Probably the most asked question from everyone Stateside has been, "How are you adjusting back to Indiana?" Or, "How are the kids adjusting?"
Here is what it's like...
The kids are crazy about being here in Indiana. However, I'm not so sure they realized how little they would get to see all their friends. They still have school ya know. Life doesn't just stop on account of you coming to town as much as you think it should.
I'm pretty sure Morgan and Reagan, and especially Reagan are completely confused. Reagan remembers nothing. He had just turned three before we moved. Morgan's memories come back slowly, and some not at all. After about four passings, he remembered our favorite ice cream joint. He asks after every red barn we pass if that was the one where we used to pick up our milk. We still need to take him by the real barn so he doesn't think he's crazy. And I have no idea why that is such a vivid memory for him.
The real reason we came home was to take care of the final paperwork with selling our house here in Indiana. We love how God has orchestrated that whole story, and feel the family buying it is a perfect fit. They have three boys, the youngest being the same age as Morgan. In that we are staying with grandma and grandpa, which is next door to our old house, the boys have become friends. So Morgan has been hanging out in his old house with his new friends. Only, he doesn't really get that it's his old house. I was told by a mutual friend that Morgan asked if they had a bathroom he could use. I guess his lack of memory is realistic in that there's not much that really looks the same as he would have remembered it. Maybe it will come back with time. But it makes me sad that he doesn't remember.
Things I've noticed...
People are the same everywhere. Just different. People are needy everywhere. But their needs are different. I easily become consumed in the life of each person as we visit with them. Sometimes, it all kind of blurs together. But what every single person wants is to be loved. And that, my friends, is what we were commissioned to do. And really, I love loving people here just as much as I do in Guatemala.
Are we anxious to get back? Very much so. We have friends anxious for our return. Isabela has been counting the days, which is crazy since we don't have a return date yet. We've been waiting for a date on the house closing before we purchase our return tickets.
The weather has been way more irrelevant than I thought it would be. We came to snow and temperatures in the 20's, which the kids all thoroughly enjoyed. And made me long for my constant 70 degree weather. But in the end, I'm thankful for the weather that hasn't been exactly comfortable, just in that it causes me to long for home.
I think the thing that has struck me the hardest about being back is how easily we all adjusted to the ease and comfort of stateside living. We're soaking it up. Enjoying it while we have it. Today, I was vacuuming and so happy doing it. It was so easy. I'm pretty sure in Guatemala, I reminded Britt every time I swept how much I missed my central vac. And then there's washing dishes. Oh the ease of a dish washer. And even though we live a good distance here from local stores, it's still incredibly easy to go shopping. Adjusting to speaking our mother tongue when ordering food feels so easy. Or asking where something is is not intimidating. I don't have to translate in my head how to ask before I get up the nerve to do so. Or just not ask, because I'm too embarrassed to ask knowing there are words I need to say that I don't know.
I'm pretty sure if we gave the kids the choice, none of them would choose to return to Guatemala. Even Reagan, who is a parrot of all things proclaimed by Morgan, would say he'd rather live here. Of course, until he realized that daddy would be in Guatemala. I don't blame them. Life is good for a kid here. Life can be tough living in a foreign country. And for this reason, we have to let God work on each of their hearts as He decides. And our job is to push them on ahead like a mother hen does with her chicks. I have complete faith that what we're doing is the right thing. And that God will honor our faithfulness.
So much of our time here has been spent dining with friends and loved ones. We've thoroughly enjoyed it. We have felt so encouraged by the support and interest in what we are doing. But it is hard to really explain things to those who have never been to Guate to visit us. We would love a visit from all of you (not all at once). If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask. We love sharing our life, our journey, with you.
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