home again, home again, jiggety-jig

This post is dedicated to Jojokowalenko, momma extraordinaire and possibly my biggest fan.

So I’m home. I have been for almost a month. Crazy how time flies like that.

People keep asking how I’m settling back in to life at home. I say that of course there are some things it’s easy to get used to again: sleeping in my giant comfy bed, seeing my beloved family and friends, going for a run outside on crisp spring days, having a consistent internet connection, NOT hearing various calls to prayer blaring through every window, NOT having to play live-action “Frogger” when attempting to cross the street…

But there have certainly been some adjustments as well. Here are a few of them:

• My wardrobe: I only had one pair of jeans while I was away and a few shirts, and they were always covered up anyway so it didn’t really matter what I wore! I thought it would be fun to have lots of clothes to choose from when I got back, but frankly, I miss how easy it was to decide what to wear.

• Being exposed: This didn’t take too long to get used to, but the first time I went out in public in skinny jeans and no balto, I was definitely aware of how much of my shape was visible, and I felt a little bit scandalous.

• Using taboo words: On my first Sunday back, in conversations at church people were saying words like like “missions” and “missionary,” and I kept wanting to kind of duck down or shush them. That one still gets me a bit, actually.

• Church in general: For the six months away, my “church” consisted of reading Bible stories and singing songs with whitegirl and her family at their home, so to be in that formal church setting again was both lovely and bizarre. At one point we started singing a song that I associated with my prayers for my city in the desert, and the tears that had been just pricking my eyes, turned into giant heaving sobs. (It was a little embarrassing–a lady in the bathroom asked through the stall door whether I was okay in there. ha ha!)

• Water: My first shower here at home was heavenly! It felt gloriously indulgent to let the hot water run. But I also felt quite guilty for not turning the water off while lathering my hair or shaving my legs. And then again, I’ve started showering EVERY DAY which also seems rather indulgent (and maybe a bit unnecessary, but I think people prefer it when I keep on top of the hygiene. heh heh).  The same goes for flushing the toilet every time…

• Food: I thought I was over all the culture shock, and was surprised to find myself leaving the grocery store a week later, bawling. We have so much.

• Weather: They tell me the weather here has been gorgeous, but all I know is IT’S FREEZING! Still!! Thank goodness for this space heater in my room!

The rest of it has been as expected: I’ve had to look for a job and a new place to live, try to find my purpose and ministry here at home, and just generally get back into the swing of things, without pining away for the desert. As always, God’s been faithful, and I’m slowly seeing some of the ways he’s bringing things together.

Thanks for asking.

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