Home again

34 days, 16 cities, 8 different hotels, 6 capitals of Europe, (and 279 busses...it felt like) = 1 amazing trip! It was a lot, but learning new things and experiencing new cultures is tiring and exciting.

We realize how blessed we are to get to do these things, though we weren't feeling it at 1:30 am when we left Istanbul for the airport. (Huge, beautiful, and one of the world's busiest - all the swanky stores are 24/7.) A stop in Frankfurt and then 11 hours to LA.

As we flew in beside our mountains it's easy to see there are pros and cons to America vs. other parts of the world. Our freedoms and standard of living soared over so much we saw in Central Europe, who seems to still be figuring it out. But there are blessings to a slower, intimate way of life that feel more of what God has probably called us to. Traveling with old people amongst cobbled streets and old buildings reminded us of the patience we need, and the beauty of old construction made us simultaneously thankful for building codes.

Being in Catholic and Orthodox and Muslim-majority countries showed us that there is not only one way to worship, and that there is beauty in people praising God in different languages and ways; we don't have a lock on it in America, and God is an omni-present God, whether in Europe or America. Grateful for the experience and grateful for our home in our corner of the world.Read more