Of Family and Friends

A migrant's life can be very exciting indeed!

When me, my wife and our daughter made that bold move of moving to a land I called "the ends of the earth," we were not as scared as the others because my wife's siblings are there and they have already been established in Auckland (having been in NZ for about 7 years already). They just bought their own house, got a car and a van for transport, have stable jobs, and have a strong network of friends.

And indeed, Joy and Jerry (my wife's brother) have helped us a lot to make our stay not at all traumatic. We felt at home immediately. And indeed if you have a support system as strong as that, you won't really be scared. Our first two months in Auckland was full of excitement, adventure, and everything new (even how you cross the street in Queens St, is exciting).

It was made more exciting when we transferred to our newly rented house. We were like newly married couples starting our new life, in a very new environment. We look at the rooms which looked even more spacious because there was nothing in it (not even a bed or a dresser or a side table). It was good that my sister in law gave us the necessary things to start with, otherwise we would have taken our meals with our bare hands (now isn't that exciting).

So, here we are, barely able to adjust to the new life in Auckland, with our new jobs, and our new house. I am not certain if I was excited because there were so many things to buy, or because we have no idea where we would get the money to buy it. Our preacher this morning told us that we have a great inheritance, but we must move to claim it and enjoy our possessions. We are rich, or so he says. But I cannot seem to reconcile that with the nothingness that our empty house aptly symbolizes.. That emptiness is even greater in our pockets and bank accounts. Rich, duh.

So I was neither emotionally nor psychologically, not even philosophically ready when one of our newfound friends called us up. I was never prepared for the excitement of my life, when a member of our homegroup called and offered with so much humility, "I'm moving to a new flat and I won't be bringing most of my things. Why don't you come and take the things you need, like washing machine, bed, lounge, even the TV." 

Just like that! And with my voice quivering with shame and excitement I asked the most stupid question one can ask in a situation such as that…"How much?" And even before I have finished, I already regretted I've even uttered them. What a way to respond to such generosity! But then again, I really don't know how to respond to situations like that. 

Indeed, a migrant's life can be so exciting. But it is made much more exciting by those people who are always there to offer a helping hand. And then I realize, yes, we are rich, indeed, because we have them - our family and friends.