Steps of Faith: November 2015

I began writing this blog about a week ago and hesitated in publishing it because I wasn't completely happy with what I had written. I wanted to write from the heart, and didn't feel I had accurately portrayed what I wanted about the community in which we live. Since writing this, my experience in this expat community has grown richly. (The italics are recently added portions).

When we left our home country, away from the familiarity of everything, we felt as though we were losing a lot. Living overseas for two and half years has taught me that we will not lose the people who mean a lot to us and, better yet, we will gain another community of people who will mean a lot to us.

We are a part of a large expat community here. We have come to know people from United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We come from different walks in life, different traditions, and we carry different views on issues and situations. During our years here, we have struggled at times with finding where we fit into this group, but ultimately we have come to see how the many people in this community rally together to help others in need (and most recently experiencing it first hand).

This year alone has seen people hospitalized, sick, and experiencing tragic events in their lives. It has been tough to see them go through these difficult times, but I have been encouraged by the many people who have stepped up to provide meals, child care, financial support, encouragement, support and many prayers to the families who are dealing with difficult times in their life. We are a community who has no family around to help and that can make us feel lonely at the best of times, let alone at the worst of times. It is the love and care of God that we are dependent on, and I have seen God work through the people who live in this community.

Since writing this blog, I have experienced my own health issues, and one that is not going to just go away. I ended up in the hospital after a severe seizure, and after a number of tests the doctor has determined that I have a slow-growing, benign mass in my brain. This is completely unfamiliar territory for us and something we are still processing. However, in this week alone, we have experienced tremendous support from loved ones around the world and that is truly an amazing thing to experience. We have seen God reaching out to us through so many of His people, including the expat community of which we are a part of. The prayers, encouragement, and various forms of care have been humbling, but such an encouragement for us as we travel down this unknown path.

Living away from family and close friends is the hardest part about living overseas for me. However, when I experience a community who looks out for each other and one who genuinely cares about your well-being, it makes it a bit easier to endure the longingness for those we miss. Dealing with the loss of Paul's mom and, more recently, dealing with my health issues, I am sincerely grateful for the love and support we have experienced during our time here and how God has used others to bless us.

I speak for myself when I write this. I realize there may be people who have not seen or experienced things in the same way I have. Some people may have been hurt or have not felt supported when they needed it. I do not speak for everyone; I speak for what I have seen and experienced, and I am thankful and encouraged.

It is this expat community, I can safely say, that we are growing to love and appreciate. We are humbled and blessed.

... here are a few pictures from August to October.

Community BBQ