Georgia On My Mind

Titso with her favorite pal Joelle in Brussels.

Something I really like about living over here are all the people I meet from so many different countries. Sometimes I don't take an interest in the news because it is about another city in another place that I have no relation to. However, after living in Europe, oftentimes I now have a friend or acquaintance that I think of when a city is in the news and it makes it so much more personal. This week I am thinking of our friend Titso who we know from church. She is from Georgia (the country, not the state). Titso came to Brussels nine years ago to try and find a better life. She only speaks broken English so we are not sure of her whole story, but it seems like she has had a really hard life and yet she keeps going. She is willing to do any type of work and shies away from any handouts of charity. It broke my heart to think of her when I heard that war had broken out between Georgia and Russia. For months, Titso has been planning a trip back to Georgia for this Thursday. While there, she was going to get to see her granddaughter, whom she hasn't seen for the last nine years. Now, I am not sure if she will be able get home and it makes me so sad for her.

I had been a little homesick recently and hearing stories like Titso's always reminds me of just how appreciative I should be that we are to be able to afford the time and money it costs to make a trip home, no matter how short or long a time it is between visits.