Somewhere…Stuck In The Middle

Transition from one culture to another brings with it new ways of living. For 3 years we haven’t had a car and suddenly we’re flying down the interstate at 70 miles an hour. That alone is stressful. You would have thought we were torturing Hudson when he made his first attempt at riding in a car seat. He wants nothing to do with being tied down! The island culture has trained us to slow down. Keely didn’t know what a dishwasher was, Camden thought he was going to where flip-flops all winter, and Myla is just trying to catch-up on everything going on around her. Our new way of life demands that we speed up. The other option is to shut down, turn-off, and hide away from it all.

Where is the balance in a culture that moves ahead at an exhausting rate?

We disembarked from our 30-hour journey nearly 4 weeks ago with worn-out hands and feet, tired minds, and heavy hearts. Leaving the continent that has in large part become home to our children is painful. Someone once told me that the airplane can be the most comfortable place for the expat…somewhere stuck in the middle of two places that have “home-like” qualities.

Where is the balance between the comfortable place and that uncomfortable place?

After recuperating from jet-lag and spending some much needed time with grandparents, Bryan and I headed to Atlanta last week for a Mission to the World leadership assessment. You might think that having senior leadership take time out of their schedule to sit, observe, and inquire about you for 2 days would be stressful. And, yes, at times it was, but after all the testing, role plays, interviews, presentations and feedback we walked away affirmed and encouraged.

Today, we are traveling to Texas. We will be with family this week and arrive in Austin next Sunday, November 8^th, where we will give a missions update at All Saints P.C.A. Our plan is to be in and around Austin for about 1 month and return east for a Tennessee Christmas. At this stage, we have not found temporary housing in Austin for the 6-9 month period we are planning to be back in the States. With that said, our plan is to base in Tennessee at our parent’s house and travel after the new year to visit supporting churches, raise additional ministry funds, and attend a missions conference.

We get updates from Rosina and we’re excited to hear that the small church is doing well, in fact already they are a missional church as they are continuing to present the Gospel in different parts of the island using the model our team was able to establish. We have more great news to share with you about what God is doing and how He is working in the hearts of those our family was closest to while living in the village. Come see us in Austin on Sunday, at All Saints P.C.A. to get the most recent update.

Jesus Christ is the balance that my life needs. And when I’m off balance it’s more of Him, His Word, more songs of praise and prayer that bring me back to my solid foundation, my rock in Christ. (Lots of extra pictures added below)

Grace and peace brothers and sisters, Rebe