Culture Shock Included

One would think that with all the travelling I have done in the past that I would be used to the differences between here (wherever here is) and there (wherever there is), but I'm not.  It started in Trinidad.  The year was 2002 and I was on a "worship" focused mission trip.  I was there for 10 days, but during those days my life changed forever.  I realized then that I was humbled that God would choose to use me and blessed that God would choose to use me.  Humbled and Blessed.  Those two words have stuck in my mind a lot lately.

In leaving Trinidad that first time, I experienced reverse culture shock for the first time.  I became angry and bitter and didn't know why.  I was angry at myself, angry at my culture, angry that I had to leave a culture and people I had come to know a little bit a love a lot.  For the next six months I struggled with this.  Since then I have been serving in several different cultures for a variety of time periods.  For some reason, the coming and going doesn't get easier with time.

I've been in the states for just under a month now.  I am heading back to Haiti in exactly two weeks.  Even though I have only been here a short time, culture shock is in full swing.  Not so much anger this time, but confusion.  My two worlds and homes are different.  I love them both.  My heart aches to be in Haiti, then my heart aches when I think about leaving my family.  Both homes feel normal to me and loving and welcoming.

God has called me to a different life with culture shock included.  I know that God will continue to give me the strength to face the different aspects of culture shock.  He didn't say that this life would be easy, but being in the center of His will is so worth it.  God is always with me, no matter where I go.  He can do all things, even when I can't.

What a blessing to know all these truths!  I can't wait to see what He has planned for me in the next two weeks and when I return to Haiti!  He is at work.  I know He is great!