Home.

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What's in a word?

Home.

Webster defines it as the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household. As an adjective it is relating to a place where one lives.

Home.

"Home" has begun to look very differently for me over the last several years. I have a home on the family farm (as a member of a family). I had a home in Bolivar. I had a home in Kansas City. I would even say I have a home in Mexico. Now my home is Haiti (as a member of a household).

I don't know that I can even say that any of those are "permanent." Sure, I'll always call my house where my parents live home, but I no longer live there. I haven't for a long time. Right now I live in Haiti, but I might not forever.

Home.

In 36 hours I will be "home." That is, my American home. If I'm being honest, I have mixed emotions about this. I haven't been in America in over four months. In those four months, I have created a new home -- here, in Gonaives, Haiti. I'm living a life here building memories and experiences for myself. Life "went on without me" in America. My friends and family have continued with their own memories and experiences. All of these are experiences that we haven't shared. I'm out of the loop about a lot of things happening in America. Some of the things that I will refer to of my life in Haiti won't make sense to those who don't live here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see "my people." I've missed you all dearly. I'm excited to eat American food and have consistent power. (I could do without the snow and cold weather though!) So, don't take my mixed emotions as resentment or not wanting to be in America. It's just going to be different. I've traveled before and it's always felt good to come home. Back to the familiar. Back to routine. That familiar and routine now resides somewhere new. In Haiti. While, I'll be excited to catch up on life in America, a little part of me is going to be missing my home.

Home.

All this to say -- none of these places are our true "home." This world is not my home. I'm just passing through. My eternal home is in heaven. Someday, I will truly go home. For now, I just have temporary homes. And what a blessing all of these temporary homes are. I am so lucky to have a home in so many places and to be surrounded by such loving and supportive people.

I hope this gives you a peek into the life changes that happen when you live on a mission field, and your life looks drastically different from what you have always known. This is a deep part of my heart. It is something that could potentially be a struggle for me while I'm in America. None of it is a bad thing.

Change happens. Change is a good thing, but with every change comes hardship. Pray for me as I am come home, but am missing home at the same time.

This article explains all that I'm trying to get at better than I can. It's an even deeper look into the mindset of "coming home" when your life is somewhere else. It's a good read and well worth your time.
http://www.dahlfred.com/index.php/blogs/gleanings-from-the-field/747-why-missionaries-can-never-go-home-again

See you soon America!

With love,
Caitlin

A little piece of my new home.
Moses was happy to have his people home
after our trip to the Dominican.

So, I'm coming home with a tan.
Oh yea, we went to the Dominican Republic for a quick
winter getaway. We visited the kite surfing capital of the world.


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