I am not going to go into depth about the situation, but most of you will know what i am referring to. Last Monday i informed the family i had been living with for 2 months that i was leaving and moving into another house. This drastic change was a result of a bad beginning with that family due to me being sick, as well as many cultural misunderstandings and differences in personalities. Due to these reasons i did not feel at home where i was living and it made it very hard to get along with the family.
Juan started helping me look for a new house and last Sunday we asked a woman at his church who has hosted interns for NOE before, if she would consider taking me in? Her name is Rosa, she is about the same age as my mom, single and lives with her mother. She does not speak a word of English, and is rumored to be one of the best cooks in Morelia. She said yes that she would let me stay with her and therefore, i am living with her right now.
It was hard to tell a family i have gotten close to and care for, that i am leaving, but it had to be done. The Lord helped me to get through it, as well as my brother Erick who helped me pack and kept me from crying every 5 minutes. All the kids and staff at NOE were soooooo sweet and supportive through this entire experience. I don't know if i could have done it without them. Everyone is apologizing that this happened to me, but i am trying to look at it as a positive thing. Even though it was one of the hardest things i have ever had to do in my life, God taught me SO much through it!!!
*He taught me a LOT about myself. About how i needed a good dose of humility, and got it through this experience.
*He taught me about how to cooperate, that i need to go half way, but then need to wait for the other person or people to meet me there.
*He taught me a lot about patience, and how to still be happy in difficult situations.
*He showed me how truly difficult it is to LIVE and function in another culture.
*Finally, he showed me, more than ever before, his example of NEVER ENDING love and mercy for me, and that got me through this whole experience.
People have been asking me if i'm having fun here. For the last 2 months, i have been saying yes, but meaning yes only when i was not in my house. But now, when people ask me if i am happy i can TRULY say, "YES, I AM THE HAPPIEST I HAVE EVER BEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!"
I've been reflecting on the whole concept a lot this week. I only moved 25 minutes away from where i was living before. But now i am closer to NOE, closer to some of the kids, it is less dangerous for me to walk to NOE, and i am with a family that i feel like a part of!!! God showed me that a little change of state, and a hard lesson, could help change my perspective and state of mind about being here ENTIRELY!!!
2 days ago Rosa came into the kitchen with me and her niece Mari who takes care of her mother when she is at work. Mari is about 40 and has two children, one has graduated from NOE and the other is in my class. (The look on his face when he saw his teacher living in his aunt's house was PRICELESS!!!!!) Rosa had just come home from work, and came into the kitchen to talk to Mari and i. She put her arm around my waist, and rested her head on my shoulder (she's pretty short) and said, "ah, mi hija Sophie."
Mi hija. My daughter.
Honestly, i almost cried. I realized that at my other house, i had only called the mom by her first name. I hadn't felt entirely comfortable there, and as a result, felt weird calling the woman in that house the same thing that i call the wonderful woman who gave me life!!! But Rosa, after knowing me for 5 days, was calling me her daughter!!!! Welcoming me into her family and saying, "you are mine!"
I have decided i am going to start calling her mom. Rosa will never be my real mom, that spot is taken by the incredible woman that spent almost 40 hours bringing me into this world, but Rosa did help bring me into a new life here in Mexico. A life where i am truly happy, all the time, a kind of life that i have never experienced before. It is an incredible thing, and thus, i am going to honor her by calling her mom.
I can't help thinking that it's like how Christ is with each one of us. Rosa took me in, even though i had problems, cultural problems, that she knew could happen again with her, but she still accepted me, she gave me the chance to change. God does the same thing with us. He takes us in, in all our grime and with all our problems, and gives us a second chance at new life :)
WHAT AN AMAZING THING IT IS!!!!!
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