My Other Family

This past week, our organization had it's annual conference in Thailand. It's a week (sometimes more if we decide to travel) out of our hectic and usually stressful year to take a break, relax, and surround ourselves with 500 of our best friends. That's what it seems like, anyway. I could sit down with anyone at that conference and connect with them on several levels. Because even though we may serve in different roles, cities, or even countries, we all seem to have the same highs and lows. The struggles and trials don't care what culture you're trying to adapt to--they're just about the same.

This conference, chock-full of corporate worship, lessons from the pulpit, and seminars is so life-giving. Even more so if we've been living in a city without any of those things. The corporate worship gives me goosebumps every.single.time. Of course we get to sing and worship in small settings back in China, but I think it's the large group that gets me. Gives me a picture of what heaven will look like. Only that will be a million times better.

Not only is the actual conference amazing, so are all the lunches, dinners, coffee and smoothie dates, trips to the zoo and other excursions with new and old friends. We can speak in English! We can wear shorts in the middle of winter! (Especially amazing when living in our last city that hovered around 0 or lower for 5 months!) We can eat delicious food! Thai, Western, Indian, oh yum! And Thai iced tea! (If you haven't had this, find your nearest Thai restaurant and order some!) Thailand is known as "The Land of Smiles." It truly is! The locals are so kind and helpful!

Josiah and Ellie, friends from our first years in China. They hadn't seen each other in 2.5 years, and played together like no time had passed at all.

So why write about all the wonderfulness of our conference and Thailand? Because we missed it this year. I knew it would be hard to look at all the pictures of the beautiful people I miss and only get to see once a year. I knew I'd miss the warm, mid-winter break (although, this midwestern winter ain't half-bad with its up-swings into the 60s several times!). I knew I'd miss Lemongrass, the best Thai restaurant in town. Lunch for the fam costs $10.

But it's hard to talk so highly of a place and people I love when we're at home (the one on this side of the world, anyway) with family and friends. Of course I love being here, too. On those bad "China days," I long for America with its free libraries, parks in every neighborhood, and any comfort I could dream of with little effort to make. When I'm in the States, I long to be back in Asia. My heart is torn. There are amazing things about each place.

Missing conference made me realize that the friends I see there are more than friends..they're family. Wow, that sounds mushy. But it's true. With every team we've been on (4 different ones so far), our teammies become our family. I thought it was just for that year while we were teammies, sharing birthdays, holidays, ups and downs. But, no. I now see that we'll forever be bonded together. Since we all move around so much, we often don't get to spend more than a year together. That's why conference is so amazing. We get to reconnect with old friends..er..family.

And that's why it's so hard to miss being in Thailand. I'm missing out on seeing my family. My one chance for the year.

So American friends and family, if you hear me talk about or read a Facebook post about my China family, don't be jealous. Our hearts are torn between Asia and America. A great reminder that we are aliens in this world and our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil. 3:20)