On Coming Home, Lessons Learned, and My Stolen Bag

Warning: this one’s a bit longer, but I wanted to share with you what has been on my heart.

  I’ve been home for two weeks now.  For six months, I prepared for an incredible adventure.  For six months, I was on that adventure.  Today, I have been home for two weeks, and am still trying to process what the past six months have held.  I can’t express to you what Immersion meant for me.  There are only twelve other people in the entire world who could possibly understand what I experienced and how I feel about certain things that happened or why I miss certain people so, so much.  

  The first week of my being home was filled with seeing friends and family, it was filled with the excitement of being home.  Now, this week, I have begun to settle in.  My family is used to having me home now, and the excitement has died down.  That’s not to say I’m not glad to be home or they’re not glad to have me home, but it’s normal again.  That means now I am having a bit more culture shock than I originally was.  The Caribbean is very different than America, let me tell you!  Germs aren’t as dangerous as everyone makes them sound: you can wash dishes with cold water and not get sick.  Your life doesn’t have to be packed every minute of every day; you need to take time to reflect, relax, and invest in your relationship with Jesus and yourself, or you’re not going to be able to pour into others.  I don’t really care what I look like anymore; I don’t care as much if my mascara is a little smudged or my hair is a little messy.  On top of these “little” culture shocks, I really miss my team and my families on the trip.  There were people on my team I relied on to get me through a week or a situation.  I needed their support and encouragement and pep talks.  I don’t have that anymore, and some days (like the past five days) have been really hard without being able to walk to their house, sit on their bed in their host home, and just pour our hearts out to each other.  

Ackeem (5) and I - Jamaica

  Besides reflecting on the challenges of being home, I’ve been reflecting a lot on what I learned on Immersion.  I actually have a list of twenty things that I learned while on my six month Caribbean Immersion in Haiti, Jamaica, and Belize.

1. I learned to share.  Don’t worry, my parents did teach me to share when I was young!  But on this trip, I learned to share things I didn’t have an unlimited supply of.  If I share my granola bars, I can’t run to get another box when I’m out.  I learned to share my personal space.  Taking a shower was the most privacy I got, and even then it wasn’t guaranteed.
2. I learned to get along with people.  At home, if I didn’t get along with someone, I could always leave or avoid that person (wrong approach).  But when you’re only living with the same twelve people for six months, you can’t avoid anyone!  I’m not saying it was always easy - it was very challenging at times, to be honest.  But as a team, or as teammates, we would work through it.
3. I learned to be honest.  I came into this trip, hating confrontation; it scared me.  It still scares me, but I learned how to confront honestly, lovingly, straight-forward, and gently.
4. I learned to make the most of my time.  To invest in people, help people, build relationships, no matter how long I have with them.  
5. I learned the greatest experiences you’ll have or the best relationships you’ll build, often come from the most unexpected places.  So go climb that mountain…your Haitian grandmother may be up there to teach you something; go fetch the water…you may meet a large family with cool kids who you’ll stay in contact with; invest in the woman who can’t host anyone…she may remind you of your real mom; don’t take a nap….your host mom may what to exchange language lessons and you’ll end up having an awesome conversation.
6. I learned to like things I used to dislike and try things I never would have.  I learned to like tomatoes, beans, and slightly spicy food.  I tried moto taxis, washing clothes by hand, and lobster, and loved them all!

   

   Nika (10), Greta (roommate), and I - Haiti

7. I learned to get by with the minimum.  I wore my clothes on a five or six day cycle, my showers mainly came from a bucket, and I lived out of a backpack.  My families had one or two knives in their kitchen, limited water, and limited electricity.  But I loved life there and was still able to live it to the fullest!
8. I learned that Spiritual Warfare is a very real thing.  And I learned it’s important to fight against the Enemy.  I believe that Satan attacks differently in America.  In Central America, people are very spiritual.  In America, we’re very materialistic.  Satan attacks us, therefore, through those material things including social media, Hollywood, etc., rather than demons.  This is my personal belief.
9. I learned how to cook.  Trust me, this needed to happen.
10. I realized there are very few things Americans actually have gotten right.  For example, we set aside ONE HOUR per WEEK, if that, to attend a communal gathering of worship to our God.  One hour.  In Belize, we attended a total of twelve, or more, hours per week (six services) of church.  It was a priority in their lives, and although I couldn’t understand the services, I grew closer to Christ by being in His House almost every night.
11. I learned how to take it slow.  Coming home to all the hustle and bustle of American life is wearing me out!
12. I learned that reconciliation of relationships is vital.  Relationships are all you have in this life.
13. I learned that it’s not about what you do, it’s about how you do it.  Your life doesn’t have to be different to be great.  You can lead a “normal”, “ordinary” life and still make it extraordinary!
14. I learned to be emotionally independent, and not rely on others to tell me how to think or feel.
15. I learned to identify my own weaknesses and make efforts to improve them.

