Seeing

Have you ever put on 3D glasses and looked around you?  After a while it kind of gives you a headache if you're not watching a 3D movie (it gives me a headache even then.)  Maybe even a little nauseous.

But then you take them off and your eyes thank you.
Ah, so much better.

It's no secret i have had a bit of a struggle here in Tonga-check out my last post.  So i decided to take off my glasses for a bit.  Look around and see what it looks like without headache inducing glasses.

This is what i see:

I see a funky little house constantly flowing with people and kids from morning till late at night.
I see hours spent listening to heavy hearts.
I see giving and taking; taking and giving
I see a smile from a man taking a fresh water shower for the first time in years and hear a quiet "thanks" for a home cooked meal.
I see little eyes and noses peeking in through the holes in the screens.
I see bushmen working hard in the fields.
I see my kids running with Tongan kids through dirt floor houses.
I see my husband giving every last drop of energy to loving others.
I see kindness, patience, compassion, sharing, and long suffering.
I see community.
I see the gospel of Jesus lived.

Of course at any moment those glasses come back on and it becomes overwhelming.  I see the bugs, the kids teasing, the lack of privacy.  Feel exhausted from hours spent,  weighed down by the burdens and heart ache of so many  people.


But those moments when you can see the beauty in the chaos and the joy in hardships it makes it worth it.  This is not for nothing.  People matter.  Don't give up.

A big THANK YOU to all the people who came together to buy us our tickets home to visit our families.  We feel your love from miles away. Keep on giving and sharing to those around you.