Getting Settled

After a long, fairly uneventful flight and two days at the mission guesthouse, I am now getting settled in my new house with my new roommates.

I flew in yesterday, and a small contingent of girls was there to meet me at the airport. We went out for lunch, did some shopping, and headed for home, where we ate supper and I began unpacking.

This morning I went to church with one of my two roommates, and had quite an adventure there. We got a ride with the pastor & his family, along wtih several others. The pastor was very friendly, even though we couldn't really communicate without the assistance of my roommate's translations.

During the service, he invited me to come up to the front, and then the congregation sang "Happy Birthday" to me in two languages. Then his wife came up & hugged me while he prayed over me. That was all very nice, but I was a little bit confused because it was not my birthday. Anyway, when the service ended, he asked me to stand at the back, and invited everyone to greet me on the way out. Many of them wished me a happy birthday, and I tried to respond graciously. In the vehicle on the way home, we discovered that there had been a misunderstanding (likely due to my name), and he thought my birthday was in July! He apologized and laughed, and upon futher investigation discovered that I had, in fact, had a birthday this year. So there you go--they were just celebrating it a few months late.  :)

Also in church this morning, we observed communion, which reminded me of something a friend said back home, about the unity of communion. Believers all around the globe remember Jesus' atoning sacrifice--it's something we do in North America, Asia-Pacific, and everywhere in between. It's so cool to remember that we are part of the same body & family, and that observing communion can bind us together in worship.

So here I am, in my high-ceilinged house with exotic flora in the front yard and my very own motorbike helmet hanging with two others beside the back door (don't worry--I'm not driving; just riding!). Here I am, unpacking my two totes & a suitcase, and meeting new friends at every turn. Here I am, being welcomed by brothers & sisters in the Lord, and having my birthday celebrated in church. Here I am, in my new home.