Jan. 6, 2008 -- Home from vacation

January 6, 2008

After a busy yet wonderful “vacation” home, we are back in Uganda. Before I tell you about our adjustment back let me recap our time in Michigan. We arrived home in a snow storm and left in one. Flying went really well considering we were traveling for a total of 34 hours! I heard Angie say more than once is it really worth all of this. No one can totally understand until they have traveled that far and that long with small children. It is a lot of work preparing to leave, getting the house secured, having people set to do things while you are gone, packing for a month, making plans, hotel reservations, taxi pick ups, money set, lists made… But it is all worth it once you arrive and are with family again. When we arrived Lydia cheered and when she saw Grandpa and Grandma she just cried. Grace was shy. It made me realize how much Lydia remembers and misses family, friends, and life in Michigan. She really did grieve what she left and it meant a lot to be back again. Grace on the other hand is too young to remember and didn’t know anyone and was scared of most things she didn’t know. She only knew her world and life as Uganda. But it didn’t take long for her to fall in love with family and enjoy Michigan.

Our first week home we had my sister Dorothy’s wedding. Lydia was a beautiful flower girl (princess as she likes to think of it) in the wedding. We had a great time and everyone looked beautiful. I really enjoyed getting so dressed up and having somewhere to go – something I don’t get to do on the mission field. Wedding are fun but stressful and I am glad that everyone could relax after the first week. The next week was full of doctor appointments, shopping, and visits. What a blur! We also went up to McBain about once a week. We spoke every Sunday at one or two of our supporting churches. Although it made us busy, we loved seeing our supporting and sharing with them. We were more than blessed and encouraged by their support, generosity, and prayers.

What else happened…I got to go with my mom, sisters, and aunt shopping over night just to be together. The Beute family went to Great Wolf Lodge for a night. What fun! Josh and I ever got a way for a night to a bed and breakfast and Grandma Shaarda got some quality time with her grandgirls. And of course Christmas parties. I loved seeing everyone but it always seems so short. I really do cherish my time with everyone because I don’t get a lot of time and I never know when I may see someone again. I was thankful to spend time with all of our grandparents. I was blessed at our Beute family party when we went Christmas caroling at my dad’s work, the Christian rest home, and to family friends who are struggling with cancer. What a joy it is to brighten some ones day with God’s love. I will never forget Lydia’s face while she sung to those people. That is what Christmas is about, giving to others.

Our last week was filled with another wedding Josh’s sister Rebeka married a classmate of my Ryan. Josh and I were honored to stand up in their wedding. What a fun time! After that I think I was a bit down. It was all over and now I had the dreaded job of packing 8 boxes 50lbs each. But I have very special memories to take with me too. I could cry just writing about it. Walking in the snow with the kids looking at Christmas lights, a walk in the woods, watching my kids build a snowman with their dad and aunt, really good food, playing games with the family, beautiful weddings, sitting home together in a warm and comfortable home while it snowed outside… I am very blessed! God answered so many prayers with this vacation. It is mixed emotions going back. I will always hate saying goodbye and leaving family but I can only eat so much, live out of a suitcase so long, and be in the same bedroom as my girls for so many nights. I didn’t dread going back to Uganda which is a nice feeling. We spent our last night near Chicago. I thoroughly enjoyed our hotel, the food, and the time with Dad and Mom. I think I know what a different world I would soon be back to.

And now we are back in Uganda. Everything went well flying except they didn’t have personal TVs and they showed really, really bad rated R movie. I was really upset. It is not fun keeping Lydia’s eyes off the movies. They finally stopped the movie only to show another bad one. How sad.

We arrived in Uganda to find out that there was a gas shortage because of the fighting in Kenya (borders were closed). People talked about it going up to 10,000sh a liter (that is about $22 a gallon!!!) Our van however did not start when we got back. Thankfully it ended up just being a dead battery. We did have a nice night at our friend’s apartment and had supper at our new favorite restaurant. We traveled back to Soroti with no problems and even got gas for almost the normal price. Again I felt God had taken care of us and had answered so many prayers.

We entered our home only to inhale a months worth of dust. Literally layers and layers of dust was everywhere. You couldn’t set anything down and we left footprints everywhere we went. So we got to work. I got such a headache from all the dust. Everything needed to be cleaned. If I could only explain to you what it was like. I was not a happy camper. It took us almost 4 hours to do the first round of cleaning. But by night we could sleep comfortably in our own beds.

It was harder coming back than I thought. It has been about 85-90degrees inside the house each day, it is super dry, and I am tired. To top it off we were told we got fat while we were gone (I think that means we were treated well while we were gone but I don’t like the sounds of it anyhow). I kept reminding myself about what Josh and I always use to say in Nigeria, “the first day is always the worst.” It would get better.

What two different worlds we live in! In Michigan I was always full and didn’t desire food because it was all around me. I got stressed over shopping because of all the decisions I had to make. I actually got sick of eating out and shopping. In Uganda I crave every food I can’t have or get. I go to the store and they are out of so much I don’t have any decisions to make. Having everything verses living with little. I truly enjoyed the comforts and beauty in America but I also wrestled with it. How do I reconcile my two worlds? It can’t help but bother me when we go out to eat in Michigan and spend a lot of money when I have friends in Uganda who go hungry and sleep on the floor. Sometimes I don’t know how to deal with it. How can we live so well when others live with so little? The hard part for me is the “others” aren’t just others to me they are real people my neighbors and friends.

Today I felt like God gentle broke through my heart. I have been complaining since we have been back and longing for the good life back in Michigan, but tonight as we walked home from Amecet I looked at the houses and all the people. They have no light, their clothes are ripped, they need food…and they want the good life too. I am right where God needs me. It isn’t easy living far away, giving up a comfortable life in Michigan, living with heat, dust, and other inconveniences. God loves the poor and needy! I want to love the orphaned and sick children at Amecet. I want to encourage the local church and fellow servants of God. I want to show Christ to Tabitha, Kristine, and other friends. I want to bless Sam, Dennis, and others in need. It isn’t easy and I don’t always do things right but I do love my Lord and He wants me to love His people. That is my calling in life. That is why I live. Eternity is waiting and I want to bring as many people with me as I can.