Some mornings, like today, when I check my email and read the international news I find myself really missing Uppsala and all my friends there. Perhaps because at this time last year I was finally getting comfortable riding my bike around town, grabbing fika with Hannah or Kayla and Karina, and I knew my corridormates a bit. I miss walking down the fashionable streets and shopping in the middle of my school day. I miss all the countless hours I had for reading whatever I wanted, for watching old movies I rented from the library, and going out with new friends. I miss the International Bible Study (from whom I still get weekly emails). But alas, I am returning to Europe so perhaps these memories can be made new.
Last year on this day, Valentine's Day, Stephen had a beautiful bouquet delivered to me in Sweden. This year I am so glad we can spend it together. Just got the word I should dress up for tonight's dinner at a surprise location. Que divertido!
I called this entry a mid-homestay update because like it says, I am currently in the middle of a stay in my home country. I returned from Sweden in June and will be flying off to England in September, so this is somewhere around the middle of my time at home. It has been great to be home and I am not in a hurry to leave this time, though the adventure that awaits me is as exciting as they come (for an obsessive academic like myself).
My school here has certainly been supportive of my scholarship. The provost and president of the university threw a little reception for me and I've had the opportunity to interact with both on several occasions since. (It's crazy to me how things just snowball - I know there are plenty of equally (if not more) accomplished students at this university and I wish I could share all the positive fall out with them). One cool thing that even the non-nerdy sports fan can appreciate is that they recognized my award during a time-out at one of the Men's basketball games (while we are #1) and gave me a game ball signed by both the coaches.
Of course now the pressure is on, or at least that is how I feel. It used to be that my own standards for myself were leagues above everyone else's expectations of me- now they're catching up. Even though I'm taking one math class as an audit, just to learn the material because I'll need it next year, I'm ashamed to hand in work that isn't perfect to my standards, despite the grade I earn being completely irrelevant.
This entry has little form but that's representative of how things work, life never takes the essay form where you introduce what will happen in the first paragraph and then it proceeds to take place just as you spelled out. God knows what He's doing though. I'm reading in Exodus right now, about the construction of the Tabernacle, and He knows exactly what he wants (right down to the blue, purple, and gold linens made by expert weavers). It reminds me that God really does care about the details even while he cares about the over-arching story. Resting in his plan is something that doesn't come completely naturally, but I can see His hand in orchestrating my past and so that helps me rest about the future. I am so thankful to God for my opportunity to study in England for the next two years. I will miss my Stephen terribly, but I trust that all things work together for good for them who love the Lord.
Okay I've got to wrap this up because a day packed with research projects is calling. I feel incredibly blessed to be living a life filled with adventure and love, especially as I consider the tragedy and injustice that is happening in such abundance simultaneously around the world. I challenge myself to do more about it.
