There are some things we just do every day automatically without thinking about them. Brushing teeth every morning and again at night is an example. Can you think about these automatic things? Some times without thinking I would drive straight to work even though I might have wanted to go to the store. Being automatic in my thinking allows for me to think about other things. I do not have to think hard about what way to drive my car or to brush my teeth; I just do it.
Moving to a new country has taken away my automaticity (is that even a word?!). First of all: what time is it? My body tells me I am hungry but it is all at the wrong times here in my new home. I used to be able to drive to the grocery store and find all that I needed without too much thought. Now I need to walk to the nearest store or market and find similar items or make changes in my thinking about what I need. I cannot just grab the brand of salsa that my family likes off the shelf (heads up: there is no salsa on any market shelf here). Oh, don’t worry – I can make salsa if we really want it, but just try to find tortilla chips. My daily trips to the wet market are more than just going to one store. These markets are alive with wriggling smelly fish, fresh meat, and beautiful displays of fruits and vegetables that I have never seen before. I have had to put more thought into meals and food than I normally even want to do. I have 2 gas burners and an older microwave for my cooking. I have always enjoyed cooking with a gas stove but these burners are either hot or flaming – there doesn’t seem to be a low setting. I can pick out a live chicken and have it butchered upon request, but how do I cook a whole chicken without an oven or big pot? I will need to get creative with this. Food shopping and meal preparation has been hard this week but it is getting easier every day. I just have to think more than I am used to about these things.
I have found myself saying very odd things like, “I need to make more water.” I mean, didn’t God make the water? I just have to put the water through a filter, boil it, and put it in the refrigerator to get cool for us to drink. This is a process that we do several times a day. We are drinking our water! It is hot and humid and we are trying to stay healthy. Another thing I never thought I would say is, “Oh, good! It is only supposed to be 34 C tomorrow” (that is 93 F for you in the US). I stop and I think how odd these words sound but they make sense in our current daily life.
Even though some of our daily life is no longer automatic, there are some things that have remained the same. Every morning I read and study God’s Word. He will always stay the same. God’s mercy and love for me have not changed. I may not be able to find salsa but I can always find God’s love and care for me. He provides me with water to drink and people who have kindly offered their help. Every day I pray and seek His will in my life. And every day God answers my prayers and shows me how He has already thought about a need that I had not even known. I do not doubt that God has prepared me for this work and that He has called me to be right here, right now, in this place.
P.S. The pictures were taken in a park near our neighborhood and a recent trip to IKEA.
Here am I, send me 
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