Two weeks ago, I was able to do something I’ve never done
before: welcome a friend from Central America here in my hometown of Grand
Rapids. Guissell Brenes Paz, who I’ve
lived with in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is staying with me and my family
until the first week of March. My
job? To make sure she gets the most out
of these next few weeks. Christian
Reformed World Missions and the Micah Center are keeping her plenty busy with
volunteering in the community and recruiting for abroad opportunities. What free time she has is filled with
whatever random thing I throw her way :) Yesterday it was a tea party with my
grandparents; last weekend it was a Griffins hockey game downtown; the week
before we went galavanting in our snow covered woods and built a snowman. Each day is an adventure of its own.
Guiss’ presence here with me has also surprised me with a
few things—for one, I get to see West Michigan with new eyes and realize just
how weird a planet this one is. For
example, a few days ago Guiss had her first experience with static electricity. While shopping, my coat brushed against her
hand and gave her quite the buzz. I
never knew how hard it is to explain the concept of static electricity to
someone who’s never heard of it before!
She avoided my coat from then on, not believing me when I told her it
wouldn’t shock her again. She’s also
noticed a few quirks of West Michigan culture that I never really appreciated
before: In and Out doors at the bigger stores, the relative monotony of house
colors, the excessive amount of loud and obnoxious commercials, the diversity
of race and ethnicity, the abundance of brick buildings, the oppressive nature
of winter and cloud-filled skies, the shock your body goes through every time
it leaves and enters a building or car, the large number of two-parent families
and older couples, and the beauty of hot water bottles and hot coffee and thick
sweaters. I wish you all could have seen
the glee on her face the first time she played in the snow, or the look of awe
she had on an overcast day looking out at snow-covered fields—“This is the most
white my eyes have ever seen, Kelsey! I
might go blind!”
Having Guiss here has also taught me another valuable
lesson: the concept of hosting (versus the concept of being hosted). I tell you what, being a host is hard work! Usually, I’m the one being hosted (which
comes with its own set of responsibilities and procedures). Being the hostess on this one is throwing me
for a loop—knowing how much I should translate for her, when I should invite
her to random things like grocery shopping or going to a family get-together, making
sure she’s getting enough sleep and food to eat, helping her understand U.S.
culture more, making sure I show her the fun things about West Michigan like
the Van Andel Arena and apple cider and Lake Michigan. There’s just so much we can do! Hosting Guiss makes me feel like a tour guide,
a tourist, a sister, and a chauffer all at once. Those are big roles to fill—I hope I can pull
it off for Guiss :)
Stay tuned!
