Preparing for Re-Entry

As we prepare to leave Madagascar this week for a six-month “home assignment,” I’m filled with mixed emotions. I’m really looking forward to spending time with family and friends “back home,” but I also see that this island has become a part of us. Honestly, it’s going to be hard to re-enter American society after two years away. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten how to do so many technological things, but what’s worse, I’m afraid people will have forgotten us. Even though we’ve kept in touch through email and Skype, it’s not the same as regular phone conversations and visits. When you leave a place it stays imprinted in your mind in a certain way so it’s always shocking to return to find people you knew have changed or even moved on. And that’s only with the people!

Do you know I’ve never even set foot in the USA since Obama became president? This morning I was trying to remember what “American” milk tastes like. I’m used to shopping in an open-air, dirty market and paying for everything in cash. I think I’ve signed my name on official documents less than 10 times in the past two years. So if I look overwhelmed when I walk into a crowded mall or hesitate before signing a credit card receipt, you’ll know why.

But in all this transition, there is much to be thankful for. God has blessed us with “home” in two places, halfway around the world from each other. And whether we’re here or there, He remains that constant, never-changing presence in our lives.