Down the Road Less Traveled…

                

After eight long (but good) months in the States, I have finally made it back to my new home. In fact, I will have been here three weeks on Saturday. As one who doesn’t typically handle transitions well, I have certainly seen my fair share of ups and downs these past few days, but thankfully things seem to be on the upswing.

It’s funny the things I thought I would miss but don’t (like hot showers and pb&j sandwiches.) It turns out I actually can survive a luke-warm shower, and the family I live with keeps their kitchen well-stocked with peanut butter, jelly, and even organic bread. Who would have thought?

After having lived here in Granada for three months already, I figured coming back would be easy (minus the whole showers and sandwiches bit.) I, however, did not realize how different round two would be, and needless to say, the first week was a little rough. I tramped through a bout of intense loneliness and fear, but last Wednesday something clicked, and whatever weight I was trudging around with seemed to drop off, piece by piece. I am so glad for that.

Now that I am not walking through a cloud of emotional chaos, I am free to focus on the tasks that lie before me. Some of these tasks I expected, such as preparing for teams to come and work this summer. We have a medical group coming in two weeks, and my dear friend Hannah will be on this trip!

What I did not expect though, was to be drawn right away to some kids who live in one of the poorest areas of the city. A week ago I encountered a group of twelve and thirteen year old girls at an activity in the barrio. They snickered at the sight of a ‘gringa’ in their midst. I saw them a second time at the ‘comedor’ (a feeding program providing lunch for children), and after I called them by name you couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces if you tried. It didn’t take me long to recognize my desire to invest in these girls (and other children as well), and I am committed to attending this comedor three times a week as I get a feel for what my role might be in their lives.

The road in the picture leads to Santa Rosa, the location of one of two “comedores” in the area and also one of the roughest, poorest places in the city. Here is a road that leads to a place of hostility, a place of physical want, and a place of attention-hungry girls and boys. For me, it is a road leading to uncharted territory as well as one that I do not intend on traveling alone. However, something tells me it is also a road that may lead to one of the core reasons I am here.

By the sheer grace of God, I made it through my first week here without having a complete mental and emotional breakdown. Now it’s time to move forward on the road being prepared before me as I press into the One who will carry me and sustain me through whatever it is I may encounter on this journey. In all sincerity, I have only made it this far because He has gotten me here, and I will only move forward because He is walking with me.