Seasons in the... Sun? (my cheeziest blog post title yet!!)

Sometimes, living in South America makes me a little disoriented (to say the least!).  What I mean is that Canadians learn to live life through the seasons, and you look forward to each of the four seasons for different reasons.  I loved winter because it meant breaking out my cozy sweaters and my ice skates.  Spring brought fresh breezes, the joy of the snow melting and adventures awaiting as the days get longer.  Summer meant making the best use of warm days to hang out at the lake, go on road trips, and BBQs in the back yard; and fall meant a return to routine, and the smell of the falling leaves.  These are things that I admit I miss from Canada, and one reason is because they marked the passing of time and my movement through the year. 

Now here I am in South America.  I am close enough to the equator that the sun basically rises and sets at the same time.  Every day.  There is a dry season and a rainy season, but they both just feel like “summer” to me.  Right now it’s “fall” in Canada, but here the leaves remain green and intact.  I know that if I feel like it, I could go to the beach and it will probably be sunny and hot no matter what day I choose, whether in July or January.  And there is no need to consult ‘The Weather Network’ or even discuss the weather with strangers….it’s basically always the same.  These are things I love about living in Venezuela! But good grief, it makes it difficult to mentally pass through the year!  As a Canadian who has arrived into Latin America a little later in life, I think it’s one of those things that might always be hard to get my head around. 

But I’m thankful that this past July and August, I was able to have quite a distinct “summer” season.  Stacy came down to visit and we started out with a bang and a few days holiday in Aruba. Then a week and a half enjoying the ups and downs of life in Caracas.  The day after she left, I was off to Mexico City for our field retreat and it was so good to be together once again with others serving with the C&MA in Latin America.  Plus I saw some of the sights in Mexico City and even got in a trip to Sears and Walmart!  Shortly after getting back, the Hieberts and I welcomed a short term team from Abbotsford for 2 weeks and had some really great experiences including a 4 day VBS at the international church here in Caracas.  And just like that, “summer” is over.  With holidays and VBS, it actually almost felt like a summer in Canada!  But now here I am looking out my window and the perpetual summertime continues…although life moves onto other things as kids get ready for back-to-school and I start planning for the next 4 months.   I think it’s as good a time as any to remember the consistency that God brings to my life.  He is never-changing, always-present and ever-faithful, and no matter if you live in the north or the south, that is a good anchor to hold on to.