Adjusting to America

I am having somewhat of a hard time adjusting to being back in Philly...back in America. I have been back for about 3 weeks now, and I still haven't fully adjusted. Why is it so hard for me to adjust? Well, in Africa for 3 weeks straight I wasn't busy. I had plenty of full days, and several of them wore me out. But, I was never busy. I never had to be anywhere at any time. I went places because I felt like I should go and did what I felt like God wanted me to do. I didn't do anything simply because I had to. Then, after a few full days in a row, I got a day of rest. My life in America is not like that.

Since coming back I have tried to stop being so busy. I have really been seeking to fill my days with only the things that God wants me to. I don't mind have a lot to do, but I don't want to be busy. The problem is, everyone around me is busy. I don't know a single person who isn't busy all the time. I have been back for 3 weeks and have hung out with friends 3 times. I have tried to find time with them many more times than that, but everyone is so busy.

Unfortunately, I'm busy too, and that's part of the problem. In Africa there was no coordinating of schedules, here that's all I do. I'm not trying to make a statement about which is better. I absolutely see the benefits of the way things work here...and I don't think that the lifestyle in Africa would work at all in America. I enjoy everything that I do and I don't want to cut any of it out.

I don't really think one way is better than the other, they are just different. When I worked for AIM we had a saying that we used to tell groups going into cross cultural situations. We used to tell them to look at the things that other cultures do differently from us and say, "Its not bad, just different". I really believe that is true. Of course neither is perfect, but one isn't more right than the other either. They are just different, but I am having a hard time adjusting to the differences.

I was only in Africa for 3 weeks and I am struggling to adjust to life in the US...and I was born and raised here! I can't imagine how difficult the adjustment must be for people moving here. When we were in Sudan we met several refugees who had left Sudan and moved to America. One of them was David, whom we actually spent a lot of time with. He told us that the hardest adjustment for him was the busyness of everyone around him. He was not used to people being too busy for friends, something that happens a lot in America, but very rarely in Africa. He said he struggled a lot with loneliness at first, getting used to being alone a lot and having to work to find time to be with friends. Now I understand (on a much smaller scale) how he felt.

But, David has adjusted, and so will I. :) On another, completely unrelated note, Linda is doing extremely well in her music class! They moved her up to the next level in both her voice and her trumpet class (she is with kids that have been taking lessons for years!) and even invited her to a summer music camp this summer! She is so excited, and I am so proud of her!!! Usually her mom doesn't allow her to go away unless I'm with her, but I'm hoping we can convince her to let Linda go to this camp. The instructor said that I would be allowed to come and visit her, so hopefully that will make her mom feel better. This is such an incredible opportunity for Linda!

Bonita is doing well in her music classes as well, but she isn't as into it as Linda. I think it's okay because Bonita did much better than Linda at ice skating. So, Linda has music and Bonita has skating. They are both doing well in ballet (which makes sense for both of them, seeing Linda's musical skills and Bonita's athletic skills) and are pretty equal in basketball too. So far they are doing really well encouraging one another, even when the other is doing better. I hope that continues!

I didn't do so well going to bed early last night, and I woke up feeling sick again this morning, so I'm still not on the track I want to be on. I have staff prayer tomorrow morning, so that will at least get me up early. Plus, I just remembered that I am supposed to speak to Linda's class on Thursday morning about Africa and malaria, so that will force me to get up and moving then as well. Hopefully that will start a trend for me. It seems like its taking me a while to make the changes that I need to make, so I am praying for the commitment and perseverance I need to get through this. I know He will provide!