How then shall we live?

As a Christian, how should I be living my life? I have to ask myself this question sometimes. In the middle of this crazy, fast paced world that we are living in, I still want my answer to remain the same - my life should be lived for God and for others. This semester I will be studying in Rwanda and Uganda, and doing mission work with Food for the Hungry. These next few months I want to make a drastic change in my life by living not for myself, but for others. Through my studies and my interactions I hope to find a new and better understanding of what it means to be a child of God. I want to leave with no question in my mind that there is so much more to my life than my own happiness. I want to make my Creator proud, by loving his children.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Journey Home

My last post was from the London Heathrow Airport. That place is nuts! It's huge and shiny and everything is very rich and modern. I'm glad we didn't hang out in there for too long. We got on our British Airways flight to the Phoenix Arizona and I was looking forward to watching a few movies, and having the time pass quickly. Unfortunately, the on flight entertainment system wasn't working, so there were no movies to watch.You know you are in the western world when everyone is upset about their individual TVs not working.

I was seated next to a very cute couple from France that were on their 50th wedding anniversary trip to the USA, to tour around the west with a bunch of other French tourists. They were very sweet, but spoke almost no English, so we communicated a little bit with gestures. It was a very long ten hours to get to Phoenix. I did a lot of getting up and walking around the plane. At one point I went to the back and struck up a conversation with a man that was on his way back from Kuwait. We talked about the months we had spent abroad and what we had experienced in the other cultures. It's always nice talking to somebody that understands the transition.

When we had landed and gone through customs, we were able to get our bags checked to the next airline. We said our goodbyes and hugged, and then our group split up again. Tim, Susan, Rachel, Nathan and I had a few hours before our next flights, so we stuck together. Tim was the first to leave. The four of us had about five hours until our flight to Atlanta, GA (all of us were going to GA, but Nathan was on a separate plane). We went to a cafe to get some food and were shocked at how expensive things were. Refusing to pay so much for a meal, I chose a cheap bagel and water. It was fun to use my real cell phone and call my friends, who were all excited to hear that I was back in the States.

At 11:50, Susan, Rachel and I boarded our flight to Atlanta, GA. There is a BIG difference between British Airways and Delta. British Airways had nice, comfortable seats, friendly flight attendants, and served two meals and plenty of refreshments. Delta had teeny tiny seats, grumpy looking attendants, and served us a snack which consisted of about 5 peanuts in a teeny bag. Is the economy really SO bad that's all they can't afford a bigger snack? At a certain point, it seems like a waste of packaging if the contents are so little. Anyways, I was hungry. We left at 11:50 and got to GA at 6:45am. Susan took Rachel and I to eat breakfast at one of the restaurants. She left us within a few minutes because she was so excited to go see her parents. Rachel and I had a nice breakfast. It's funny because she and I started this trip together in January when we were seated next to each other on the plane to Phoenix. We said our goodbyes and I went to board my 8:15 flight to Boston. I sat next to some nice ladies on that flight that asked me about my trip.

I was SO excited to get off the plane when we landed. I practically ran all the way to the baggage claim to hug Mom. Delta lost one of my bags, so we waited for 45min to see if it was coming on the next flight, which it wasn't. Delta assured us that they would drive it to my house within 12 hours of finding it. I was more than tired when we finally got home. It was so great to see Mom and Marina. Dad was in Namibia with his friend, so he wasn't there for my return.

Mom and I went to the grocery store to get a few things. I decided to wait in the car. Mom chose to do a full shopping trip instead of just grabbing the few items we had discussed. After waiting for a while I started to get worried. I went into the store and was overwhelmed by how big it was. I walked around the entire store and couldn't finder her anywhere, which made me start to panic. It was embarrassing that a grocery store was so overwhelming, so I went back outside and finally spotted her through a window. What's the deal with such big stores? Is it really necessary for us to have so many choices?

I laid out all of my souvenirs on my floor and ate dinner with Mom. My friend Meaghan came by to see me, which was awesome. We talked until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and had to go to bed.

I am really very glad to be home, and sleeping in my wonderfully comfy bed and eating great food.
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1 comment:

  1. UnknownMay 16, 2010 at 6:43 PM

    Hi Kendall,
    I had the opportunity to talk with you on the flight to Phoenix from London, that long, torturous journey. I was returning from working emergency medical services on an Army base in Kuwait. It was refreshing visiting with you, sharing our experiences and observations. I was impressed with your insights and the caring you displayed for others in a land of extreme cultures. As you, I was very happy to be home and be with family and fellow Americans. I have a new appreciation for my country and my freedom. I had a journal much like yours. I misplaced it on that flight, but fortunately, I had email notes.
    Good luck Kendall, and learn so to teach others.
    Jim

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