I Claim 0 On My Taxes (Dependent)

I have been meaning to write this for a while. This post is a little more personal than most. It is much harder for me to write because it means being more open than I typically like to be. However, what has happened here in South America is too important not to share.

As some of you may know, college has been a tough time for me in my walk of faith. I have encountered countless road blocks that have really made me question what I believe in. I was extremely fortunate to grow up in such a fostering environment at my home church. It was a place where we all came as we were to learn and grow together. I have not been able to find the same sense of togetherness yet in college which has been an added source to my wavering faith.

One thing I was really looking forward to doing on this trip was trying to reestablish a relationship with God. The time away from an unhealthy spiritual environment seemed like the perfect opportunity to reconnect. What I have witnessed has been incredible.

I have frequently written about the amazing people we have met along our journey that have helped us out. At first, we kept saying, “Wow, we are sooo lucky to have met these people” but soon, I realized it was not luck. These people were too perfectly placed, exactly where we needed them, time and time again for it to be luck.

This entire journey, God has placed exactly who needed right into our laps to keep us safe.

Chris helped us get around the city of Cartagena, he gave us travel tips and helped us exchange our money. 

The Chilean girls told us about the airline Avianca and saved us a 22 hour bus ride. 

The guy on the bus found us a safe taxi to take late at night in Quito, and made sure he wouldn’t charge us too much. The taxi driver found us a hostel in the safe part of town and made sure they had open rooms before leaving us. 

The lady at the travel agency, Alex ,“Mom”, arranged for our tour guide to pick us up at our hostel. She went to eat with us and made sure Jeremy had the right food to make him get better. She gave us safety tips for the buses and subways and told us about a bus line to take through Peru.

The couple who made sure we got on the right bus and off at the right time. They also made sure that we knew how to get back to our hostel.

Roberto gave us bananas before our bike ride down Cotopaxi and helped us with our Spanish. 

Pancho, Joanse, and Gioco helped us hitchhike to where we needed to be, walked us to the bus terminal, asked about tickets, found a better busline, walked us there and waited for the bus to come before they left us. 

Jeff and Deb gave us valuable information to ensure a safe arrival in Bolivia and are meeting us at the border to help us cross. These are just the big things, there have been countless other people who have been unbelievably helpful.

Jeremy and I were talking about this and he said it really well. He was saying how at home, it is really easy to feel independent. We are off at college, living on our own, working and getting by ourselves. It isn’t until we are placed in a city where we don’t know anybody and we don’t know how to get around that we realize how truly dependent we still are. We constantly rely on those around us to help us out. It just isn’t as obvious back home as it is here. In reality, back home I am extremely dependant on those around me. I depend on my parents for fiscal and emotional support. I depend on my friends and family to help me through tough times and to share in the good ones too. I depend on the University to provide me with education. I depend on my residence hall and caf to provide me with safety and nourishment. The list goes on.

Moreover, we are always dependent on God to help us out. We may not realize the people he places in our lives at home because very rarely do they come out of nowhere to save us like they have here. Or maybe in some ways they do but we are too caught up in our own sense of independency to realize how much they helped. For example, maybe you’re running late for something, and you need to stop and pick something up at the store quick. When you get to the check out, you are stuck behind the person with a huge load of groceries. However, they turn around and tell you to go ahead of them. This extra time allows you to get to where you need to be in the nick of time.

 Now, I realize that’s a little different than meeting a group of 3 people who help you safely hitch hike from city to city and wait with you in the sketchy part of town to make sure you get on your bus alright but I think it’s the same premise. In both scenarios, people went out of their way to help someone else out for no real obvious gain at the exact moment they needed help. It could be everyday Good Samaritans. It could be luck but I’ve been too “lucky” these past 2 weeks here and the past 20 years back home to not acknowledge the blessings God has put in my life.