One Year Later.

It has been a little over a year.


A little over a year since I set foot on foreign soil for the first time. I remember the anxious, excited, elated, thrilled feeling of getting to embark on a grand adventure.

In some ways, it feels like that experience was ages ago, buried beneath the world of university and adaptation to an entirely new culture of college students.

In other ways, the experience is fresh in my mind.

When I think of Burundi, I am filled with almost a sense of homesickness.

I miss it.

I miss the wonderful people I met.

I miss the rush of experiencing entirely new places and environments.

I miss hearing a language I was slowly growing to understand; getting to stretch my mind by language acquisition. In America, almost everyone speaks English, and there is little need for me to use another language when talking to others.

I miss getting to haggle over prices.

I miss the sweet fellowship and the priorities of the people I met.

The people were relationship driven.
Driven not by to-do lists, but by taking each day as it came. I am sure I posted this, but the Burundians had no word or phrase for "I'm too busy." Life was enjoyed as it came, which was a lesson I needed to learn.

So very refreshing.

I have stretched and grown so much in the past year. If I were to meet myself a year ago, I am sure that there would be large differences. Some might be slight, others highly noticeable 

The most important thing I saw and learned through this trip was just how great and real God is.

He provided, and everything worked out perfectly in His timing. I experienced trusting on Him wholly and I was not disappointed -- often I was overwhelmed with His goodness.

Now I am at university.
College is a land filled with people valuing knowledge (or hedonism) above all else, people believing that if you study and research enough, any answer can be unlocked. College is highly individualist. I miss the collectivist culture of Burundi.

As I am dwelling on Burundi, and all of the experience there was in it, I am thankful for my trip, and the memories are like a drink of cool sweet water.

Another important thing I experienced: the love of the body of Christ.

I received so much support and prayers, it was astounding and wonderful. I was doing cartwheels with happiness and joy.

THANK YOU, if you've stuck this out with me.