DECEMBER 2020
Mark and I have been back in the US for almost 1½ years now.
It’s hard to believe. The time has gone by fast, but it’s beginning to feel
like home again. Some say “home is where the heart is”. Yet I think a better
point of view might be “home is where God has us at this point in time.”
It took us a long while to adjust back to life in America.
Some people call it reverse culture shock; maybe a better term is reverse culture adjustment. I expected a rocky re-entry. I had read about it and
planned for it. Maybe that’s why I expected the reactions and feelings that we
encountered. We just didn’t know what to do with them.
We landed back in the US on July 2, 2019 and took that whole
month to try to readjust. We reconnected with our kids by having a family
vacation at Smith Mountain Lake in VA, but Mark was anxious to get on with a
new life at Grace Baptist Church, our home church of many years. However, six
weeks in, he realized he dove in too deep too fast. We pulled back and
scheduled re-entry counseling and a trip to see friends that we had known in
Beijing. The counseling helped us gain perspective, clear our heads and hearts,
and see the parts of readjustment that had to take place. We had to grieve the
loss of our Beijing life. We had to go through the chaos of figuring out how to
live in the US again. We had to develop new skills. We had to figure out where
we belonged. Visiting our friends who had re-entered the US before us helped us
talk through all those things with people who understood and “got it”.
The adjustment back really hit hard at times - like eating at
Panera Bread or going to Wal-Mart. I couldn’t figure out how to order at Panera.
Fast food restaurant choices and menus confused us. In Wal-Mart, I wandered
around as if I were lost. I was!
Our first Easter home some friends staying with us asked how
we normally celebrated Easter. I didn’t know anymore. All my props were gone. I
had given away our 12 Days of Easter (aka Resurrection Eggs) supplies; I had no
Easter baskets or visual reminders of Jesus’ death and resurrection. I
floundered but cooked a new menu that didn’t really reflect who we were. I was
lost – again.
Mark and I often talk about the things we miss from Beijing
that are so foreign to life in the US. Like the two produce shops in our
complex where we could buy so many varieties of fruits and vegetables. Like the
convenient and efficient public transportation. Like the ability to walk to a
grocery store or a restaurant or a park. Like the constant stream of people
outside. Like the dancers in the parks. In our town, we don’t have any of those
things. We felt lost – again.
As I talked with people and re-built friendships here, I
often exclaimed “I’m a mess.” No one understood what I meant. They all said,
“No you’re not. You’re fine.” Neither Mark nor I were fine; we were lost in a
familiar but unfamiliar place.
But the grace of God and time have smoothed out adjustment wrinkles. During that time, I often reflected on God’s never-ending, steadfast, covenant love, and faithfulness. He never leaves His people and He wouldn’t leave us floundering. He was (and IS) the sure and steady anchor for our souls.
We feel like we are beginning to find our US “sea legs.” When God unexpectedly took us out of a place and work that He sent us to and that we loved, He opened other doors of work and ministry here. Because of our experience living overseas, God has broadened our vision and perspective. We now see internationals and other cultures all around us. We make international friends at the YMCA. We cross cultures with our local neighbors, and we journey across oceans to train Christian leaders.
Just before we left Beijing, we met an incoming university
freshman who planned to come to our town. When she came, she introduced us to
many of her international friends. That one introduction opened up a whole new
opportunity for us. God has allowed us to use our home in ways we never
imagined. Hospitality has always been a part of our life, but this new
opportunity led to long-term hospitality. We have had the privilege of hosting
several international students when they needed off-campus housing. These
students have blessed us with their lives and conversations. We have great conversations
at the dinner table and just by living life together. The Lord has also had to
teach us to grow in patience and understanding in ways we didn’t expect. Our hearts
and home are full again for which we are thankful to the Lord!
Although we didn’t know it at the time, we see and appreciate
God’s sovereignty in the timing of His bringing us back to the US. Through some
aggressive treatments, Cheryl’s lung health is back to (her) normal. Just in
time to be healthy in the COVID environment. We thank the Lord often for that
provision. It’s a reminder that God knows what He is doing even when we don’t.
Recently Mark and I traveled to Myrtle Beach to see friends
that lived across the street from us in Beijing. How good it was to be with
them, reminisce, reflect, and hear how God is still at work. We will always
share a special bond with our Beijing friends, no matter where in the world we
all are.
In the meantime, life goes on. In 2020, both Brent &
Kristen and James & Amy celebrated 5 years of marriage. We rejoiced as Philip
married Amy Victoria (the second Mrs. Amy Hatfield) in May during the
coronavirus restrictions. Alicia bought her first home, a townhouse nearby. And
we all anticipate the birth of a second Odom little girl next February.
As we reflect on the past year and a half, we thank the Lord
for His kindness, faithfulness, and wisdom. It makes us worship Him more fully.
Therefore, this season of Christmas helps us refocus on Christ’s incarnation
and coming to earth as the perfect God-Man to save us from our sins. We need
Him. He gives us eternal hope.
