It's true what they say...

We had tons of people try to prepare us for what we were heading into as we left the U.S. Throughout all the advice, many of the things they told us were true.

1. Culture shock is real; you will experience more than once. 
2. You'll miss your family tons and there is nothing that can change that. 
3. The grass is always greener on the other side. 
4. Friends will lose track, lose interest, but you will find new friends. Do your best to keep communication lines open. 

Let's go into detail:
1. Culture shock. I remember when we moved to Arkansas, 10 yrs ago. I was shocked to find that people were wearing tie-dye shirts like they were the new fashion movement. In all the years we lived there, I couldn't force myself to wear it.
So here, it's not clothing. It's more beliefs or even just habits. I was talking to one of the teachers about how the students need to chew with their mouth closed. His response was odd, but eye opening. "That's how I eat. How am I supposed to chew with my mouth closed?" I laughed and said, "with less food."
That's just one example- they are everywhere.

2. While we miss our family dearly and Facebook and Skype have helped out immensely, it's just not the same. We've had a death of a nephew, and 2 new babies born in the last few weeks. It's a lot to miss out on.

3. Green grass? Well over here it's pretty brown right now. When you look at things from over the fence it always seems so nice. But then you find yourself overwhelmed with the realness or stress of life and it just sinks in. Evan went to church on Sunday just after a bombing in town. There were minimum casualties, thank the Lord, but it's something real and we are learning to deal with it, as is our family.

4. I noticed that before we even left, we were growing apart from certain people. Now that we are gone, even though they are still titled as "friends" on FB, they have lost interest in our lives, or maybe, we have lost interest in theirs. There's something that happens to you when you realize being on this planet isn't about your bank account or how much materialism you can acquire; it changes your views and thoughts. It also changes your friends.


On a better note, we are excited to be making plans to return home for a visit this June! We will be there for a few birthdays and father's day. I'm really excited to see everyone and hope that everyday is wonderful. :)