Things Missed

Last night i was singing to the King with a rockin' praise band aboard the Mercy Ship.  It occurred to me that i don't get to do that sort of thing very often...practically never.  This thought plunged me into considering a gamut of things that i miss about life in the States.  For the sake of balancing things out, i began to consider things that i miss about Susu Land when i visit the States.  Therefore, i figured i'd include my ponderings here in a blog post.

Things i miss about the States when i'm in Susu Land:

• Once or twice a year going to a concert with about 15,000 of your brothers and sisters in Christ and singing anthems to the Author of the Universe at the top of your lungs
• The tendency that most people have to carry on a conversation with strangers and not consider their ethnicity, their economic status, or what one can get out of the other
• Government employees and law enforcement who benefit the common good of the people they govern
• Justice
• Lexington BBQ, Taco Bell, movie theaters, miniature golf, Costco, hunting, bowling alleys, and delicatessens
• Sandy beaches that are not covered with syringes and plastic bags
• Bluegrass conventions
• Gun shows
• Smooth trash-free roads
• Religious tolerance (the kind where they let you live if you follow Jesus)...I don't miss the kind where people say everyone's going to heaven cause it sounds nicer.
• Sane traffic
• The "FDA approved" labels, construction and building codes (that ensure structures are safe to enter), and annual vehicle safety and emissions inspections (that heighten the probability that the vehicle you're riding is is roadworthy)
• The ability to leave my car without locking it
• When Christians not only recognize they have freedom, but also live out, despite the cultural norms

Things i miss about Susu Land when i'm in the States:

• The hospitality of most people to openly invite strangers to a meal, a bed, and a warm conversation
• Rampant hitchhiking
• Untamed natural beauty
• The spontaneity and unpredictability of every. single. day.
• The ability to take it slow
• How pretty much every Christian knows it's their responsibility to take the Good News to their neighbors
• Spicy meat sauce on rice
• Being invited to converse with village chiefs and elders in the meeting hut
• The phenomenon that causes thankfulness from the smallest blessings
• The unity of the Christian community, particularly when under persecution
• The hunger of millions to hear the Gospel