Here I am, sitting at home in Goshen, Indiana after eleven months abroad. It doesn’t feel as strange as I expected, actually. Except for maybe the part where we have 14 hours of daylight and it is still light outside at 9:00 pm. It has messed with my sleep schedule and I am not thrilled!
I had a few airline troubles getting back to the US, but by Wednesday, July 10 I was sitting in Akron, Pennsylvania with all of my fellow SALTers playing games and sharing about our experiences. After a week of wrap-up presentations and paperwork we let loose for a cultural gala whose program was composed of funny stories, dancing, and sharing the best parts of our countries. It was certainly nice to have a bit of a buffer week alongside others who had shared experiences before getting on a plane heading home.
My family was waiting at the airport for me with flowers and Pocky sticks when I arrived in South Bend. (My sister later informed me that she had wanted to bring a sign that said “Welcome Back from Rehab” but my mother stopped her.) My brother arrived later in the week and the whole crew went on a family camping trip. It was a nice way to settle back in: lots of nature, cooking over the fire, and down time.
This summer, I’ll be spending several weeks in Goshen, then heading down to Bloomington and finally, making a trip out to California. In mid-September, I’ll be leaving for France to serve as an English teaching assistant for the 2019-2020 academic year. I am over the moon about it, but I know I have plenty of things to do in the meantime.
I’ll be sharing more about my time at my two churches in the next few weeks. First, on July 28, I’ll be sharing at Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship and then on August 18, I’ll be sharing at Silverwood Mennonite Fellowship during the Sunday school hours.
I will soon be showing photos and telling stories to many of my family and friends so I’ll post just one photo of me and a fellow SALT friend at the re-entry retreat in Akron, PA. Owen served in Rwanda and I visited him and Jake, another SALTer, during my year. I can assure you, we get along fine despite the way we are posed in the photo.
And so my term with Mennonite Central Committee ends! Thank you once again for all the prayers and support.
Reflections 