"There is a time for everything"

Today I woke up 9,000 away from where a woke up just two days ago. 

I woke and realized I wasnt sleeping under a mosquito net, last night I turned on the shower and warm water came out without any hesitation, yesterday I washed all my clothes in our nice washing machine (well actually my mom did, thanks mom!), last night I slept on a bad that's a full instead of a small twin, this morning I plugged in my straightener without having to use a converter, Yesterday went downstairs and opened the refrigerator to find lots of food, last night my wonderful mom dyed and cut my hair and I got to use REAL conditioner for my poor dried out hair, last night I jumped my car and drove somewhere.....

These things may seem silly but in the last 20 hours I have realized how grateful I am for these small things but also how much I take it for granted. Yeah yeah, how cliche to come back from Africa and be grateful and wanting not to take anything for granted blah blah blah. Everyone says it when they come home, but I think we are missing the point. I am grateful because I have "lived without" (loose term) for 3 months, I don't want to take it for granted because I never want to become complacent with my life. We should always be pushing ourselves closer to The Lord in a way that makes us want to continually bring things into our lives and take things out of our lives in a mindset to grow closer to him. 

This time coming home, I wasn't as sad and it wasn't as hard. I prayed before I even left to go to Kenya that The Lord would prepare me for the next season in my life and OH did he ever! I realized awhile ago that in Ecclesiastes 3:1, it says "For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth." What a beautiful sentiment that The Lord shares with us ahead of time that nothing in our lives is forever except for Him. I am so grateful, honored, and blessed that I was allowed to teach at Masii Academy, work with Tumaini and Masii Christian Chapel for the last 3 months. 

There is nothing that will change how much I love Masii or how certain I am that I am called there, but today on August 17 after being home for less than 24 hours, I am so thankful to be home in California.