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By Amy Li (Global Presence) Upon returning to the States after
2.5 years of living in China, I oftentimes wonder when I'll leave
again. Sometimes I would catch myself looking for cheap tickets to a
faraway land, fully knowing I wouldn't be able to take any time off
work. I think fondly of the freedom and adventurous life I led. Then I
remember, hey, I had an incredibly tough time in China too, and at
times I thought I would be perfectly content spending the rest of my
life in comfortable America.
But things back home haven't been as peachy as I had
imagined. I had high hopes of returning to the wonderful community I
left behind. I thought I would once again experience the stability I
had craved so much. But honestly, I have been overcome with
disappointment. I don't know how to reconcile the extremely different
world that I was in and the world that I'm in now. I don't lean as
heavily on God as I did in China, and I miss that intimacy so much. And
what happens when you live out something you've dreamed about for so
long?
So one day Sarah Ryer, Megan Espinoza and I were
sharing lunch and chatting about our overseas experiences. We all
agreed that returning home after an intensive time overseas is one of
the most difficult things ever. It does take a long time to truly feel
settled again and resources for reverse culture shock/ re-settlement are
very limited. We missed the communities we were a part of so much and
thought, would it be possible to create a similar community here? Would
we be able to form a community where we are not too busy for each
other? Can we provide a space to share stories and be a support and
encouragement to each other as we figure out how to adjust back to life
in the U.S of A again? Then the vision of Quest Wanderers was born.
We hope to provide a regular space to swap stories
and learn from each other. We strive to be a support and encouragement
to each other as we struggle with regaining our sense of belonging. So
let's re-live our overseas experience together through words and maybe
action (We can be spontaneous and go on adventures together!). Let's
try to blend our old and new worlds together. Let's learn about God's
heart not only for the people we served overseas but also for those here
(I am guilty of favoritism towards the Chinese) =). And maybe you
could even teach me how to plan ahead again. =)
We don't have all the answers, but we can certainly
listen and relate. If you've had any sort of overseas experience and
are struggling, come! If you have any advice to impart upon us, we
would love for you to join us. If you simply just want to come and hang
out, you are welcome too. The next Quest Wanderers meeting is
scheduled for Tuesday, May 24th, Q Cafe, 7pm. Dinner will be provided.
Please email me, amysili@gmail.com or Megan Espinoza, megan.espinoza@gmail.com if you have any questions. |
Comments
Writing skill is awesome. Presentations of thoughts are nice.
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