There's nothing quite like traveling to another country on an outreach trip... The frantic days leading up to it, trying to remember everything that needs to be done, hoping nothing is forgotten... Being unsure of what to pack and how much of it... Saying goodbye to friends and family... The nervousness about the actual travel, whether by road or by air, and the weariness that sets in as the hours begin to slowly tick by... The sudden immersion into foreign surroundings and a completely different culture... The fogginess of the mind and exhaustion of the body when unable to fully catch up on sleep... Eating unfamiliar foods, sleeping in unfamiliar quarters, being taken out of your comfort zones and away from the ability to control your surroundings...
As the days go by, you find that unfamiliar places begin to burn an unmistakable map into your heart... Unfamiliar faces greet you with smiles, as you realize they have anxiously anticipated your arrival and waited with their own nervous excitement, wondering what you will think of them... Adrenaline rushes in to give you strength to push on through your weariness and give your best at each gathering, for with each set of fresh faces, the same warmth and anticipation greets you... You begin to understand that, just as they are being touched and changed by what you give, so you are being changed and touched by them...by this experience of selflessness, of willingness to roam outside of your comfort zones, of surrender to God's control rather than your own... Before you know it, you are shedding tears as you say goodbye to those you now consider a new part of your family, connected undeniably to you by the love of Jesus, by shared humanity, by shared experiences... Physically, so many miles apart, but emotionally, spiritually, connected forever...
c2009 Lorenda Houston
