The other day I was chatting with a friend back home. After a while she asked, “So what are you up to down there?” As I fill her in, I realize that I’m doing the same thing she is doing in her town. Some mundane, like cleaning. Some essentials, like cooking. And some church functions, taking the youth group on an end of the year trip, going to prayer meetings, and listening to people. Of course there’s things like drinking máte, eating at weird hours, having to take 30 minute bus rides to town, and worrying about drinking the water and eating the fruit. But no matter where you are, you’re serving “overseas.” Ha! I learned this in Indonesia, when I heard they were sending missionaries to other countries. The main difference is there are a lot fewer believers and less opportunities for people to hear the gospel here.

It has been a trip. Kind of what I expected, but, a lot of unexpected. Like leaving the group I came with and joining another one. Like traveling to a different location more than every week for two months. Like not getting to cook for myself until today! Then, not knowing what to cook or how to buy what I want when I can’t read everything on the labels.

It’s a learning and growing experience. But I want you to know that you can learn and grow where you are. You can meet someone at the park or at work just as easily as I can on a bus getting lost on my way back to my host home. I read an article recently about how missions is everywhere. And something they said that stuck with me is that we are all called to be a neighbor to those on our street, it’s just that some people live on streets in other countries.

Bendiciones mi amigos. (Blessings, friends)

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