First of all let me say how glad I am to be back home again in Indiana. I was never so happy to see anything in my life as I was to see the coast of Texas come into view from the vantage point of my window on the airplane. The time in El Salvador was truly more than I can put into words. It was remarkable, challenging, enlightening, difficult and heart breaking. The experiences were more than I can even begin to put into words right now.
Karen’s Mom called a little while ago and wondered why I hadn’t posted anything on my blog yet, and I believe that the truth is that I haven’t yet found the words to describe what I am thinking and feeling. Before I left for El Salvador, there were those who asked why my school required this Cross Cultural Immersion experience and I could only answer that they felt it was necessary to be a well rounded pastor. I had many people ask if it was really all that important to go to these places in person, wouldn’t it be just as productive and certainly cheaper to simply take a course or read a book, maybe even just have someone lecture about these subjects? Well, one thing that I can say for certain, what I experienced and learned in the time spent in El Salvador, could never have been experienced from a book, course or lecture. What I learned and saw has reached me on a gut level, and I know that will never be the same again.
The challenge that I have, is to try to share my feelings with you and everyone else who will be asking me in the days weeks and months ahead the simple question, How was El Salvador, or maybe even more simply, How was your trip, as if the response of “Oh it was very good,” or “I learned a great deal,” could ever do justice to what I am feeling in my heart.
So, I am going to ask for a little patience as I begin to process what I have experienced and struggle to find the words to describe what I am thinking. The time spent with the beautiful, warm, determined and strong people of El Salvador has changed my life forever, their struggle has broken my heart, and their resilience has given me great hope for the future. It is within this frame of thought that I will try to share what I have come to understand about these people and about their struggle. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet decided how to best do that.
Should I share my journal with you? Would that be the best way? Maybe I should just tell you about the highlights? Will I bore you to death with too many details, even though there is no way to help you understand the complexity of what I have learned without the detail? I have two fears, one is that I will bore you, and the greater fear is that I am not going to be successful in helping you to understand about these wonderful people and the challenges that they are working to overcome, and the trials that they continue to face.
I think that I am just going to share with you everything that I have learned and let you decide for yourselves what is important and what isn’t. Let me get one more good nights sleep in my own bed and then tomorrow I will begin to share with you about my journey through El Salvador.
Karen’s Mom called a little while ago and wondered why I hadn’t posted anything on my blog yet, and I believe that the truth is that I haven’t yet found the words to describe what I am thinking and feeling. Before I left for El Salvador, there were those who asked why my school required this Cross Cultural Immersion experience and I could only answer that they felt it was necessary to be a well rounded pastor. I had many people ask if it was really all that important to go to these places in person, wouldn’t it be just as productive and certainly cheaper to simply take a course or read a book, maybe even just have someone lecture about these subjects? Well, one thing that I can say for certain, what I experienced and learned in the time spent in El Salvador, could never have been experienced from a book, course or lecture. What I learned and saw has reached me on a gut level, and I know that will never be the same again.
The challenge that I have, is to try to share my feelings with you and everyone else who will be asking me in the days weeks and months ahead the simple question, How was El Salvador, or maybe even more simply, How was your trip, as if the response of “Oh it was very good,” or “I learned a great deal,” could ever do justice to what I am feeling in my heart.
So, I am going to ask for a little patience as I begin to process what I have experienced and struggle to find the words to describe what I am thinking. The time spent with the beautiful, warm, determined and strong people of El Salvador has changed my life forever, their struggle has broken my heart, and their resilience has given me great hope for the future. It is within this frame of thought that I will try to share what I have come to understand about these people and about their struggle. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet decided how to best do that.
Should I share my journal with you? Would that be the best way? Maybe I should just tell you about the highlights? Will I bore you to death with too many details, even though there is no way to help you understand the complexity of what I have learned without the detail? I have two fears, one is that I will bore you, and the greater fear is that I am not going to be successful in helping you to understand about these wonderful people and the challenges that they are working to overcome, and the trials that they continue to face.
I think that I am just going to share with you everything that I have learned and let you decide for yourselves what is important and what isn’t. Let me get one more good nights sleep in my own bed and then tomorrow I will begin to share with you about my journey through El Salvador.
Blessings
1 comment:
it will take awhile Jim, we will be patient. when i returned from India I was extremely ill and never fully got to blog about my experience. and i'm still processing it all a year later. there are very few days that go by that i don't think about it.
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