Loneliness

It's interesting that after being away from the U.S. for about a year, JM and I are experiencing culture shock on a whole new level. Everything we knew would be a struggle about Latin culture seems to be amplified here in Santa Marta- time, language, fact-finding, and assumptions of us being wealthy gringos. We have adjusted little by little. We now know to wake up at the time someone says they will pick us up in the morning. We have gotten better at understanding "cotton ball in mouth" Spanish. And we've learned to not offer to pay and to ask the same question multiple times to try to find a answer that's actually true, not just what we want to hear. But not having other Americans close by has been tough. Add that to our lack of reliable internet for communication and it makes for lonely times. And yet, I think The Lord is using these times to better relate to these kids. While there are pros and cons to an institutional setting (vs private homes), I think one of the biggest struggles for these kids is loneliness. Yes, they are surrounded by peers their same age, but they ache for their parents, their siblings and home. I think of summer camp and even in the middle of all the activities and fun, sometimes you just miss family. This weekend, two of the kids broke down in my arms, one in silent tears, the other sobbing, because they missed home. And all I could do was hold them and love on them and pray for God to comfort their hearts, because honestly it's just tough. I think of Mercy Me's song "Homesick" and of how as believers we ache for heaven, to be in the presence of our Heavenly Father. And I am comforted that even though we're not there right now, our Father is totally accessible- all of the time.