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Bracelet Beauty
8/4/09
I just got back from a run, which still carries a bit of novelty to it, having not been able to run all summer in Manila. It seems incredible that I can walk out my front door and jog down deserted streets (where are all the people?), past houses with huge green front lawns and garages bigger than millions of people's homes.
I have been back in Virginia for one week and adjusting to life in the USA has been much more difficult than I thought.
Debrief in Thailand was helpful. I appreciated the many hours of silent reflection and prayer built into our schedules. It was beautiful to have quiet time to process what I experienced this summer and to talk with God about upcoming months. All too quickly, though, we began the long journey home. We said sad goodbyes to a number of people who did not travel back to San Francisco with us, then in the SFO airport said many more goodbyes.
Now it's back to life in the United States. I am overwhelmed by the number of food choices in my family's pantry, by the largeness of homes, by the beauty of fresh air, blue mountains and summer gardens.
It has been hard to sleep in my own room (where are my fifteen sisters?), sit at tables instead of on the floor, hear English and see Caucasian people everywhere without my teammates to process with.
I have been thinking this week about the freedom there is in simplicity. Living out of a backpack all summer was freeing – I didn't have to choose what to wear or worry about extra possessions. Seeing how simply, yet joyfully the youth in Onesimo live was inspiring; the excess so many of us live with in this country seems ridiculous. 
Why do we have so many pots and pans? Why do we have extra sets of dishes? Why are my closets filled with clothes?
What does it mean to follow Jesus faithfully in this country of affluence? How do I articulate my experiences to friends, family, and church community here without being judgmental or prideful? I pray that God helps me on this journey of re-entry as I wrestle with these questions.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the future. As a result of the Trek, I know I am called to spend a significant amount of my life living and ministering in a slum community. Having said 'yes' to God's call, I face this last year of college with more direction. There are many questions still, but God continues to teach me to trust Him each step of this journey.
As I transition to life back in Virginia for this year, I am very grateful for all the LORD did this summer. I look at the many bracelets on my arms and legs, gifts from my sisters at Onesimo, and I am left in awe of God – who gave me a summer with some of His beautiful daughters in Manila.
All I can say is: Maraming maraming maraming salamat po, Panginoon. Many, many, many thanks, Lord.
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