H.O.M.E

It means so many different things each year. This year, home wasn't necessarily where all my stuff was or where I spent the majority of my time. Though I have a home here in Mexico & and an amazing extended family here, I have learned that H.O.M.E is always where life just seems to be. I don't have to think about who I'm with, what I'm saying, where I'm going. I can just be.

It was good to be H.O.M.E this Christmas. The best & most cherished times were late nights hanging with the siblings & in-laws, playing & hanging with the nieces & nephews, playing games with friends, & eating yummy food around tables with all my favorite people. It was H.O.M.E. Relationships grew. Stronger bonds were created. Life was shared (both the good & the bad).

And of course the time came to separate once more. It's never easy, though I honestly thought this time would be easier (and it definitely wasn't). But we are here for such a time as this. My prayer is that for our students here & the people we meet & serve, that we can create a H.OM.E for them, wrapped in the love & hope of our Christ.

It's hard. It's especially hard today as I think of my family back home. Today we are putting my dog Waffles down. Through the countless tears (my own & others' a country away), I will not only miss Waffles, but will miss sharing in this heartache with my family nearby. Because yep, Waffles was a part of that H.O.M.E where I could just be. She will be missed. And I will continue to cry for a few more days & then every-so-often for years to come. But she is a good reminder of the blessings God has given me.

For those at H.O.M.E - I am thinking of you. You know who you are. I miss you a lot. My heart aches for you. And I am reminded that all I can do is pray.