Aliens in Africa

Dad,

here's my next blog posting... if it sounds rude or proud or any way
offensive will you not post it? i can't wait to see you!!! happy
training

So I've been feeling homesick lately. Mostly I miss my family and
friends, but at times I just really miss the comforts of home. I miss
warm pressured showers and driving rather than walking everywhere. I
miss not being noticed when I walk down the street and high-speed
internet. I miss Mexican food and washing machines. I miss speaking to
people whose first language is English. And yes, I miss my favorite
show Project Runway. Although I miss all these comforts, I know it's
only a short time that I'll be without them, away from home, so it's
bearable.

Today we were talking about what things make us realize that we are
total strangers to Ethiopia. Whether it is something as obvious as the
language or color of our skin, or something as simple as shaking a
wrist in a greeting or the 'gasp' that means yes. Whatever big or
small difference, cultural or physical, a thousand times a day I'm
reminded that I'm not from here.

I realize this is only a temporary place that I'm living. Since I know
this place is only temporary my value on certain things increases and
on others decreases. I know I'll only be living here for 5 months so
I'm not spending a lot of money on comforts such as more than one
towel or home decor. We are getting by on the essentials- food and
water. Why? Because this 'home' is temporary so it would be silly to
invest in luxuries.

We also know our time here is short, so we are really trying to
immerse ourselves in the culture to learn about the similarities and
differences. We are spending a lot of time with people building
friendships because we know that's the only thing we can take with us.
We also are spending a lot of time in reflection because we want these
5 months to count. We want to be available to God's calling,
open-minded to learning new things and seeing life from another
perspective, we want to grow, and we want to make a difference for
God's glory. Also, it's so much easier here to give more of ourselves
and time because we don't have the distraction of TV, or shopping, or
whatever else I do with my time at home.

Now, here I am, in Africa as a foreigner, but how is that any
different from my life on this earth as a foreigner?

Peter addresses followers of Jesus all throughout the world as
'strangers in the world' and 'aliens' to this world because they do
not belong. This is not my home, this life is not the final
destination, it's merely a temporary assignment.

I wish I could maintain a perspective that my life on earth is merely
a temporary assignment, before I am called home to heaven. Instead of
building a large inheritance for myself or my children on this earth I
wish I could maintain the perspective that my things on this earth
will not last. I wish I could focus on "an inheritance that can never
perish, spoil, or fade- kept in heaven for [me]… in this [I should]
greatly rejoice, though now for a little while [I] may suffer grief
and all kinds of trials." (1 Peter 1:3)