The Muck

We have now been back in China for six days and have done, at last count, absolutely nothing.  There are reasons for this, the first being jet-lag, the second being a rather nasty stomach bug that consumed all our vital organs and left us wrung out, sweat-drenched, and praying for death.  Almost literally.
But, to be honest, I'm not feeling motivated, and I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's because our thoughts are still in America, with the people we love so dearly and miss more than ever.  We had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends, and for the first time, we're discussing the possibility of life when we return to America, several years down the road.  Has that (along with the aforementioned circumstances) taken the wind out of our sails?  Is it the prospect of another semester like the last, the kind that had us running off our feet every day from dawn until an hour too unseemly to mention?  Is it the disappointments, like some difficult relationships we've encountered or the Seekers who have come so close only to choose against the Truth?  Or is it the constant battle for balance, for creating a home in an un-home-ly place, for raising a child and educating him, for doing the best job teaching English as we possibly can, for learning one of the most difficult languages on earth, for trying to put each God-given talent in the most useful place?  Or is it simply the Dreaded Culture Shock, catching up with us at last?
Most likely, it is all of these things, culminating in a big ole mental block.  The kind that's more of an insurmountable mountain ringed with barbed wire than a simple little red-brick structure.  Perhaps if we were feeling all the way better, or perhaps if we'd had a few more days before being thrown into the teaching ring again, or perhaps if the Seeker we were so hopeful for had found support in her family....
People who do the Work we do are often held up on pedestals, expected to overcome all obstacles known to man with a toothy smile firmly in place.  I am taking a chance here by admitting less than perfection.  We usually begin each semester with boundless enthusiasm, and instead, here we are, slogging through hip-deep mud.
So.  We covet your prayers.  We ask that you remember us and ask God to wash away the muck we're entrenched with so that we can clearly see His plan for us this semester.