Sometimes I just love getting wrapped up in other peoples' stories. Especially if they're real. Take Donald Miller for instance...he's done some awesome things, and he's great at writing about them. Or a friend of mine here in Kenya named Laura...she's been here for 3 months, living in a hut in the northern part of Kenya for most of it, and she has some funny and crazy stories to tell. Or pretty much any of my students here at Rosslyn Academy...because they've either lived in 4 different countries in their 12 years of existence or they've grown up speaking multiple languages or their dad works for the UN or their mom works as a missionary in a local organization...or because they're just different than I am.
The trouble is...I can sometimes get caught up in someone else's story and forget about my own. I mean, here I am in Kenya, living in a neighborhood where I can count the number of white people on one hand, people with completely different cultures and backgrounds surround me, and I still have the option to forget my story and seclude myself in another person's.
That's why I have to constantly pray that God would help me to remember that I am here, in this world, for a purpose that He wants me to fulfill. I love books and movies because they can help me to see a different side of the world I don't know, they can fill me with empathy for others' stories, they can remind me of how to live my story, and they can give me knowledge of how to help other people...but if I forget to live these learned things out...well...it's not worth a lot, is it?
funny thing is, I think I understand what you're experiencing to some extent. Maybe it's a part of this stage of culture shock? Regardless I will try to remember to pray for you for this specific issue! I hope things are going well with the estudiantes!
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