Well… we made it back to visit!!! After eight months in Panama, stepping onto U.S. soil again has been really good for our souls. There’s something about familiar sights, familiar smells, and people who already know your story that just feels like a deep breath.
We were all so excited to come back and see family and friends — and honestly, to experience some of the ease and normalcy the U.S. offers. (Like, who knew Target could feel so emotional?) The kids walked into the airport like they were returning from a long voyage at sea. Drama? Maybe. Accurate? Absolutely.
People keep asking, “So… how does it feel to be back?”
And the truth?
It’s weird. Like really weird.
It feels like we never left… and at the exact same time, everything feels different. We’re here, but we’re not who we were when we lived here. Driving past our old house brought back so many memories — good ones, funny ones, and a little bit of that “oh wow, that used to be our life” sadness.
Then there’s the ease of getting around. One store. ONE. STORE. For everything. Panama could never. And yes, we have already made our pilgrimage to Chick-fil-A. And Mexican food? Don’t get us started. Panama doesn’t have Mexican food. Not even a little bit. That rant deserves its own blog post.
Our kids? Absolute rockstars. They’ve handled transition after transition, time zones, cultures, airports, and now re-entry… and they’re still smiling. We couldn’t be prouder of them.
We’re spending a few weeks here in Texas before heading up to Washington and Oregon to see Bill’s family and visit our daughter Adria before heading back to Panama. We’re excited to hug people, eat all the foods, rest, and keep sharing the incredible ways we’ve seen God move in Panama.
Today we’re actually speaking at another church — which means we’re missing our home church this morning, and we already feel it. There’s nothing like being with your home church family, but we’re grateful for every chance we get to share what God is doing!
And being back has reminded us:
Life has looked crazy different these past 8 months.
Hard different. Good different. Holy different.
But God has been faithful through every single bit of it.
He has carried us.
He has surprised us.
He has grown us.
He has shown His goodness in places we never expected
