Mission: Malawi: January 2010

Sunday, January 31, 2010

HOME

What do you think of when you hear the word “home”? Maybe it’s a childhood house, a street, a school that identifies home to you. Or maybe it is where you live now – with your pets, kids, and spouse. What has made that place take on the meaning of “home” to you? At some point we leave our childhood home and venture out to create our own definition of home. Is there something that identifies this place as home? I heard recently of one family who were always moving around and the Mother had a vase and picture that she always kept with them and the children soon associated “home” with those items and when the vase came out of her suitcase and the picture went on the wall – then they were home.

At the recent missionary training class I attended these questions of “home” came to my mind and I realized that for the first time, I think, I feel that Malawi and the house that I share with Cristy is home. Some of that feeling was triggered by the somewhat traumatic experiences that our group had while in Nairobi and my feeling that I would rather be in Malawi where it is safe, but I think also just being away I realized that it is home to me.

When I think of the places I feel at home a big part of it is my comfort of being myself. However “being home” and “feeling at home” are two different things. I can “feel at home” anywhere were the host is welcoming and where I feel comfortable. However feeling like “I am home” is a different level. Part of this is related to having a few special things around me but also just feeling at ease with my surroundings. It was especially made clear to me on Thursday night the 21^st when we were instructed to pack our things and evacuate out of Nairobi as fast as possible. I no longer felt safe there but I was surprised that I didn’t have a strong desire to go back to the US – to my family. To me, right then, “home” meant feeling safe and I associated that with Malawi. This realization surprised me.

There have been times when I’ve said “home is wherever I am living” and that is probably because I haven’t lived in my childhood home since I was 14 years old. Maybe this perspective has contributed to how comfortable I feel about traveling and living abroad. Now, before my family feels bad I think that my childhood house will always have a special place in my heart and will be one definition of “home”. Those walls, the garden, trees, and hills are where I spent my formative years and are firmly imbedded in my memories. But in reality their house has become theirs’ and not mine which is ok and part of the growing up process.

I guess the definition of home might change over time but I have a new appreciation for the comfort and rest that having a place to come back to brings. It also reminds me of the promise of God to be our source of protection and place of safety (Ps. 18:2). This can be our home wherever we find ourselves.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Request for Photos

I haven't posted any photos for a while so I thought I'd just post some here. I am in Nairobi for 3 weeks attending Institute of World Missions so am excited to have speedy internet which makes this easier. It is a good class, I am learning a lot and feel privileged to be included since I'm not an official GC employee. I have posted more photos on Facebook so if you want to see more go to my page and check them out.