Just Different

My super great kitchen! 

It’s hard to believe it’s already June. Wow. Almost 6 months since I made the decision to come to Colombia. 4 months and 3 days since I moved to Bogotá. 3 weeks since I moved into my own apartment.

When I think about, well everything, I have no complaints. I lack nothing that is necessary. I am very blessed and thankful for all that has been provided for me.

That said, were I to write a glowing report about my life right now, with a rosy perfect glow on each aspect, it would not be true. This is not to complain, or whine, but just trying to realistically describe how I’m feeling at this moment.

The YABs committee

This past week I returned from a Young Anabaptists’ Committee meeting in Akron, PA. It was an amazing time with my friends on this committee, and wonderful with the other MWC people who were meeting at the same time. I enjoyed being back in North America (went swing dancing!) and connecting with these dear people from all over the world.

Always love my maté

Still there were some things that were a little weird, not bad just different. This was my last meeting as the North American representative on the YABs committee. I knew that was coming, and I feel like this move to South America was the right thing to do. But it was still hard to step back from something that I’ve been so involved in for the past 4 years. And coming home to Bogotá was also, well, different. After every meeting I’ve ever had with MWC I’ve always gone home to BC, to friends and family who were waiting for me, to my church family always excited to hear about my trip and experiences and to my youth group who wanted to know how it was. And this time it was different. I came home to a MCC community who care, and I’m really thankful for, yet still it just felt so different.

My living room, which now has a table and chairs! And the blanket I'm making :)

In my head I know I have so much to be thankful for. Yet this past weekend it was harder to feel that. I just felt sort of down. Thankfully some friends went furniture shopping with me and I finally got a table and chairs (no more awkward meals over a tiny end table)! It helped a lot to go out and do stuff with them. And I did have time to rest this weekend, which was great after not getting too much sleep during our meetings in Akron.

This week has its own busyness to it. The rental agency didn't pay last month’s gas bill so on Saturday I received a message that the bill is overdue and they will shut it off at any moment. This means that I got to get up early (for me) and go wait in line to pay it off as soon as possible (thankfully it all went well this morning). The owners of the apartment also still have to fix stuff in the apartment, so someone’s supposed to come over Thursday morning to do that. And there’s the whole issue of not having internet yet, which I really miss. I don’t like talking in the phone on Spanish, because it’s a lot harder for me to understand. But it’s what needs to be done. Hopefully the calls will have positive results.

That’s an update on how I’ve been. Everything’s ok, I’m just still getting used to many things that are just different.

The first magnet on the fridge, something to keep remembering.