Little By Little

October 12, 2014

     Recap on the past few weeks. I got to visit a new youth group, schoolwork is getting harder, and I am slowly beginning to feel nostalgic.

     Visiting the new youth group that was in Spanish was not easy for me. I haven't practiced my Spanish a lot and being nervous didn't help. I had gone in with high hopes of making new friends and learning more about God, but it didn't go well as I thought it would have. I'm usually the person who introduces themselves to another person, but because Spanish is not my forte, I had a hard time communicating with the people around me. I went in thinking it would start at 8:30 pm, but it turned out that the other people started to come in at 9 pm. 

     I saw some people that I had previously met at church on a Sunday, but they were busy with their other friends. Honestly, it was difficult for me to fit in. Other than that, the girls around my age tried to help me get comfortable, but being the foreigner here, it was hard. I tried to pay attention during the sermon, but it had started at 10:25 pm, which was the time when I usually started getting ready for bed. I was sleepy and the Uruguayan accent was hard for me to understand. After the youth group had finished, I  went home with my dad, which took 30 minutes to get home, and so I was exhausted when we arrived at our apartment.

     I thought the youth group was nice, but I didn't think it was the one I would be comfortable to attend every week. After being able to attend a very nice one in Costa Rica, I knew none of the youth groups in Uruguay would compare to the one in Costa Rica.

     As the school year progresses, the school work becomes tougher and I need to start applying my study habits to keep me going. I have been very overwhelmed these days since my school is a self driven program where I have to be able to study on my own and keep track of my own schedule. Getting ready for the SAT and AP tests was overwhelming for me and I eventually gave in to the pressure that was weighing down on me for the past month and a half. 

     Feeling overwhelmed with trying to make new friends, trying to choose a church that fits for our family, trying to find a youth group where I can meet people my age and learn more about God, trying to study on my own, trying to keep up with the program's schedule, trying to get ready for the SAT and AP tests. It was all too much for me. I understand that with God's help, I can get through all  of this by going step by step, but I need moments where I can curl up with a good book and a cup of tea or play the guitar without anything poking at me from the back of my mind. Please pray that I can get through the stress. I'm sure a lot of you have a lot of stress too and I will be praying for you all as well.

     With the overwhelming feelings digging into me, I started to feel nostalgic. I missed my puppy that we had to sell in Costa Rica, I missed my brother who was in college, I missed all of my friends who I could communicate perfectly well with and laugh with. I'm guessing the culture shock is finally here, but maybe it's also a psychological thing too.

     But then I remembered, this is all part of the experience of being a missionary's kid. Or rather somebody who had to move to a different world. I got through this several times, and I know I can get through it again. And it will definitely be worth it.