I should have kept track of all the breaded chicken strips (with honey mustard dipping sauce), American pancakes (with sugar free syrup) and ice cream (or frozen custard) sundaes I ate, as well as the gallons of Starbucks I drank in the past 3 and a half months. We could probably have measured our home assignment travels in fast food restaurant receipts and empty travel coffee cups.
I choose to measure our whirlwind tour by the warm and friendly faces we saw, the animated and welcoming conversations we had, and by the way God moved and spoke each time we shared with a different group of folks who were eager to know what God and Nazarenes are doing on the other side of the globe and how the believers here are playing a part in those changed lives and transformed communities.
We saw sun-drenched beaches and misty, lush green mountains. We drove through red-streaked mesas and expansive painted deserts. We wound along the edges of a deep, black canyon. We sat out a tornado in a friend's underground bunker. We were upstaged by loudly mating frogs, and helped to save a church service from a disoriented bat. We survived frigid Midwestern America air conditioning (BRRR!). We answered a lot of questions about the Autobahn and listened to the stories of many other fellow travelers to Germany and Switzerland. Andrew was finally ordained.
It's kind of surreal to be on this side of home assignment. Growing up, we had a parade of missionaries through our church and home who were doing this very thing. Now we're doing it. Now we have gotten to experience in a unique way the beautiful connections throughout the Body of Christ, the way our Church cares for missionaries and pours itself into God's mission. It's super cool.
Just five days away from our return to Germany, I sit in yet another airport (Columbus) following a week of General Assembly and several days visiting my grandpa and other relatives in Ohio. I realize that while I have had a WONDERFUL time back home in America -- in Colorado and Hawaii and Oklahoma and Indiana and now Ohio -- I am ready to return to "Germitzerland."
I have a few days left (sniffle) to eat my favorite American foods (see first paragraph). We have a few last doctor's appointments to make (three for Andrew, one for me). We have a movie to see for Andrew's birthday (Superman) on Friday (June 28) night, and then a picnic with both sides of our family in Colorado Springs on Saturday morning to celebrate his birthday again. Saturday night we join my parents in marking their retirement at a banquet being thrown by our home church, Springs First Church of the Nazarene. Sunday, we will be there to witness Dad leading his final worship service of local church ministry. Monday, we pack and say goodbye to everyone (sniffle). Tuesday we board a last series of planes bound for Zurich.
It's been good. We feel refreshed, renewed and re-energized for two more years of giving our passions and skills and experience to ministry in the Eurasia Region.
Incidentally, our regional director, Dr. Gustavo Crocker, was voted yesterday into the position of 41st general superintendent in our global denomination. We go back to big and exciting changes and yet more transition that we get to be a part of.
Following God -- no matter where you are or what you are called to -- is always an adventure.
We saw sun-drenched beaches and misty, lush green mountains. We drove through red-streaked mesas and expansive painted deserts. We wound along the edges of a deep, black canyon. We sat out a tornado in a friend's underground bunker. We were upstaged by loudly mating frogs, and helped to save a church service from a disoriented bat. We survived frigid Midwestern America air conditioning (BRRR!). We answered a lot of questions about the Autobahn and listened to the stories of many other fellow travelers to Germany and Switzerland. Andrew was finally ordained.
It's kind of surreal to be on this side of home assignment. Growing up, we had a parade of missionaries through our church and home who were doing this very thing. Now we're doing it. Now we have gotten to experience in a unique way the beautiful connections throughout the Body of Christ, the way our Church cares for missionaries and pours itself into God's mission. It's super cool.
Just five days away from our return to Germany, I sit in yet another airport (Columbus) following a week of General Assembly and several days visiting my grandpa and other relatives in Ohio. I realize that while I have had a WONDERFUL time back home in America -- in Colorado and Hawaii and Oklahoma and Indiana and now Ohio -- I am ready to return to "Germitzerland."
I have a few days left (sniffle) to eat my favorite American foods (see first paragraph). We have a few last doctor's appointments to make (three for Andrew, one for me). We have a movie to see for Andrew's birthday (Superman) on Friday (June 28) night, and then a picnic with both sides of our family in Colorado Springs on Saturday morning to celebrate his birthday again. Saturday night we join my parents in marking their retirement at a banquet being thrown by our home church, Springs First Church of the Nazarene. Sunday, we will be there to witness Dad leading his final worship service of local church ministry. Monday, we pack and say goodbye to everyone (sniffle). Tuesday we board a last series of planes bound for Zurich.
It's been good. We feel refreshed, renewed and re-energized for two more years of giving our passions and skills and experience to ministry in the Eurasia Region.
Incidentally, our regional director, Dr. Gustavo Crocker, was voted yesterday into the position of 41st general superintendent in our global denomination. We go back to big and exciting changes and yet more transition that we get to be a part of.
Following God -- no matter where you are or what you are called to -- is always an adventure.
When I read the last sentence of your first paragraph, my reaction was "that's really sad!" I was very relieved when I read the first sentence of the following paragraph!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your time in the US, and have a safe trip to this part of the world (and come visit me in Romania sometime!).