Monday, August 4, 2008

A Week Later

Culture shock - the past week has redefined that term for me. Re-entering North American life has been more difficult this year than ever before. It has literally been a grieving process. I miss waking up to sunbeams on my face at 6 a.m., having coffee and quiet time in the screened porch room while absorbing the sheer beauty of the preserved jungle within the Jardin walls, running around getting the groups ready for a day with a sister church, sitting at the kitchen table updating my spreadsheets, planning dinners and going grocery shopping with Ina and Maria, sitting in my rocking chairs chatting with Villa, laying on my couch listening to the rain fall. I miss all these things and so much more about Iquitos.

So here I am, trying to adjust to a life I've always known. It feels strangely like I left home in Peru and am in a foreign place now.

Once again, I am totally dependent on God to lead me. If I am to live in Peru, He will open the doors, as He has done every step of the way for the past 6 years.

Recommended Reading

  • The Bible
  • Serving with Eyes Wide Open - Doing Short Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence - David A. Livermore
  • Cross-Cultural Servanthood - Serving the World in Christlike Humility - Duane Elmer
  • Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It) - Robert D. Lupton
  • When Helping Hurts-Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself - Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
  • Shadow of the Almighty - Elizabeth Elliot
  • Messy Spirituality - Michael Yaconelli
  • The Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne
  • Peace Child - Don Richardson
  • If God Should Choose - Kristen Stagg
  • In the Presence of My Enemies - Gracia Burnham
  • Inside Afghanistan - John Weaver
  • Same Kind of Different as Me - Ron Hall and Denver Moore
  • Through Gates of Splendor - Elizabeth Elliot
  • End of the Spear - Steve Saint