Two weeks. I have been in the US for two weeks now. Can that even be possible? It seems like an eternity ago that I left Cuenca, but changing cultures can have that effect.
My last few weeks in Cuenca were...well somewhat dramatic. God has definitely been shaping my character through friendships and ministry there, and though sometimes I found myself in quite perplexing situations, I would not change any of it. I saw more of my sinful heart in my responses, but I was once again astounded by the grace my Father would show to me.
The last week I was able to spend time with people, but not as much as I would have liked. I will get to that in a second, but I do want to share a praise. I was able to have one last long visit with my friend Mercy ( an Ecuadorian friend I had been studying the Bible with). We did have a good conversation about salvation. She understands what it is, and she knows she doesn’t have it. Selfishly I would have liked to see her trust Christ before I left, but I am thankful for the opportunity God gave me, and I hope and pray she will bow the knee shortly.
I was also able to share my testimony with two co-workers. I don’t know how open their hearts were, but they listened, and for that I am thankful too.
Then, four days before I was to leave, I got sick. Whatever it was, this sickness was a pretty nasty virus. I lost all energy. I tried to continue to see people, but it wasn’t working very well. I went home early one night to sleep, only to wake up with terrible chills, and then a fever, and then… the worst part. I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and fainted-probably from dehydration. As I fell, I managed to hit my head on something, which then caused my head to start bleeding. I didn’t have a car, and I didn’t have any minutes left on my phone because I had cancelled my plan, so it actually took a while for a friend to come and pick me up to take me to the hospital. Praise God the cut wasn’t too deep, and I didn’t even need stitches. The ER in Cuenca is actually pretty nice, although they gave me an injection of something that I never quite figured out what it was...needless to say, I slept the rest of the day, and a good portion of the next day. I had to rest because I had my going away party coming up.
My friend Andres found it necessary to take a pic at the ER
I must say that Ecuadorians know how to give going away parties. They invite as many people as they can, and they have some silly games, and then music of course- they serenade you with songs.Serenading is by far one of my favorite things about their culture. And then you just spend time talking and reminiscing with friends.
My friend Mercy
Matt, Julia, and I at the going away party
Before I knew it, the time had come for me to board the plane. I knew that’s what God wanted, but there was a part of my heart wondering when and if I would be coming back.
Goodbyes at the airport
My Ecuadorian brothers I've known since I was a kid
When I got back to Iowa, I slept A LOT. The mix of being sick physically and the emotional stress of leaving...wore me out. My family and friends were patient and understanding with me as I started to readjust. My culture shock hits me when I come back to the US.
The last two weeks I have been able to rest and to see the dear family and friends God has blessed me with, but as I see people, an obvious question is “What’s next?”
In a week or two I will do some subbing at a local Christian school for Spanish. Then, God placed it on my heart to study, and that is what I am seeking out right now. However, it’s harder than I thought. Why? Well, a lot of change has happened in my life as of late, and I am having a hard time processing everything. I am incredibly thankful for the time God gave me in Cuenca, but it didn’t turn out how I thought. It didn’t turn out how I thought because...well I am home already. I was so excited and hopeful for my time in Ecuador, and thought it might be something permanent. God showed me differently. I am in the process of learning to trust His hand.
Because things turned out differently, I realized there’s a part of my heart that is hesitant to get excited or hopeful about the future. The unknown tends to, well, for lack of a better term, freak me out.
Then the Lord challenged me in my time with Him- is my heart to be set on this world? The answer is a resounding NO. My hope is to be in HIM, in the joy that I get to walk with Him now through this life and motivated by the hope that one day I get to be with Him face to face when this life has faded. I just wish I was better at remembering that instead of just agreeing with that.
What’s next? I can’t tell you exactly because I don’t even know exactly. God is showing me that’s ok. He’s still on His throne, and as long as I spend time daily sitting at His feet, I will be ok with that too.
Jerusalem—the mountains surround her.
And the Lord surrounds His people,
both now and forever.
Psalm 125:2
