Today is my last full day in Central America.
A short 3 months ago, I was boarding an airplane with 50 odd squad mates of which I agreed to spend almost a year of my life with. I had few expectations, 37 pounds on my back and goodbye tearstains on my cheeks. My heart was at the corner of “what the hell am I getting myself into” and “I’m the luckiest person in the world”. Somehow, I took a nap on September 10th in America and woke up in Honduras on day one of this life of an overseas missionary.
The next 3 months held experiences, people and places that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. They held things that I gave to The Lord that I will never again pick back up. They held tears of joy and tears of sorrow. They revealed confusion and realization. They were accompanied by homesickness, scabies, heartache and change. They welcomed growth and positivity. They harbored new perspective and gave life to newfound passions. They diminished any doubt I had about where I have been asked to go this year. Those 3 months were of naked babies, boys on thinner, golden teeth, breathtaking views and team time laughter. I will forever be thankful for my time spent in Central America.
Tomorrow I will be headed to our next stop, South East Asia.
If the next 3 months are anything like the last, they’ll be extremely trying and completely rewarding. A surge of similar emotions will arise as I say goodbye. Once again, I will board an airplane with 50 odd squad mates of which I will more excitedly spend the next 6 months of my life with. I’ll have even fewer expectations, probably an additional 10 pounds on my back and twice the tearstains on my cheeks. My heart will be at the corner of thankfulness and anxiousness. Maybe, somehow I’ll take a nap after our next layover in South Korea and wake up on day one of destination number two, The Philippines.
So now at this very moment, I can hear the squawking of nearby parrots and the laughter of squad mates. Everybody is busy packing and repacking. Last minute souvenirs are purchased and I lay in a hammock on our front porch in thankfulness. I am blessed in where I’ve been, where I am, and where I am headed as of tomorrow morning. Philippines, here we come!
