Moving to South Africa
In
June of 2009, my family and I moved to South Africa to be missionaries. Moving to a different country was very
difficult for me. I was quite rebellious
at the time and unwilling to make this new place my home. Over the next two years, my heart began to
soften toward this new life, but I still wasn’t content. It wasn’t until a few years later that I
allowed God to break down the walls I had put up, and I began to see I had
purpose for being there. I discovered
sometimes things you absolutely do not want to do are the most beneficial for
you.
For
example, when I was 14, my family and I moved to South Africa. The day we left the States was one of the
most emotional days I have ever gone through because I was reluctant to leave
my home for a country I knew little about.
I’m sure the plane traveled slower because I was dragging my feet so
hard. Once we arrived in South Africa,
we tried to start our new life. My
parents would push me to go to church, but I argued with them every time; I
wanted nothing to do with God anymore. I
stayed in my room the majority of the time, trying to show my parents that
moving to South Africa was something I did not want to do. I would constantly say, “My parents are the
missionaries, not me. Why do I have to
be here?” I was angry and bitter with
God, my parents, and this new change in my life.
I
began coming around to the fact that this was where we lived now. I began to
find things in South Africa that reminded me of home, which helped me cope with
living there. For instance, we got dogs like we had in the States, I began to
make friends, and I got involved in church again. I began to stop feeling like a complete
outsider although I was still angry on the inside with the move. I was still fighting with my parents, and I
harbored anger towards God but kept it hidden from my new friends. I was still seeing the move as a punishment;
I didn’t see how it could be beneficial.
However,
my attitude needed to change in order for me not to be miserable. After my family and I got back from a
visit to the States, I realized that the responsibility I had of planning games
for children at church was given to someone else. Things started to fall a part for me. I realized I had been going through the
motions for a long time. My mom always
told me, “You can accept the move and make the best of it, or you can fight
against it and be miserable the whole time.”
What she said finally clicked. I
had been fighting against the move this entire time, and I was miserable. I broke down asking God to forgive me and to
change my attitude. I felt so much peace
after that moment. My attitude changed,
and I could now see the good South Africa had to offer me. I have been able to travel to world famous
African landmarks. I have seen countless
African animals and endangered species; I have even held lion cubs. I have learned to respect other people’s ways
and cultures and to appreciate running water.
South Africa is now my second home.
Without moving to South Africa, I could not have had the experiences
that have molded me into the person I am today.
Being
pushed out of your comfort zone helps grow you, even if you might not see it at
first. I did not want to live in another
country. It took me 3 years to finally
let go of my stubbornness and open my heart to whatever God had for me. I thought God only called my parents to be
missionaries, not me, but He had a plan for me as well. Now I’m back in the States, which was a hard
decision because my family is still in South Africa. However, I’ve learned that the hard things in
my life can be beneficial for me, depending on my attitude and not my
circumstances. Whether I’m in South Africa or in the States, I now know that
things I don’t want are sometimes the things that can teach me more about life
and mold me.
