Bananas

I just got back to Paraguay after spending three weeks at home with friends and family. And it was hard. It was hard being home. In more ways than one. 

I've been well aware that I'm living in a third world country. That's what I've been told anyway. But it didn't hit me until I got back to the States what that actually meant. I didn't quite get it until I was on the road back to San Diego. It's not like I live in grass hut without water and electricity (although that happens sometimes). I have a bed to sleep in. People have internet in their homes, cell phones, and cars. Sure, there is the occasional horse or cow blocking the road, but for the most part I didn't understand what the big difference was. And the funny thing is, I found the big difference in something so small. 

Bananas. 

And I don't even like bananas. 

The bananas back in the United States are spotless. Perfectly yellow. I'm telling you, the bananas I saw in the grocery store a couple weeks ago were really nice. 

Just like the sidewalks, landscaping, cars, grocery stores, buildings, roads, restaurants. Everything you can think of. It is all really nice. 

I don't know why the bananas stuck out to me so much. I don't think it bothered me so much that one culture has really nice things and the other doesn't. I understand that. I think what bothered me most was that it doesn't bother other people. For the majority of the people in the grocery store that day, I can tell you they probably didn't think twice about how nice the bananas were. If anything, they probably complained that they weren't nice enough. That they weren't just right. 

One of my favorite quotes comes from John Stam, one of the men I learned from in Costa Rica:

"Countries are like people. When you get to know them, it enriches your life."

We can learn so much from people of other countries. I know I have learned so much from the people of Paraguay in my short time here. Jesus has been teaching me grace and to be others-focused through His people here. 

As we start this new year, I pray that you will be open to learn from people of other cultures. Even if you aren't able to leave the country, there are people in your own back yard (in some cases, literally), from whom you can learn. Be open and listen. Ask questions. You might be surprised by what you learn and how others can change you. 

I also have a few prayer requests of my own: 

• We are leaving for camp early Monday morning. And I'm not so much the chasing-little-girls-through-the-mud, screaming-at-the-top-of-my-lungs type. Pray that I wouldn't be so self-focused. Pray that I would put others first, and stretch myself to do things that I wouldn't normally do. 
• That goes for my time in Paraguay, in general. It's really easy to be self-focused here because it's hard. It's hard being away from my family. It's hard having stomach issues. It's hard being dependent. I can either chose to focus on those things, or go out and spend time with other people, learning from them. I want to be open to what Jesus has for me here, and it would be very difficult to do that from inside my own head. 
• I would also love prayer for my health. When I was home, the doctor told me that I have gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach lining. Which basically means I have to be more careful of what I'm eating and drinking. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. If you're looking to support someone financially in this new year, and you feel that God is calling you to support me, send Scott an email at sckvandal@aol.com and he'll get you all set up with the whole tax deductible thing. And send me your prayer requests too!!