Thank you for coming back

I have been gone from Uganda for 3 weeks.  I went to the US for a few days and then to Bolivia for 2 weeks.

When I returned, an interesting thing happened to me.  Several people greeted me and this is how the conversation went:

Them:  Hello, Jessica.

Me:  Hello, __________.

Them:  How are you? 

Me:  Fine.  How are you?

Them:  Fine.  How is there? 

Me:  Great.  How is here?

Them:  Great.  Thank you for coming back.

"Thank you for coming back."  That statement was said many times.  "for coming back."  It makes me think of why they say that.  Have they seen so many Americans come and never return that the ones that return are the exception?  Yes.

It makes me think that I don't want to be part of that group, that leaves and never returns.  I want to come back, to keep making a difference here.  Even if one day God calls me somewhere else, I want to always come back here to these people, to continue this relationship.