On Being Stretched, Molded and Shaped

When we decided to come the USA, we had a certain picture in our minds as to what it would be like. Without going into too much detail, now that we're here, the reality is very different. It's not really how I had imagined it at all. Here are some things that I wasn't expecting or thought would be different:

• Money. I thought we would have more of it. I knew what my salary would be before I took the job, but I didn't take the time to investigate the incredibly complex US tax system. I'm sure I still don't fully understand the system, but it turns out that because I am on a J1 visa I am classed as a non-resident alien for the first two years of being here, which would be fine if I were here on my own. But being a nonresident means that Amy and I cannot file our income tax as a married couple or claim any dependents; so we are getting taxed at a much higher rate than I expected. The university admin are working on getting this changed to an H1B visa, which would make us residents provided we're here for more than half the year. I guess I should have looked into it a bit more thoroughly before coming here, but I trusted that the University's International Student and Scholar Services knew what they were doing. I suppose they didn't consider the full ramifications of a J-visa for my situation.
• Transport. Altogether Minneapolis and St Paul have a population of about 3 million. To serve these 3 million people the twin cities have one train line. There are buses as well, but they are fairly infrequent (and some routes don't even run on Sunday). I found this really surprising for such a large metropolitan area. That has made it quite difficult for us because we are yet to get a car. We were hoping to get one and initially drive using our international driver's permits and Australian licenses, but the insurance rates were just too high for that to be a feasible plan. I'm currently working on getting my Minnesota license. Hopefully I can take the road test later this week. The car insurance rates are generally quite high ($80-200 per month depending on the coverage and the vehicle) here, but the car registration is much less than in Aus (<<$100), so I guess it evens out. The upshot of all this is that it's challenging for us to go anywhere more than a few miles from our apartment, which is a little sad. We are immensely grateful for those who have given us lifts when we needed them.
• Friends. I miss my Australian friends quite a lot. It's not that people here haven't been friendly; I just miss my old friends. I miss having people around me I know I can trust 100 %.
• Family. Similarly, I miss my siblings, parents and extended family. I miss my Church family as well. Skype is not really a substitute.

All these things combined have made the past few months not a little stressful and challenging. But the way I see it, being here is a time of training. Not only is it a time of training academically and professionally but also mentally and spiritually. It's a time when all the things that I have previously used to find security, whether it be money, friendship networks, family, even Church (which are all good in and of themselves) are taken away; a time when I am stretched, molded and shaped into the person God wants me to be. A time when I learn the hard way to find my security in Christ alone. A kind of spiritual boot camp.