Being away from family is definitely the hardest thing about living on another continent. I remember shortly after Lori and I moved to Spain I came across this verse and was intrigued by it. God seems to understand on a deep level the difficulty in leaving those who are closest to us for his sake and so he gave us a promise to bless us with family, fields, etc when we have left it all behind for his sake. He does not say that he will replace family (I don´t think that would be possible or desirable), but he promises to give us even more family. During those first days in Spain I wondered how that was possible and how that would play out in our lives.
One way that we have seen this verse come to pass in our lives here in SdC is through our friendship with Father Sal. He is a retired Priest that our team met several years ago. He was born in thePhilippines but spent a significant amount of time working in San Francisco. When we celebrate holidays he celebrates with us. He loves our children and our children love him. He is like a surrogate father, grandfather and friend. Occasionally we have a meal together and it is like having a meal with the family when we are hanging out with him. Yesterday he invited took us to a local Philippine restaurant where we tried some typical Philippine dishes. We praise God for his blessings and the ways that he works that are beyond what we could think or imagine!
International Cuisine Day Yesterday was a day of foods around the world. In the evening Lori, I, Jacob and Tania met at our house with a Cuban-Gallego couple who are parents of one of Abiga's friends at school. We had a mix of traditional American, Gallego, and Cuban dishes. It was a blast hanging out and trying new foods. We look forward to our future with our new friends!
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