" My brain jumps into overdrive: "Do they want a real answer? Are they just asking to be polite? Should I keep the answer short and sweet (and what does that even like) or give them a more detailed answer? Actually, how do I describe my life in Nepal without stealing three hours or so of their life? Oh shoot, they are looking at me waiting for an answer...." So I hid in my house for a long time - and really, why do you ever have to leave your house? There is a fridge full of food, multiple rooms with comfy, plush furniture, TV's with hundreds of channels, endless (fast) internet, books, HEAT...truly, there was little incentive for me to leave my house at all that first week :)
BUT God loves to stretch and challenge his people! Now as I look back on my time at home, I cherish all the coffee dates and phone calls and trips to the twin cities to share with friends and family about my experience in Nepal - their encouragement, excitement, and empathy at what I was sharing (even the ugly stuff) was a balm to my heart, and witness that it is only "by the grace of God that I am what I am, and His grace to me has had great affect" (1 Cor 15:10). Looking back on journal entries written during my four weeks at home, the reoccurring theme I see is "LORD how kind you are to your people!" It certainly was not necessary, but God in his kindness gave me the chance to go home for Christmas: to participate in all of the fun and quirky family traditions (yes we still go caroling), pray over the New Year with them, welcome our new foster brother, Stephon, into our home, and celebrate Zach and Hannah's engagement with wine and chocolate fondue :) And He also generated necessary healing as I shared my stories and experiences with friends and family here - men and women who truly are rare gems among God's people. Funny how you have to leave your home to discover what a treasure it is. Thank you, Jesus, for your gifts to your people, and that your are always molding us to your good Purpose.
And now: back to Nepal, always in the arms of our kind Savior!
