I pray that you have had a great Christmas season with your loved ones. I pray that it was full of the joy of the birth of our Saviour! (and good food too!)
I know I have not blogged in almost 2 months, but I have wanted to many times. I took some time off as I was in transition from Zimbabwe to the United States. I am back in the US now. I flew back right before Thanksgiving. I was able to spend some time with my family in Connecticut and spend Thanksgiving with them. I have to say that the first few days back in the US were very difficult... OK, maybe the first few weeks... and difficult is an understatement. I was completely overwhelmed.
There's this thing called reverse culture shock. I had never heard of it before, but I discovered very quickly that I had it. I missed everything about Zimbabwe... and couldn't stand anything about the US. I just wanted home, which had become Zimbabwe. I had fallen so in love with Zim and my friends and co-workers and the language and the Shona culture. No one here spoke Shona. No one understood my newly learned Shona words, my new way of saying thank you, or understood why I had twisted my hair.
I'm sure many of you are wondering why I left Zim when I was so in love with it there... There was only one reason to come home: There's just no saying no to the Lord in my heart. I knew He wanted me to come home and I knew why. I can't tell you that yet... maybe someday, but not yet... But the Word does say that obedience is better than sacrifice, right?
So, even though my heart was greatly grieved, I came home knowing that I could trust the Lord with my beloved Zimbabwe and the dreams He has given me of Africa. Once the first few weeks of life back in the COLD winter weather became normal, I began again to feel the warmth of the love of my family and my beloved friends. And my heart started to heal.
I am so blessed to have an amazing network of loved ones here. Thank the Lord for all of you who have been praying for me. My heart is so full of the joy of the Lord at being home and full of the peace of His perfect will being established in my life. Through these great trials in our lives comes new levels of faith and trust in our Lord. He is SO SO SO faithful!!!
So, if you are facing something that you don't understand, just keep at the forefront of your mind that the Lord knows what you do and do not need. He will guard you and keep you and fill you will his wisdom and strength.
I have many more stories about Zimbabwe that I want to share. I want to tell you about some of the people that I grew to love and call my family there. I have lots of pictures to share. I have dreams of returning there again some day. May the perfect will of the Lord continue to be done in my life. I will keep posting and blogging about my experiences in Zimbabwe and what's going on in my life right now.
OK... There is one amazing story about my friend Shelly that I want to tell you but not right now... oh my beloved Shelly... I miss her SO much! I'll have to save my story about her for later. hehe... oh the suspense of waiting for the good stuff!!
This is Shelly. She was scrubbing my veranda for me. She has that look on her face of "Do you have to take my picture right this second???".... But she would always just laugh at me and smile when I took her picture.
Don't worry... it won't be 2 months before I blog again. It will be much sooner than that.
Thank you again for all your love and support. I wouldn't be where I am without you.
Much love,
Amy
