It’s hard to believe that exactly one year ago, Christian and I arrived in San Juan, for Christian, the first time, and for me, the first time in over 3 years. I remember that week so clearly; it was full of so many different emotions. I remember discussing in our room at the guesthouse whether it was still what we really wanted to do, neither of us having a solid answer. I remember how scared I was when we found out that Christian had some serious heart/blood pressure problems after trying to donate blood at the clinic, issues neither of us had any idea about. I remember spending much of our trip in the clinic rather than in the barrio clinics with the team, as we originally planned. I remember how little of that week went according to plan, and how high everyone’s emotions seemed due to a million different things going on at the time. I sat in a meeting with the rest of the missionary staff, tears in my eyes because I had no idea what I was doing here, I was scared, and I thought there’s no way I can do this. By the end of the week, we asked if we could leave some clothes behind and decided to return in December for good. We spent most of the year knowing we’d be here, but couldn’t come right away due to commitments with our jobs and other various life things. We had so much time to think about what it would be like, and be totally wrong about it. I can look back on the year it’s been and see how much both of us have changed and grown. I know so much more Spanish now than I did then, even though it still doesn’t feel like enough most times. I’ve learned how to interact with a million different personalities, and figure out new things that I’m good at, and a million more that I’m terrible with. I’ve learned how to live entirely differently from the way I lived my entire life. I’ve learned to travel and navigate airports, and to stay connected with so many long-distance friends. The list could go on and on, and yet it still doesn’t feel like enough much of the time. Still, I’ve also learned how to give myself and others grace, which is probably the most important thing when the majority of your life is spent learning new things, bearing witness to constant change, and growing as a person. Things feel so different here at the guesthouse that it’s hard to believe that the first time Christian and I were here together was only a year ago. It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows; there is always pain with growth, but the past year has also been so beautiful in ways I don’t even know how to describe. The friends I’ve made, the conversations I’ve had, the number of times I’ve laughed, and the way I’ve seen God move both in and around me make every tear I’ve shed worth it.
This month overall hasn’t been too eventful, just the usual, getting to know teams, baking with the twins in the kitchen, and having a little extra time to rest with a few weeks off from teams.
We’ve been caring for a few unexpected guests who showed up recently. We got a text from Brayden one night that there was a cat on the roof who hadn’t moved all day and was starting to get worried about it. After talking about it, I was sure it had to be a pregnant cat, and sure enough, a few days later, she was cozied up in a new spot on the roof with two tiny kittens. So we’ve been keeping an eye on them, setting out a little food and water, and climbing a ladder to look at them, smiling at how cute this little cat family is. Not everyone gets it, but I love animals, especially cats, and I cannot turn away from an animal who almost literally showed up on our doorstep. Honestly, seeing them each day has been one of the biggest highlights for me, having them here and knowing that they’re safe brings me a lot of joy.
We have been preparing to host a little autumn-themed dinner party, so we’ve been in the kitchen preparing pumpkin pie, pumpkin streusel muffins, pumpkin cream cold brew coffee, homemade apple cider, pumpkin white hot chocolate, bread, potato soup, and chicken gnocchi soup. We are doing our best to create a little bit of a fall atmosphere here, one of my favorite things, I look forward to.
I’ve started a membership at a new gym in San Juan called SmartFit. It’s very nice, and I’ve enjoyed going either by myself or with Kelsi or Christian.
Alyssa, my best friend, arrived and is spending her fall break with us, so she has been hanging out here at the guesthouse and enjoying a relaxing break from school. It’s so nice to be together in person. She’s the kind of friend I don’t have to be doing something with to have a good time; I just enjoy her presence. While she’s here, she has helped me work on a couple of craft projects, introduced me to a couple of new shows to watch, stayed up late playing games with us, and, of course, shared lots of smiles and laughs with me.
Prayer Requests:
- Our health
- Getting enough rest
- Raising more financial support
