Our team returned to the States yesterday. The cocoon that surrounded me in Mexico has been stripped away. The intense closeness that comes from setting aside the cares and worries of one's own life is now intruded upon by the realities that awaited my return. Being reunited with the family was wonderful, especially as my boys rapidly shared their experiences at Grandpa's farm, the beach with Laura & Mike McFarlin, and with our former neighbors Zack and Amanda. Barb had returned home from family and friends only hours before I did, and had a week of memories herself.
But soon the excitement settled. The boys fussed over computer games. The bags need to be unpacked. The dishes had to be put away. The water pump failed again (I need to finally replace that flaky pressure switch). The neighbor's dog through the night, waking me up for good at 5am. I'm home.
And yet in some way's I'm not. Being my first missions trip abroad, I am suffering from the emotional overload that comes from shifting not just time zones - but newfound friends and cultures all in a matter of 12 hours. In many ways my heart is still with Jorge and Eduardo and the men, women, and children of San Bartolo. I wonder what Julio is going to do today. I encouraged him to spend time reading his Bible. I pray he stated with at least five minutes in the Word of God this morning. I can't wait for an update from Jorge.
Life will move on. I will return to my job Monday, and the 154 emails that await me. If not careful one can drift forward with one's life and allow friends and events to fade to a distant memory. It requires intentional effort to maintain such bonds. I hope Jorge, Eduardo, and Lis are able to keep in touch. Last night I shared with my boys stories of the boys and girls of San Bartolo, and of the work that Jorge and Eduardo are doing there. In our family prayer time Cameron, my oldest at seven years, prayed that they would be excited about sharing Christ with Mexico - something I hadn't even asked him to. Jorge and Eduardo have just joined Scott Stringer and John Albers in his nightly prayer requests for safety and strength. If I go a day forgetting them, the Lord will be using Cameron each night to remind me.
I will be adding a few more posts to this blog about my memories of Mexico in the coming days. If you hadn't figured it out, this blog was more for me than for you. I wanted to preserve in this journal the experiences and people that I hope to return to in the coming year. I will be returning to this blog in time to remind myself of the joys and the hopes that I have for the church in San Bartolo. I hope that you have enjoyed getting a taste of some of the sights and sounds of Mexican culture, of the wonderful people there, and of the work that is underway there.
When you see me, ask me how my Spanish lessons are coming. Drop me an email to remind me. I'm serious that I want to return to San Bartolo. I promised the kids there that if I am able to return that my Spanish would be better (but probably not my soccer game). Hold me accountable to that!
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2 comments:
Yes, Bill, I did tell you so. The streets and the houses and the people and the desire to do and to know and to be MORE is so familiar to me. Sometimes, it's as if that's the only time you've really lived, but then, it's just a heightened sense of life and purpose. I wish I could sit across from you and let you tell me all about it (I'm one of the few actually willing to see your slide show!). I look forward to talking with you in the near future. God bless you, my brother, as you reintegrate into your "normal" (but now changed) life.
Nice Blog Bill. The trip to Huntsville was nice. We will have to have coffee or lunch and chat about it.
Joe
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