I really can't believe that I am writing that my year in Honduras with CURE is now complete and I am now back in the US getting ready to start college at Eastern University. Life has been overwhelming in the last week and a half saying goodbye to one life and hello again to the other, and now hello to a whole new life on the college campus. I've thought about not even writing about it because it seems like too much to put into words; how can I sum up a year in Honduras where I feel like I've lived a thousand lives yet it passed in the blink of an eye? Life in San Pedro and working with CURE as well as church life and life with friends at the Musical Garage and Juventud Para Cristo (JPC or in English, Youth For Christ) gave me life experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and memories that still make me laugh out loud when I think of them and I'm pretty sure will keep me laughing for the rest of my life! One of my biggest dreams since I can remember was to live in Central America and learn Spanish, and this year has brought me not only that but so much more than I imagined. Most importantly my relationship with the Lord grew much deeper and stronger; through the sad and sometimes really frightening situations I learned to trust Him as my only source of everything- when nothing materially was of comfort, He was all I had and all I needed. I really learned trust in whole new way at whole new level, and gratefulness as well as I watched the Lord bless me with dear friendships that blessed me truly beyond my imagination (Eph. 3:20-21!).
Saying goodbye was imaginably one of the more (or most) difficult moments in life as these kinds of goodbyes always are, but as we say in Honduras, we don't say goodbye, we say see you soon :)
I flew with Ace to North Carolina where my parents and four younger siblings currently are, about an hour outside of Charlotte on Lake James. I spent my first four days back in the US with them and some of my dearest friends from Virginia, George and Joni and their three little girls and Tyler my best buddy who is also beginning his college adventure. The days were full of fun and also relaxing, just chilling and talking (or watching my sibs doing gymnastics and wrestling moves), running through the beautiful mountain roads, swimming, wave running and tubing like crazy people, cruising on the pontoon boat, going to Camp Lake James for awesome food and a big pool, paddle boarding (and paddle board flipping :P), eating Mom's good home cooking as well as amazing local Italian. Star gazing at night and remembering the endless power and majesty of our Creator, making a camp fire and roasting marshmallows, having devotions together and encouraging one another. It was good to spend these days with my family having fun before the next big move, although inevitably I was having Skype dates and facebook chats with all my Honduran family who wanted to know how my travels were and how I was doing. Missing them and things like the Saturday night Musical Garage were the only things that made these days hard, but that is part of life and transition, and I am reminded to look forward to Heaven when we will all be together forever!!! One night I was talking with Tyler and as we discussed beginning college and such topics, he really encouraged me to keep strong the friendships I've developed in Honduras even as I go on and make a new life with new friends at Eastern. That was huge for me because I felt like no one understood that for my whole life I've had only few authentic (for lack of better words) friends, and the Lord so graciously blessed me several true friends there, the ones I don't make or lose easily. Tyler somehow understood that, and to have friends on this side understand the importance of my life on that side is a rare blessing and comfort. It's hard to cross the two worlds but when they do even in a slight way it brightens the way.
After NC I flew up to PA and spent the week with my sister Sarah and her family at home in Bear Creek. I unloaded (or exploded) all of Honduras life into my bedroom and attempted to reorganize and collect everything I would need to take to college. I tried to keep it as simple as possible, but man, things accumulate quickly into massive amounts. In several days I had it all packed up and thankfully it all fit into my sister's Golf. Besides all the unpacking and repacking, the week was super fun with Sare and her kids, just hanging out, painting nails, jumping on the trampoline, reading books, quadding to the lake, running around Bear Creek Lake, shopping at Target for some college essentials, eating lunch at the cafe with Lauren (my best friend from home), and watching Titanic (I've finally seen it! And have been singing the theme song ever since)... All these fun summer Bear Creek activities I had to fit into one week! On Friday Mom flew up to help me load the car and move me into school. And Saturday morning that was it... here I am!
After a year of being several countries away and not participating in any family activities, I am thankful to be an easy hour and a half drive from Bear Creek, twenty-five minutes from my brother Andrew and his family, five minutes from my Aunt Janet and Uncle John, and so close to many of my Haas cousins in the Philly area!
I have super sweet roomie, Abbie, an awesome RA, Emily, and great hall mates! Abbie and I clicked very well from the start, and I'm super thankful that if I could've personality matched myself with anyone on my floor she is definitely in the top two!
To wrap up I will say that I'm very glad the Lord has brought me to Eastern at this time. I am very excited for this semester and feel totally at peace. We had a great worship service this morning and message from our chaplain Dr. Joe Modica and I am hopeful and excited to grow under this leadership. This past week, though, as I've made this transfer from Honduras to home to Eastern, it's been an emotional roller coaster of missing life and friends in one place and being thrilled be with long missed family and friends in another place and excited nervousness anticipating a new place. All of this has brought me to one bottom line: wherever I am, however I feel, whomever I'm with, my joy comes from the Lord. My strength comes from the Lord. My peace comes from the Lord. And He gives it to me wherever I am. Every step along the journey.
Yes I miss Honduras. I miss my patients and co-workers at CURE. I miss the Musical Garage and my friends. I miss Juventud Para Cristo and hanging out at Mauricio's house. I miss touring with CTI. I miss baleadas and jugo de guanabana, I miss sopa de caracol, I miss so much of the simplicity of life there. And when I'm there I miss so much of the life and people I've grown up with. Life is full of "missing" because that's part of the journey. But I have to focus on what the Lord has blessed me with in each season. I can't focus on the "missings" because I will miss the blessings of the current place I am and the people who are currently on the journey with me. My joy comes from the Lord wherever I am and not from circumstances, and if I could remember that, I think there would be a greater peace and fullness of life each day.
PS- my roomie Abbie brought the same exact air freshener for our bathroom that I had in my apartment in Honduras, so whenever I walk into my new little home of a dorm room, I think of my sweet little home in San Pedro. If you know how smell-oriented I am, you know how huge this is. Smells more than anything (well maybe second to pictures!) take me back to the place where I first experienced it. A little bit of home brought to my new home.
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