Going it Alone

I have officially been here in Chile almost five weeks now-hard to believe a month has already passed! Many things have gotten much easier for me in the past month, like speaking Spanish, finding my way around the city, and interacting with my host family. I think my up-tight personality has been really stretched and changed by living in a country where, "Time is free" instead of in one where, "Time is money." I think that's why I love travel so much--it stretches me to understand the way others think and forces me to find a new, more flexible, status quo.

However, some things have gotten harder with time. Right now I am struggling with my spiritual life. I still haven't found a church or Bible study group that I like, and honestly haven't been looking too hard because I am so socially exhausted all the time from trying to make Chilean friends that I never have energy for anything extra. I have been told that being away from a church group that always encourages me will be really good for my faith, that it is important to learn to grow in the Lord without others influencing you and constantly providing you with ready-made devotionals and sermons. However, I'm not really sure I know how to go it alone with God--isn't that sad?

In the past I have found it easy for my travels to become spiritual break times. I'm sure everone has experienced this before. Even if you're in a good routine of spending time in the Bible, its easy to let that slide when your routine is changed. Now that I've found my cultural feet I feel its past time for me to be settling into a rhythm with God. But where is he? I can't seem to find him! I ask him to keep me safe when I'm lost on a bus on the wrong side of town, I thank him for Andes mountain vistas, but where is my God, my friend, my rock? I'm going it alone with God down here, but at the moment it feels more like just going it alone.