Being back from Africa...

Arriving home felt strangely normal. I stumbled into my parents' house in Carlsbad, stomach a little weak from the 4 different brands of medication I was on, and all of a sudden, it felt like no time had passed since leaving for Africa.

But time had passed. Seven long months in East Africa, the Middle East and then West Africa did happen. Those experiences molded me and changed me, and yet, like the kids walking through the wardrobe returning from Narnia, it felt like no time had really gone by.

I forced myself to take it easy those first few weeks at home, and I'm glad I did. Otherwise, the "reverse culture shock" might have been worse, and I may have rushed back into busy American life without taking time to consider all the places I had come from, and the beautiful people I had met.

The past 6 weeks have been filled with incredible blessings. I was reunited with my family and with Ted. I spent a week in Sacramento with Ted's wonderful family and meet many important people in his life. I also had opportunities to see several good friends. I went to a couple weddings, had a huge 60th birthday party for my mom, and introduced Ted to lots of people.

And the whole time I had Africa on my mind. Before coming back, our team leader Stephanie asked us what we would do to keep our Sierra Leone experience alive. Who would we tell about it? How would we remember and not let the memories become buried? Cami, the field director in Freetown, asked us more pointedly, "How are you going to be true to this place? To the kids we all got to know?" Santigie, Victoria, Papanie - how will I be true them in how I tell their stories, and how I choose to live.

I think those are important questions to be asking myself. About one month ago, I printed all the pictures I had taken with the Lighthouse kids and wrote personalized notes for each of them. Cami asked us to please send pictures that we took of the kids back to Freetown, so that the youth could own more pictures of themselves. I wanted to do that as quickly as I could, and it ended up being such a joy, a special opportunity to let them know I remember them, and I value each of them so highly.

I don't like thinking about not seeing the people in Freetown again. I suppose that's hard with any place you visit. I just feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to go, and I continue to hope that my experience there will be integrated into where I am now.

I know God is the perfect Author who can weave all of these strands into something excellent for His glory.