In the End...

Usually when I have so much time between my blogs I take up all my space playing catch up, but I think this one will be different. I’ve been home for a week and a half now, and it feels so good! But I also think I’m getting to the point where I am slowing down and starting to really miss being there. I miss the boys, I miss my homeless friends, I miss the Shine kids, I miss Alli and Tess and Amber and even Darwin sometimes. Of course, I missed everything from home while I was there too. I guess that’s what it feels like to have your heart split between two places. There will always be a part of it that longs to be somewhere else, and maybe sometime I’ll get used to that feeling.

I don’t really think I experienced culture shock when I got to Honduras, but I did feel it when I got back to the States. I think it’s because when you go to a different country you expect things to be different. And I’ve been to Honduras enough that I pretty much knew what to expect. But when you come back home you think nothing will seem weird because that’s what you know best, and then you realize you’re wrong. When I first stepped off the plane in Indy, the aesthetics threw me for a loop first. It’s so green, and it’s so flat, and it’s so cold! It was weird. As far as general culture goes, when I got to Houston I noticed that the way that would have been typical for an upper class Honduran to dress and present themselves was pretty much the norm for Americans. That might seem pretty obvious, but it was one of the first things that hit me coming back. There is so much more wealth here, it’s ridiculous, and I mean that.

People of course have their FAQ’s that I keep hearing since I’ve been back. It seems like nobody really knows where to start, so they just ask “How was Honduras?!” And what am I supposed to say to that? Lol, I usually just say, “It was wonderful, fantastic, so so good!” And that’s all they really want to know, they’re happy to know I’m back safely with all my limbs still attached. And that’s fine with me, I’m glad to give that answer and leave it at that. But other people actually want to know the details, and I’m also glad to share those. If you’re reading my blog I’m assuming you care to know details, so I’ll share a few.

Yes, I’m glad I went, I don’t regret it at all, and yes, I would love to go back again, but no, I don’t know when that will happen. I doubt I’ll go back again for an extended period of time, I feel like God was calling me there for three months and that’s all for now. My favorite thing about being there was the relationships I was able to build, with the people I lived with, worked with, and served. There is something special about a relationship between people that is based solely on love, without any other expectations. Pretty much all I had to give was a plate of food with a big side order of love, and when you give all the love you can, the returns are incredible. I would recommend it.

What did I learn? That everybody has a heart and soul, no matter what socioeconomic background they are from, or what language they speak, or where they grew up, or what their beliefs are, or you fill in the blank. It doesn’t matter. Everyone deserves to be loved, and from now on I will look at people with that filter. I mean, in the end isn’t that what it all boils down to anyway?