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Occasional thoughts on faith and every day life in Michigan and overseas
Ruth's Reflections


Going Back to Normal: Lessons from Re-entry
I keep hearing people talk about things “going back to normal” soon. Spoiler alert: I don’t think we’re going to back to normal. I...
ruthlemmen
May 10, 2021


My Re-entry Good List
Re-entry is hard, in many ways even harder than living overseas. In re-entry, you are trying to sort out a massive change in identity,...
ruthlemmen
Aug 27, 2020


Often the Stranger
A couple weeks ago, I read “Never the Stranger” by Kate Kooyman on The Twelve blog about not just offering, but receiving hospitality. ...
ruthlemmen
Mar 13, 2019


You Know You Live in China When
There’s a metaphor in cross-cultural training that goes something like this: your home culture is a yellow culture and has yellow ways to...
ruthlemmen
Jun 22, 2018


Staying, Leaving, and Loud Emotions
There is a familiar rhythm to this time of year in the expat world: it is saying goodbye time. Many people conclude their time overseas...
ruthlemmen
Jun 9, 2018
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