The Story
As I mentioned in my last update the plan was to visit my sister and her family, take some time to process my overseas experience and be back in the U.S. sometime in September. Well, with this in mind, I boarded my initial flight and happily drifted through the following 23hrs of travel. However my drifting came to a halt at the airport of my final destination were, because of a few documentation errors and what I believe was a good deal of "stick it to the yank," I was denied a visa. *sigh* After a second night in an airport and people telling me a hundred different stories of what I could do in my situation I found myself boarding a series of flights that would ultimately lead me back to my Middle Eastern country of origin. Following my second transatlantic flight and considerably sleep deprived I was detained and questioned at the airport for the reason as to way I was "inad" (non-admitted) and returned. They were satisfied within an hour and I was allowed to wait in detention till boarding my flight to the U.S. Thus, in a slight daze and with a couple of near misses due to napping I was welcomed by questioning at DFW before being received into my parents arms, a warm shower and a clean bed.
All in all it's is one more adventure added to the book I never plan to write.
This happened one month ago. For the last four weeks I have been at times, bitter, reflecting little, getting my car running, spending time with friends, whatsapping those that are now far, job hunting, storytelling, church going and staring out the window as I write this letter. I am definitely still processing the recent experiences as well as the past two years. When people ask I have been summarizing by saying that "the overseas experience was hard but worthwhile." Were there days that my inability to understand culture and language drove me to hide in my room? Yes. Was the racket of honking cars, calls to prayer and incessant shouts not mind numbing? No, they were. Did I not see a community that is ignorant of God in a way that is shocking and new to me? I saw. Were my expectations of life not blown to pieces by the reality of fallen man? No, they were.
But this is only part of the story that I have to tell. This is only a fraction of reality and the lesser one at that. I am still very much overwhelmed by it in its minuteness, however I have faith that there is a greater work at play in my experience and the world as a whole. I was blessed to see the good, wholesome, truth, love and life that I shared with you in previous letters and I recognize that there are some who put in more time and see less. However, I do not despair and wallow in hopelessness but rather I focus on the bright hope and joy that I did see; that I have experienced; and that I have faith God is working through the growing recognition of the truth that the Creator of all things in His love restored His world through Jesus. This does not negate the pain, as much as I am most surely averse to it. But rather as I feel and live the fullness of pain I get to experience the ever-greater and overflowing richness of restoration.
It's a process.
Prayer Points
- Please continue to pray for our family and neighbors in the Middle East. Pray that God would strengthen our family in his truth and open the hearts of our neighbors to receive truth.
- Please pray for me as I process my overseas experience and seek God in this season. Ask that I would have a heart open to hearing and growing and that I would be blessed in finding a job.
- Please also pray for me as I continue to seek God and look to emulate Jesus. Join me in praying Ephesians 3:16-19 for each other.