As a follower of Jesus, I do understand that this world is not my home, I'm just passing through. As a foreigner in Belgium, who just came back after 11 months living abroad, somehow this place feels so much like "home". Recently, while eating in China Town in downtown Antwerp with friends from Malaysia, Belgium and England, the table conversation went round and round about being "home" again in Belgium. End result of conversation: we all declared that in the end, we are just tourists here, those who will find their final home in heaven with Jesus. Wonder what kind of mansion Jesus will have prepared for us?!
In the meantime, one does have to settle into some place to call "home" and for us, that feels good back in Ekeren, Belgium. We are beginning this season of ministry holding onto an image that was given to us by a dear pastor friend in the US: we are establishing new relationships with people and a place that we have history with....which means a lot to both of us just now. We have history with these people and this place, Belgium, so some things have been totally easy to adjust to: getting around on the tram/bus, grocery shopping, the local village market. Yet some things have become a bit foreign: doing the immigration procedure in a totally new office in downtown Antwerp, getting re-used to the bike path (I almost got taken out by 2 mopeds during my first bus trip!), paying to use a shopping cart and to use a public restroom.
