Walking in Their (lack of) Shoes

The idea: Walking in Their (lack of) shoes—go one week without shoes to start conversations about Living Stones and Trek for Transportation on June 7^th—Let’s walk so they can ride! A 4k run/walk to raise funds to maintain the vehicle for Living Stones.

My sisters commented, “But isn’t that just bringing attention to you, not them?” ouch “Maybe it is. Maybe it is just me trying to connect the disconnect I feel between here and there. It rubs me that I am here and not there. And there they don’t have shoes. They don’t have vehicles. They don’t have what they need.”

It is about me. I miss how Brazil made me feel—like I was making a difference. Like I was on the ground floor of something really important with kids I really loved. And I want to be there again, feeling that. And I don’t know how to bring that feeling to the USA, in this lifestyle, in this culture.

I live on less. I give. I serve in local ministries. I am involved with my church. I am involved with helping people. But it isn’t the same. What does a missionary do when they return home? We are still working for and with Living Stones, but we are in the US. And we don’t know if we will be “official missionaries” yet, so we aren’t on furlough. We are in some unlabeled middle. And the ambiguity is stifling.

We are working normal jobs, living normal lives, but I feel like I have my missionary supersuit on under my clothes, and it itches.  No one else is really sure what to do with us—are we just going to leave again? Do they still support us? Do they just treat us like their normal friends since we are living like everyone else? How am I not normal?
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Day 1 without shoes: No one noticed. Went shopping and out to eat. Not a word.

Day 2: Spoke in church about the Trek. No one said a thing about me doing it barefoot. Finally, one of the kids asked me why I didn't have shoes on in Sunday school. I was elated. Another kid piped up, “I noticed too, but didn’t say anything because I didn’t know if I could or not.” You can. You please, please can.