Friday, May 6, 2011

Home again, Home again, Jiggity Jig.

It's been nine days since we landed in the States. And today, I am emotional.

I've been looking through the thousands (literally) of pictures and videos we have, and sometimes I just get teary-eyed. I miss Africa. I miss those kiddos we got to hang out with. I miss Sopo and his incredible choir. I miss Brenda picking on Taylor. I miss playing cards every night by lantern when there's no electricity, and I miss that annoying little kitty.

I want to walk everywhere. I want to eat fish and bugali. I want to speak in Swahili. I want to tell all my middle school girls that those tiny shorts they are wearing are inappropriate, and they need to wear long skirts to school.

I do love to be home though. I got to spend some awesome time with my family this last week. I have missed them so much. My nephew is walking and starting to talk! One of my best friends cut all of her hair off. My husband has a bromance with our neighbor. My mom is still hilarious. I really have missed being home and being able to hug and love on my friends and family.

I'm so happy to be home. But I so much miss being in Africa. I want both things. I want to be home,  I want to be in Africa. My heart is so full now that I'm home, and I think I will always love Congo and the people there.

People keep asking me about the trip. What on earth do I even tell them? It was incredible, life-changing, amazing, heart breaking, wonderful... the trip of a lifetime. There's so much to tell! I feel like I'm boring people with how much I talk about it. "In Africa, they do this... When we were in Congo... That reminds me of Africa..." It's constant. I apologize to the people who are around me all the time and have to put up with it. But I can't stop. Word vomit. You're all just going to have to deal with it for a bit.

So, now what? Good question. School, work, paying off student loans... we're just going to continue to figure out life and what God has planned for us. Maybe we'll go back to Congo someday, maybe not. We're still processing. We have a lot going for us here right now, so I think God wants us here. At least right now. Maybe in the future we'll get to go back, even if its just to visit. Who knows. Well, God, of course... but we don't.

My thoughts are all over the place. I'm glad I decided to write though. I'm a little less emotional now. Phew.