We arrived back in the US in the same way that we live in Nicaragua, Plan B, C, D or E. Everything went well on the Nica side, we left close to on time, and arrived in the US close to on time. But our hour and a half connection time in Houston was not nearly enough to make it through Customs when the world is still reeling from the recent events in Paris. The numbers of people being processed were in the thousands, and we got checked in ways we had never been checked before.
So our Plan B was to stay the night in Houston, leave the hotel at 3 AM to catch a 5:30 flight to Denver and then on to Portland, arriving around 9:30 AM to a cold, rainy Portland. Both Stephen and I stopped when we exited the airport breathed in the cold, crisp air, and were so thankful to be at our final destination with family and friends.
In the past month and a half, since we have been aware of what the next steps are for us, we have been planning for this time. All of our good-bye parties, and good-byes have been because we knew we would be in enjoying time with friends and family in the US in the middle of November. All of our packing, moving of our stuff, and finding a home for our cats has been because we knew that that we would be switching gears from hot, sticky Nicaragua to the cool weather of Oregon. This transition has been thought through, prayed through, discussed, been looked forward to with great anticipation, and is now our reality.
We are excited about being able to talk freely with those around us, not seeing garbage everywhere, being able to flush toilet paper and having amenities in public bathrooms, seeing things that are beautiful and well maintained, and are looking forward to being able to find and buy things that we can only dream of in Nicaragua.
Here is the rub though, and it comes from a quote that a missionary friend of mine posted on Facebook some time back, “When you are a missionary, you can never go home.” When I first read that, my thought was that it was a nice sentimental saying that might be cross-stitched for a missionary couple retiring from the field, but it has been picking away in my brain over the last few months, and it all came together this morning as I woke up way too early with a mind that is trying to process where we are now.
As much as Nicaragua has had its difficulties for me, and I am way more comfortable in cool Oregon with all the amenities, my home is now split in at least two places. The beautiful brown faces that we left that hung out on our front porch until the final departure, who brought us bananas, ripe papayas, and fresh cheese and milk, who really have no understanding that these are not reasonable gifts when you are packing up everything you own and getting on an airplane, but who do it because it is what they have and they want to express their appreciation to us.
I am somewhere between wanting to immerse myself in life here in the US- the things, events and opportunities, but scared that they will swallow up the more simple things of people, God’s work, and intentional-ness of my life in Nicaragua.
Praying for Him to guard your hearts and minds while you are here, yet allow you to full enjoy this “breather” and re-charge time that He is allowing you to experience right now. My prayer, too, is that you will be present in the moment – whether it be here or in your other “home” of Nicaragua! I love you friend! Can’t wait to see you!
Thank you, Denise!
Having had the blessing of sitting on your front porch with time to watch Tito and Queso, meeting the people behind some of those “brown faces”, and experiencing your ministry to broken hearts, your division of home makes sense. We are “at home” when we are living in God’s will, wherever that is, aren’t we? I have to admit, when the skies darkened and the rain came, my thoughts were turning to Nicaragua! 🙂 Know I am praying for you and Stephen and can’t wait to have face-to-face time. Love you.
I am so glad you are familiar with my Nica life! I look forward to seeing you!