    

    Kate (1) - Belize
    PC: Regan

16. I learned that your life should be lived how YOU feel God has called you to live it.  Don’t give into the expectations of others.  
17. I learned how to balance leadership and friendship.  It’s not easy, and you may burn bridges.  But God is in control, and the bridges you build, are the ones He wants you to have.
18. I learned to love myself.  Myself without my makeup on, without product-filled and styled hair.  Myself with a tank top, sports shorts, and sweating like I’m in a sauna.  Me.  For who I am and for Whose I am.  
19. I learned what defines me.  As in what past circumstances, what moments have made me who I am today.  I didn’t know my twelve teammates before the trip.  We only know each other from who we were ON Immersion…not outside.  Because of that, I learned to identify what things really play a huge part in who I am or the status of my relationships with others here at home.  I’ve also identified how certain things have affected me, my relationship with myself, and my relationships with others.
20. My view of poverty changed completely.  Yes, there are lower levels of poverty than I witnessed on this trip.  During my first trip to Haiti, I felt so sorry for the family who lived in the home I saw.  I lived in a house very similar to that during my time in Haiti on this trip.  I realized they have everything they could need.  They are living LIFE.  Does their life look different than mine?  Yes.  But that’s not a bad thing.  They are glorifying the Lord with how they’re living their life, I need to make sure I’m living my life to glorify the Lord where I am.  I didn’t see poverty in Haiti, Jamaica, or Belize.  I saw life.

Merlyva (3 months), Greta (roommate), and I - Haiti

  As you may or may not have heard, I had my bag stolen in Belize.  So many of you offered words of encouragement and prayers for me, and for that I am truly thankful.  I wanted to give you a glimpse of what that day, and the days following, looked like for me.

  I have to start with a bit of honesty: Jamaica was a bit hard for me.  I struggled with some different things, and it’s also the place my team struggled the most as a team.  On the plane to Belize, I was ready.  Ready for the new start in a new community.  I sat on that plane and prayed hard that God would take everything from my control.  I needed Him to take everything from me because I was tired of the issues that had surfaced.  I think, for the first time in my life, I truly, willingly, honestly surrendered it all to God.

  Landing in Belize, a community partner came to pick my team up from the airport.  We loaded the bus up with our many bags and headed to get lunch before meeting our host families.  The meal was incredible, and I thought my whole surrendering thing was going pretty well!  Then, I started feeling a little sick.  I went to use the restroom, and little bit later, a teammate came in with the same feeling.  I ended up feeling better within a few minutes, but my teammate didn’t.  She was dehydrated and started vomiting continuously for over an hour.  Next stop: hospital.  I was with her the whole time in the restaurant restroom, so when our community partner offered to take the team to a river while she was getting IVs, I stayed to wait with her at the hospital.  I grabbed $5 out of my daypack to buy a bottle of water, and headed into the hospital’s hot, packed waiting room with my leaders and teammate.  The rest of the team rumbled down the road to spend a while at the river.  When they came back, I went out to get my phone to listen to music while we were still waiting.  On the bus, I searched twice through the whole thing before enlisting my other teammates’ help, and we scoured it about three more times.  My backpack was gone.  And with it, my iPhone, camera, cash, credit card, Passport, eyeglasses, some gear such as headlamp and lantern, and the toiletries I had stocked up on the night before during our overnight layover in Miami.  Approximately $2,000 worth of things were in that backpack.  I didn’t know what to do.  I cried.  We went back to the river to search, with no luck.  I cried.  I filed a police report.  I cried.  My teammate felt better after three IVs.  I cried.  We headed to Siete Millas to meet our host families.  I was exhausted from the long travel day, not to mention the emotional rollercoaster I’d just experienced.  I barely was functioning as we rolled into Siete Millas around midnight.  But the next morning, I remembered something: I had surrendered it all.  I literally asked God to take it all from me.

Kassian (9) and I - Jamaica

  Through this, I learned so much.  One, God can use a bad situation and use it for good.  Two, He provides!  My parents were able to wire me money so I had backup emergency money.  Three, it allowed me to be 100% present where I was.  I wasn’t distracted by listening to music, reading books on my phone, or constantly taking pictures.  

  Thank you for your prayers, your financial support, your encouragement.  I couldn’t have done this trip without you.  If you have questions about my trip, feel free to email me or contact me on Facebook.  I’d love to answer any questions you have!

In Christ,

     Sierra

Dennilson (9) and I - Belize