On our last night in the city, we met with X, our field worker, for dinner at a meat place, and we navigated through the CHAOTIC streets one more time on our way to the store. Sometimes the streets of the city feel like a fever dream with the amount of vibrant activity constantly. The team got some snacks for the plane (a real morale boost), and headed home to leave for the airport.
Earlier that day we had cleaned the entire apartment complex on the upstairs of the building where we stayed to finish our service there strong. This meant hanging up decorations with power tools, cleaning everything from ceiling to floor, repairing things we saw needing fixing, and rearranging and reorganizing furniture and appliances to better plan for future groups. Being able to accomplish projects that I wanted to finish last year was extremely fulfilling to me personally. A few of us spent a full day cleaning and reorganizing an office space, and this was a project I left last year wanting to complete.
(the before picture of the office organization)
(The after pictures of the office organization)
I took stock of some projects for next year’s groups, and the team sat in a circle to thank X for their hospitality, guidance, and care while we were sick. The team prayed over the ministry and the staff there in one last goodbye before we set off for the airport.
Our travel began by being dropped off at the airport by two drivers who were racing each other to prove who was the fastest. This did not necessarily aid in the nausea the team was feeling as a remnant of some kind of virus we caught from food poisoning or elsewhere. When we opened the doors to the vans a deafening noise of celebration greeted us, and there was a huge party with live music and dancing happening in the parking garage of the airport; it sounded like we were in a stadium at a sports game. (See video below)
The length of the flights was certainly a struggle with about half the group feeling unwell, and anti-nausea medicine was helpful. Our other team leader, Nate, surprised us by writing awards for everyone with qualities he noticed about everyone, and that was a morale boost as we were waiting. When we landed in Germany, we learned that our next 2 hour layover in Washington, USA, was going to be cut in half due to a delayed flight. This meant we had less than an hour to go through customs, security, and recheck our bags before our flight to Sacramento left. We all agreed to book it through the airport, and after literally running through the airport in groups, the last student made it on the plane with less than a minute left before they closed the plane for boarding.
(Nate giving awards)
Reflecting on the trip left me with a sense of gratitude and pride in our students who had all made an effort not only to work hard, but to work hard and be present even when not feeling well as well as to encourage and take care of their teammates when they were sick. The group worked well together, and I was grateful for how well the group got along throughout the entire trip. While it certainly was unfortunate that so many of us got sick, we landed in Sacramento with hearts full of gratitude (for catching our flight and) for the country and people of the Middle East. I left feeling confident that we had engaged with the people, daily rhythms and customs, and foods of the Middle East in a way that changes perspectives on who God is and how he works in other cultures just the same as he works in ways that are familiar to us at home in the USA.
You as readers can be praying for the team’s reverse culture shock, for rest and wellness for everyone, and for good communication to answer all the questions others will have for them back home. You can also be praying for the support, wellbeing, and encouragement for the organization we left.
Here’s to another return back to the Middle East soon!! <3
-Rose