by Maitlyn Yarbrough, 3-month Costa Rica Immersion team member in 2015
For me it happened a couple of weeks in. I was living in Coroma, Costa Rica, with my host family for the summer. My 11-year-old Costa Rican sister Yendri randomly walked up to me, put her hand on my head, and said in English, "My sister." That was the moment that this small, rural, jungle village became my home.
I am sure those of you who have been on mission trips have experienced this sensation. There comes a turning point when the home you left is no longer the home that your spirit is invested in. In some ways this home transference might be temporary, but in other ways there is a very permanent move that takes place. However, anytime you make a home transference, you never truly leave the prior home behind. You will always carry the people and lessons of each place in your heart.
When home is no longer home, strangers become family. Intense bonds of unity are formed with those you are around (no matter how long you have known them). As these new bonds are made you will probably find it hard to explain to people in the "old home" what your experiences are like in your "new home." When home is no longer home you are focused and invested on where you are NOW, and not where you will be later. You will find new ways of being you and expressing yourself. You will learn new things about yourself in the context of your new home. You will find that you can discover more about the Lord and yourself by investing in your new family members and allowing them to invest in you. You will find that you have received so much more from your new family than you feel you gave out to them. And in the end, you feel comfortable enough to let your weaknesses show and accept the weaknesses shown by your new family.
So with this in mind, there a few things I need the people of my "old home" to know. I have a wandering spirit; I don't have fickle emotions. Just because I have the desire to go somewhere else does not mean that I want to get away from you. You will always be special and important to me, you will always be in my heart, and I will always love you. Just because my current home is no longer with you does not mean that I don't care about you, but it means my spirit is dwelling in a different place. John 3:8 says, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." When I hear the sound of the Lord blowing on the sails of my heart, I have to follow it. After all, we are all unified in His kingdom, and I need to go gather more family members. And I need the people of my "new home" to know this too, because you might not always be my current home either. There might come a day when my time with you is over, there might come a day when my spirit finds its home in a different place, but that does not mean you are replaceable. In no other place will I experience what I did with you. No other place can teach me the things that you did, and you will always hold a special place in my heart.
Dwell in the Land
So if you are like me and you find your spirit wandering from home to home, here is my challenge: Dwell in the land. Psalms 37:3 says, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness." Whether God calls you to India for 2 weeks, Africa for 3 months, or to remain in America for a few years in between trips, the challenge is still the same. Be faithful to dwell in the land. You must trust that the Lord has you where you are for a reason and you must invest yourself into the land that has become your home. For me this is hardest to do in my American home. It is hardest for me to dwell in the land of America and to invest here, because my mind is always thinking about my other homes. But when I take this challenge seriously and I seek to dwell in the land the Lord has called me to, that's when my frustrations and eagerness to leave are satisfied. If you never stop and dwell in the land that you are living in you will miss out on "home making" opportunities. You will miss out on what the Lord is doing here and now in the land you are in. Never make the mistake of thinking the Lord's only passion is where your passion is as well. Jesus is not limited to your passions and desires. He loves and is passionate about ALL people in ALL lands, even that one you are having a hard time dwelling in. And because of this, it's important to remember you are not bringing God to any nation. God is already there and working, but when you go, you are catching up to his workings. So as you dwell in the land, look to see what the Lord is already doing, and seek to join in.
So next time you find that your home has changed, embrace it, don't fight it, befriend faithfulness. Realize that God is in this "new home" just as much as He is in your "old home." Realize that God is working, and there will be a place for you to join in should you choose to dwell there. Find moments and lessons that will always remain in your heart no matter where you go. Whether this new place is your permanent home or just a stop off on the way to your true heavenly home, there will always be moments that can stay in your heart as you move from home to home. And lastly, as you dwell in each of your new homes, let your heart be scattered in the nations and let the nations be scattered in your heart. As you move from home to home, really invest yourself. Be open to the lessons that each home has to teach you. Be open to making new brothers and sisters that will dwell in the kingdom of God with you.
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