change

As I rode home last night from Columbia, SC it was almost 9pm and already getting dark. I remember my first couple of days back here in the States and having it stay light until almost 10pm. I have to admit that was one thing that I was really really looking forward to in moving back to the States. In Bandung it gets dark no later than 6:15 every single night of the year. The sun was a humongous fireball last night with no clouds in sight. Just the radiating red filling the surrounding sky with what was left of the days light.

This weekend I was at a reunion in Boone, NC with a few of my closest friends who used to live in Indonesia (and some that still do). While there, we spent time talking about all the changes we've been going through, our impressions of the States, and the transitions of coming back. We talked about how we hate the question "where are you from?" because without going into an elaborate answer it's difficult to say. Usually it's asked by someone just making conversation on an airplane or at the grocery store and they don't really want an answer so you know that giving them a long answer will either surprise them or annoy them. Simple things like that make it difficult to adjust back to the States.

One thing I was able to learn is that as mk's, we usually come back with this mindset of what the stereotypical American is and we don't like it. What I never thought about is that Americans have a stereotype of what a missionary is or what a Christian is. Either way of stereotyping isn't really fair to the other person. What needs to happen is I need to have an open mind when meeting people and not expect them to act a certain way, because everyone is different. Also, in having an open mind, I need to be interested in other people. It could be true that as an mk/tck I may have more experience and maturity and knowledge in many areas more than other people. However, that doesn't mean I should close myself off from learning from others and trying to understand them. If I want people to be interested in my life and really care about what I have to say, then I need to genuinely be interested in what they have to say.

The sun was a reminder to me of the weekend because just as the setting sun was bringing an end to the summer, the weekend was drawing a close to my time with my friends. I said good bye to friends that are not only friends, but who are basically my siblings. We have been through so much together and had so many shared expereiences that it was hard to let them go. I know that I'll be going back to Bandung at Christmas and I'll be able to cook with Greg and see Laura, but I'm not sure when I'll see the rest of them. Maybe next summer, maybe the year after that. It's a difficult thing to let go of and I wish I didn't have to.

One thing I do know is that next summer the sun will once again set around 10pm; I have that to look forward to and to put joy in my heart. I know that God will provide great relationships for me this next year and that I will one day see my friends again. That also brings joy to my heart and gives me something to anticipate. I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I do know that today I'm trusting in God to guide me and to be the one constant in my life.