Home Sweet Home

I am drawing near to the end of my spring break. I have been home for 10 days and have loved every minute of it. I brought a whole bunch of homework with me with hopes of finishing all my reading for next week, 2 papers and a presentation. Well, I can honestly say that the reading is done. But the other assignments... not so much. But it's break so I dont feel too bad. This week at home has been a much needed break from school and life. I was beginning to get very stressed and very worn out, very quickly and it was time for me to step back and take a breath. I am sort of ready to head back to school. I am ready to see my friends and get back to studying, but I am not ready to go back to the responsibilities that have been placed on me this year. That does sound awful. But it's true and honestly how I feel. But like I said... this break was needed and one that brought me lots of smiles. I have spent the entire week hanging out with my family. I have only left the house a handful of times, usually to do an errand for my mom. I have been able to enjoy watching sports with my dad, movies with my siblings, crime shows with my mom. All while having lots of good talks and laughs with them. It was also a great week because of the news I received. I was officially accepted for a 6 month internship with TeamExpansion in 2011. The date and country are not set yet. But there is a possibility that I will be returning to the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador. And that thought is an incredible, yet scary one for me. It is incredible because this is what I have been working for the last 6 years (since I first stepped into Ecuador) and what my studies are training me for. But it is scary because that means I am almost done as a college student and have to beginning preparing myself for the fact that I will be away from my family and friends for 6 months. But I know that this is what God has called me to do and what He has prepared for me to do. I am anxiously awaiting my information packet from TeamExpansion and look forward to the coming year of support raising even though its going to be a tremendous challenge. It has also been a great week because its given me a chance to relax and reconnect with my family. As I said above, it's been great to just sit and watch tv or talk or run errands with my family. It was all topped off last night (Good Friday) when my dad sat down on the couch and the gathered the 3 kids that were home around him to watch movies about the life of Christ. We watched "Godspell" and Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ." It was a weird combination, yes, but it was one that helped to remind my family of what it meant for Christ to suffer. I cried uncontrollably during the "Passion" and my dad simply held me. Then after the movie, he put his arms around me and my brother to pray with us. I dont know about other preacher dad's, but that was an incredible testimony to me about my dad's faith. It was encouraging to see him broken to tears in the same way I was, but still be able to pray out of gratitude on behalf of his family, his church, his world. My time at home has been a blessed one. And one that will get me through the rest of the semester. I'm sure of it.