According to Sofia one of the reasons that our family has close relationships is the separation due to our calling.  She has a point.  Since we only get to see each other once a year or twice, if we get lucky, we try our best to be civil and kind during that short time.   Thus PD warns me, “Try not to nag too much, Honey.” for the time we have together is too short even for the good stuff.  As for the kids, they also know that they need to use the limited time to the fullest.  Therefore this visit was the same as any other time.  When we got home, PD changed Sofia’s tires, got Noah’s car inspected for the Emissions test, placed nice mats on his new used car.  Surely they can do all those things by themselves, but it definitely is comforting to have your dad around to do all those burdensome yet necessary things once in a while.
So by contrast, if our family lives under one roof and together all the time, we might not be this way.  While we were preparing for the message, we found these words in a commentary, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”  So true!  The Jews rejected Jesus because He was their own.  The Gentiles, and the people from farther places have more open hearts than His home crowd.  To them He was a son of Mary and Joseph whom they were familiar with.  Just like that we too take for granted those familiar people.  Somehow my parents are not as cool as the others.  Somehow my siblings are not as valuable as the others.  Somehow my kids are not as smart or delightful as the others. Someone else’s lawn is always greener than mine.  The grass is always greener on the other side.
In the case of the Father, it is pretty similar.  If He comes to see us from far away Heaven once every ten years, we would wait for Him desperately with all our attention for that encounter.  However He is too close, let alone right inside of us.  Thus it is so easy for us to take Him for granted and be indifferent toward Him.  But that is exactly how the Jews and the home crowd missed the long waited Messiah right under their nose.  They were too familiar with Him.  Familiarity bred contempt.
In the SICAP Center we lived with the same old people for sixteen years.  Obviously the students graduate yearly, but they are still part of the SICAP Family.  PD and I’ve had a 24/7 kind of living arrangement.  All those years, one thing we have learned…  These familiar people need the most attention, concern, and respect.  Because they are the ones who will come to my rescue when I fall into a pit and call for help.  Not those who look so cool when you see them once in a while for they would be too far away to hear your cry.  In the mission field by living with the same old same old, we have learned that familiarity breeds security, comfort, endurance, and consistency.
For that reason our SICAP family is the best.  For that reason our kids are the coolest.  For that reason our Home Church is the most wonderful.  For that reason the Father who dwells right inside of us day in and day out is the Best Father in the world.   

From Missionary Ruth’s Heart
December 16, 2012

“Re-entry Shock” is a term to explain the culture shock when missionaries come back home after many years in the mission field. We too definitely are going through it. Since we left home, Samar Island, on November 1st, we have been living out of suitcases for 10 days in Seoul, Korea, 10 days in LA, California, now in Columbia, Maryland. Thus my body and heart are trying so hard to adjust to each time zone, weather and culture. Though my previous experiences tell me eventually my body will get used to whatever changes it faces, the issues of my heart are a totally different matter.
This past Thanksgiving was the first holiday get-together in nearly six years.  That evening when all the food was spread out, I was literally shocked by the amount of food we had on the table.  Automatically my mind was racing to Samar and the gathering we just had a month ago.  For the 20th anniversary celebration of the SICAP Ministry, we had to feed close to 90-100 people for almost a whole week. Beginning with Sunday dinner to Saturday breakfast, seventeen meals altogether we spent $2,000 which also included two whole roasted pigs. Does it mean that the cost of food is much cheaper in Samar?  Actually it is pretty comparable with the food price here except rice.  Then how did we do it?  Tons of rice with one side dish usually in the form of soup or stew which contains meat and vegetables.  However, even that one dish meal is far better than our people usually have at their homes. By contrast, on the Thanksgiving table we had almost ten different kinds of food which were cooked by four different families.
I guess the natural part of the re-entry shock is to compare constantly between where you came from and where you are now.  But I usually don’t verbally express it because a few years ago I learned a lesson.  I kept saying every time we had gathering, “I can’t believe you guys throw these things away (meant disposable plastic utensils).  In Samar we would use these for years.”  Then Sofia got tired of it and said, “Mom, don’t say things like that.  You can make people here very uncomfortable.” Therefore although I won’t say anything, in my mind, I am immediately estimating how many people I can feed with this much food.  How long could these disposable utensils last in Samar ?  I even think about our dogs and cats which can be fed for days with all the fruit peels, bones and leftover food. The difficult part is that we live the re -entry lifestyle back and forth  constantly.  After a couple months of plenty and comfort here, we need to re-enter back to the other life style in Samar again in January.
Hence how do we deal with these often head spinning encounters? Consequently over the years, we have learned to rely on things that remain perpetual like this enduring body of Christ we call our home church and its familiar faces.  Around next March when we move most of our possessions from Samar to Southern California, our lives will again go through topsy-turvy moments.  Nevertheless we will keep on looking upward for our Father and eastward for our Family.

From Missionary Ruth’s Heart
December 2, 2012