We are Home now, so Where do we Go from Here!

Ah, there's truly no place like home! According to my calculations, we had over 70 hours of driving (that's to and from Vicente Guerrero, not driving around while we were there). Of that time, we had 1 hour of rain and 20 minutes of slush . . . we are so thankful for safe driving conditions;)

Settling in and unpacking has been a bit surreal, my heart is still in Mexico. Here, I am overwhelmed by all we have--so many luxuries we take for granted (heat, running water, a clean house, space . . . and an abundance of stuff--though that may not necessarily be a luxury).

As I gaze around our home, I can't help but think of the family in the Mexico who are in the home the team built. They went from a tiny home with 2 beds to a "spacious" dwelling about the size of my living room.

Vicente Guerrero is in the San Quinten Valley--a rich valley known for producing fruits and vegetables. Fields and greenhouses stretch for miles. Cucumbers, strawberries, cilantro, snow peas, beans and countless other fruits and veggies are grown. These fields are tended by workers hired for just a few dollars a day. Many come from either the mainland or southern Mexico, so they are known as migrant workers (even though they may spend their entire life in the same location). They are generally looked down upon as a lower class.

The family we built for are one of these families. The grandmother is blind in one eye, so on top of being a recognizable migrant worker, she has a physical handicap that makes it even more challenging to get work. She looks much older than her 58 years . . . yet she has taken on the role of caregiver for her 2 granddaughters (3 & 8).

I guess it is a rarity to build a house where the existing dwelling is actually on the same property. We had the privilege of working with the family, seeing their present home, spending time with them and understanding the enormity of the house we were building. Talk about eye opening.

So, the question our family has been asking each other is "now what?". For years, we've been gearing up for this trip, and now that it's done, we need to let the sights, memories and lessons settle deep in our hearts. As we look at pictures, talk about highlights and miss those who've impacted lives, we need to recognize that life here needs to carry on. The suitcases are unpacked, laundry caught up and the initial shock is wearing off, now, back to reality.

What is our reality? Our family has come back with a different perspective. Needs are being weighed our with wants and the Christmas wish list drastically shortened as we realize how blessed we truly are. The goal of being a missions-focused family is in it's early stages and not yet met, no, we are just getting started . . . so, we are back to building our missions fund, setting up chairs and saving for the next adventure God has for us!