No Place Like It

When  I came to Guatemala two years ago for the first time I remember remarking to someone on the trip that I had never been any place like it. His response was I felt that way because I wasn't having to go to work. (I think he was making a joke.)

On Sunday, when I climbed up the stairs to check on the laundry and looked out over the city, I was filled with the same thought - there's no place like this. God has put this place on my heart. I don't know for how long.  I cannot see myself anywhere else right now. Yes, Iowa is my home, and I shed a tear when we crossed the border and I realized I would not be returning for awhile.  The rows of corn. The beautiful sunsets. The hot summers and the cold winters.  The way the evenings cool off just enough in the summer to enjoy going for  a walk.

I have been blessed with the chance to go many places and see many things.  The dryness and vastness of the Arizona desert.  The scope of the Grand Canyon.  The beauty of St. Louis (one of my favorite cities).  The laid-back atmosphere of Jamaica.   The energy of New York. (Oh, I hope to get to go there again!)  The beauty of the Appalachian Mountains in the Carolinas.  The BBQ of Kansas City.  The awe-inspiring cliffs of the Ozarks in Missouri.  The friendly people of Alabama.  And, of course, the ocean, and all the oceans and coasts I have gotten to be on! Some of my best prayer times have been on a beach or standing in the waves.  So many wonderful places.

But, there really is no place like Xela, Guatemala.  God has planted me here.  I love the mountains. The volcano. The wonderful people who still believe that relationships are the most important things.  There may be challenges, but there is nowhere I'd rather be.