Perseverance and rest

As I sit here, finishing up report cards and listening to the rain pounding on my roof, I am so thankful for a break.  Friday was our last day of school before Easter break and we now how two weeks off from school.  It’s so easy to go through the motions and not realize that you are tired or how good it would be to rest.  Because life is so different here, I tend to think I’m exempt from needing breaks.  However, I can feel how tired and emotional I am. 

I just purchased my plane ticket to fly back to the states on June 26^th.  With this concrete date come many mixed emotions.  I knew when coming here that it would be hard to leave.  I also knew my time here would change me more than anything I could do.  I have had to hold onto my experiences tightly, but hold onto the place and my future plans loosely.  I feel at peace about coming home.  A lesson I’ve learned repeatedly is that I must be content in the place where I am.  There’s so much to do in the present and yet how often I look at what is ahead.  Just as I know I must finish out the school year here and stay engaged in the relationships I have made, I must be confident that there are relationships and tasks and blessings that await me as I return home.  This is much easier said than done, this being present and content in the moment.  It’s almost as if when I bought my plane ticket, a little piece of my heart and mind returned in that instant.  I’m thankful for this break because it is causing me to evaluate my approach and to remind myself that I must persevere and enjoy each and every day that I have left here in Malawi.

On Wednesday, I will be flying to South Africa to spend 8 days in Cape Town.  I am going with my close friend, Carson.  We have been looking forward to this trip for quite some time.  It will be so nice to get away and see some sights.  With the fuel shortage here in Malawi, I have only made it to the lake for a day trip.  Other than that, I haven’t done any exploring or sight seeing.  I have no doubt we will see amazing sights and eat wonderful food.  I will blog when we return and I will take plenty of pictures. 

This trip is such a blessing because my dear friends from Issaquah (in fact the same ones who swam to help me raise money) have a place in Cape Town and they have graciously offered it up for us to stay.  With lodging being so expensive, I wouldn’t have considered going to Cape Town if it weren’t for this generous gift.  I love this too because it will make me think of home and it reminds me of what a small world this really is.  Before leaving for Malawi, I went over to their house for dinner.  They showed me pictures of their last trip to Cape Town.  It was so nice to see pictures and now it makes me even more excited to know I will have a chance to visit a place that is so close to their hearts. 

I will take this vacation and break from school as a time to rest.  I want nothing more than to finish out this school year strong and to enjoy the multitude of blessings God has placed in my life through my time here.