Our Team Far From Home: Sarah

Our team shared some stories of times they’ve been far from home as we dive into the stories of God’s people on the move through our study Far From Home: Exploring Migration Stories in the Bible.

The first time I (Sarah) landed in Argentina, I was six months pregnant with my first baby. I was blown away by the hospitality shown to expecting mothers. I was shuffled to the front of the customs line, people gave up their seats on public transportation, and there was even an express line in the grocery store for those expecting!

When I returned to Buenos Aires, that baby was 3 months old, and our family would live there for almost half a year. It was hard. We stayed in a studio apartment, and my husband and I learned how to be parents in a foreign country.

I was lonely, and I worked for my job in the States every day from a local coffee shop that served me sparkling water after a cup of coffee. (I was thrown off for a while, but even now, I still like it!) I was accidentally accused of dining and dashing and I couldn’t defend myself because I didn’t speak the language well, so I just paid twice.

We spent almost every non-working hour walking the cobblestone streets, pushing our newborn daughter in a stroller. I walked all over that city, and I have so many special memories of our little family from that season.

I also hold onto the harder moments. I empathize with mothers in all walks of life who relocate and try to navigate culture and language while also raising kiddos. I remember nearly every kindness shown to me because I so often felt alone and invisible as the city bustled around me.

What may feel like small acts of welcome can mean the world to someone far from home. That was my experience.

So many of the Old and New Testament Bible stories we’ve read over the years are stories rooted in migration. It’s a layer of context we often forget as we breeze through the names and places these people of faith existed. But let’s get closer, let’s look again. Where’s God moving his people throughout history, and why? Download the 6-week Far From Home Bible study.