Early Furlough Impressions

This is an excerpt from my musings during our first weeks of furlough travel. Enjoy!

"Mom, Have You Seen My...?"

Our vagabond days have begun. We missionaries pack up a four bags of clothes and African do-dads, secure tickets and visas and passports and the appropriate immigration stamps. And we fly.

Then we land and can’t sleep well. Children who normally sleep for hours through the night wake up at odd times. And ask for food.

We haul our bodies and bags over time zones and through airports. We hug necks and eat yummy, yummy food. We re-establish connections, hear news we’ve missed, listen with astonishment as newscasters talk and talk and talk and talk and talk…about nothing and everything and opinions and elections…

We are at once blessed and overwhelmed by choices and options. We fight the battle within us that Ice Cream is just there on the corner in that 7 Eleven so why aren’t we eating as much as possible right now. Because it will be there tomorrow. It will be there tomorrow. It will be there tomorrow.

We rejoice at ever Target and savor our first sips of Starbucks. We giggle through chips and queso and delight in daily phone calls to family and friends with good connections.

Jeff says the soft carpet hugs our feet. Water can be taken straight from the tap. Power supply is sure and food is easy.

Time is important. Church is fast. Freeways are huge, well lit and signs direct you everywhere.

People smile when they serve you food. Everyone is doing something most of the time.

Commercials are funny.

And no one in my family can find their underwear without asking Mom first.

I know Mom is the Great Holder of Knowledge. But this is amplified when we start living out of bags.

Vagabonds. And loving most of it.