LOVE

As most already know, I'm en casa. I arrived in Minnesota safely on Friday and was greeted at the airport by my mom, dad, aunt, and surprised by my friend Becca! Of course, we stopped by Dairy Queen on the way home--Mint Oreo Blizzard! HOLLER! So good. It's been nice being home but I know quite the transition lies ahead but I'm constantly reminded that I'm surrounded by wonderful loving friends and family. :)

I visited Olaf on Saturday/Sunday. It was SO great to see so many friends! But the time flew by and I couldn't see everyone. There was just so much to share and talk about after being gone for 4 months! It was WEIRD being back and felt kinda surreal. Second semester will be quite the adjustment.

When I landed in Texas on Friday I first heard the news of the CT shooting. What a tragic event. And what an understatement that last sentence is. I just came from one of the most dangerous countries in the world, a country that has been devastated with tragedies from the recent civil war to the current gang violence and to come home to such a horrific event is heart breaking. I must be honest, I've been kinda numb towards it. Coming home I'm full of thousands of emotions, and adding more sadness, another unthinkable story to the many I have heard, it's terrible. It reminds me of a story from 1 1/2 years ago when I was in El Salvador for a month. I was with my church and we were visiting schools of the sponsor kids. My pastor was saying how wonderful it was that the kids were able to attend school, unlike their parents that had to fight in the war, and that it was so great that they were able to learn- for school is where they should be. That joyful thought of innocent children going to school, learning and playing with their classmates was quickly interrupted. The Salvadoran pastor began to share that many kids from his community were starting to come to this school because of the gang presence in their old school. But how now at this school many kids were starting to confront the same gang problems and just a few months earlier a couple of kids had been shot outside of school in a taxi by gang members. School should be a safe place where kids can come to learn and grow, play and challenge themselves, regardless of where they are, not a war zone. Granted both of these stories have their differences, they are still both very tragic. I don't really know where I'm going with this but I guess I just wanted to share.

Sending lots of love to you all. Spread it. The world needs a little lovin'!
"Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other." Euripides

It's a reminder of all the LOVE I experience throughout my time abroad. From my friends at home, my family, my friends on the trip, my leaders, my hospitable host families, and others along the way. So from all of them to you--I'm sending LOVE!