Well, for those of you who have been wondering for the past week and a half if I ever made it home safely, I did. I have been back in Texas since last Saturday, and I have to admit it's been bittersweet. It's been great to be back with family and friends, but I sure am missing my Argentine family and friends. Leaving was definitely one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and I pray that God allows me to return someday soon. There were a lot of things I learned in Argentina, and I'm going to try to express them to all of you in this blog post.
1. I learned that the family of God is EVERYWHERE. I was so blessed to be welcomed into the family of God in Argentina. I felt a greater sense of belonging than I have ever felt in my life and I am eternally grateful to the churches at Caballito, Parque, and Urquiza for their hospitality.
2. I learned what it looks like to love unconditionally. Human love can never be perfect and we can't expect it to be, but we can try to model our love after God's perfect love.
3. I learned the beautiful art of self-sacrifice. As a follower of Jesus, I am called to sacrifice my desires, my way of doing things, and my pride. Working in Argentina helped me to realize how difficult self-sacrifice can be. It is something I'm still working on--a constant battle of dying to myself and living for the sake of others.
4. I learned what forgiveness is. Of course I've always known if someone does something wrong to you, forgive and forget. This summer I learned about two different kinds of forgiveness: forgiving people for who they are and for what they do. Forgiving people for who they are means that you accept things about others that will not change and praise God for making them the way He did. It's a practice that is hard, especially when surrounded by people who are much different than you, but it's what God has called us to.
5. I learned that I can be comfortable and happy anywhere. Living in a country that speaks a different language, has a different cuisine, and an altogether different idea of what living is can be quite uncomfortable. I found great comfort in the fact that God is bigger than the U.S. or Argentina and this knowledge helped me to feel truly comfortable in the midst of a possibly uncomfortable situation. Argentina truly began to feel like home to me and I know that happiness and comfort can be found anywhere in the world if you only look for them.
6. I learned patience. Argentines are constantly late. Those of you who know me well know that I HATE being late and I hate not being able to fully communicate. Both of these things were everyday occurrences for me this summer. I learned to be patient and more laid back. This is not to say that I'm going to begin the practice of being late to everything, but I did learn to be patient and tolerant of the cultural differences.
7. I learned about my own personal mission. If you had asked me a few years ago if I ever thought I'd be a missionary, I would have said "no" in a heartbeat. Now, I'm not certain of anything, but it's something I'm open to. My personal mission is just to serve God. Whether the Lord calls me to do that in the U.S., South America, or somewhere I've never even imagined, I'm willing to go where He sends me. The type of work I do is not important as long as I'm furthering the kingdom of God.
These are just a few of the things I learned while abroad this summer. I appreciate all of your support and prayers for my journey this summer. There were struggles, successes, good times, and hard times, but I do know this: God was glorified and hearts were changed (including my own). Praise God for His unfailing love and unchanging guidance!
