It’s that time again. Leaving another home that we have come to love and embrace to embark on a new unknown expedition. Where will our house be? Will there be kids in the neighborhood? How often will Barrett deploy? How long will it take to find a church? What will living in the United States be like? Will we fit in? Do we want to fit in? Will we find friends?
We have about five weeks left in Puerto Rico. Barrett’s replacement is here and already on the job so we are in the already not yet tension of leaving. We have to purge our things as we came here with 1 and 4 year-olds and are leaving with almost 5 and 8 year-olds. Cribs and highchairs are being sold or donated, strollers have been replaced by bikes, and toddler toys have morphed into Legos, swords, and school books. We have thousands of pictures of all we have explored, from beaches to rainforests, bio bays to mangrove dives, calm summer days to an almost 5 cat hurricane. We have jumped out of planes and been evacuated by them. We have zipped lined and jumped off waterfalls (OK, so technically Barrett is the only one that jumped). We have filled up on fish tacos, mofongo, tostones, empanadas, and arapas. Annabelle has been spanked by the tail of a scared iguana and I got bit by one of the many tiny dogs here that owners send out with no leash. We’ve had car accidents, power outages, loss of water, and hit more potholes than Babe Ruth hit homeruns! It’s been quite a journey.
But most of all, we have had the joy and privilege of knowing the people here. From our Coast Guard community, to our church family, to the owners of the restaurants we frequent for date nights. There is something magical about living outside of your comfort zone, forced to break down shyness and bond over the slightest common thing. We have lived overseas for over 8 years now with signs we cannot read, languages we don’t understand, food we’ve never had, and cultures that were all new. We make our shopping list at the store not knowing what they will have any given week. We’ve become proficient at talking with our hands and making animal sounds for the meat we want. We have learned to come in as the humble guest rather than the proud American. We have learned that every culture has its greatness and things to be celebrated rather than jeered. Our kids have learned how the language of play crosses all language barriers as they interact on playgrounds, parks, and museums. Honestly, I have loved every moment! Even when we shake our head at things we see, not understanding why they are done this way, we still can smile or laugh at the new normal we just experienced. It’s been a real privilege to have lived in this way.
I will miss the craziness and unsettling nature of living overseas as it has taught me to trust the Lord more as I live in an alien land. It has made me bond with people over what we have in common, rather than what makes us different. The friends that I have made here have each changed me for the better. Isn’t that how the Lord works? As iron sharpens iron, the Lord uses people to help us become more like Jesus. To love our neighbor as ourselves. To serve even when it’s uncomfortable or we don’t understand what’s going on. To not take myself too seriously when I mess up and allow the same grace to others too.
This military life is tough with all these transitions, hellos, and goodbyes, but I wouldn’t change it. My family is learning to trust a sovereign God with where he sends us. We embark to a new promise land every 3 years or so, forcing us to trust that the Lord will provide food, water, and shelter even though we enter the land unseen. He will go before us, behind us, and around us. Not that we won’t experience suffering, sadness, or pain as we see our kids weep at friends they leave, wave goodbye to Barrett as he leaves again on a deployment, or feel lonely before we meet new friends. But we have a hope that sustains us through all these transitions. We serve a Savior that left his heavenly home to live a transient life of serving others more than himself. He said hello and goodbye many times in his life. He missed holidays with family, friends that were sick, and felt lonely at times too. But he knew that this world was not his home, he would never feel settled or normal while his feet tread this earth. His home was heaven. He came so that we could have this hope of heaven too! So as we enter another new transition in our lives, we are grateful to feel this same alien force as our Savior. This world is not our home. Our home and hope is in heaven…where Jesus is. It is there where he intercedes for us to our heavenly Father that will provide all that we can ever hope for or imagine. Not because of any good we have done, but because He is good.
I’m sure that this will not be my last update before we leave Puerto Rico, so this is not yet my goodbye!
PS: If you have made it this far, thank you! Please pray for my mom once again as she is back in the hospital. She has an infection that her body can’t fight with her suppressed immune system. As I mentioned before, when her body is exhausted, so is her desire to fight depression. My dad is also having to travel, serve, and keep the family up to date with us all being dispersed. Pray the Lord will sustain him as well.