Doubts

Lately, I have been having doubts.  I've doubted whether or not I could really do this.  I'm not exactly the adventuring type - I don't even like to go on vacation.  Why would I go to Kenya?  I'm not really good with people - there are days that I don't even like people.  How am I going to do life and ministry with people from a different culture?  After 35 years of practice I've still not completely mastered English - how will I be able to learn Swahili?  Life here is comfortable and we are happy - why are we packing up our family and moving to Africa?  The list of doubts goes on and on and the journey ahead seems really hard and a little bit crazy.

Today at Bible study the teacher talked about how Lazarus had been dead and in a tomb for four days when Jesus finally came and instructed him to "Come forth" and Lazarus got up and came forth!  Our Bible study teacher pointed out that since Lazarus was dead he had no power of his own to come forth.  Lazarus didn't do anything special nor did he possess special skills that allowed him to conquer death.  Lazarus rose from the dead because his Lord called him and told him to do it.  It was the power of Jesus' call to Lazarus that allowed him to rise from the dead.

I've known that I need Christ in me to do what God has called me to do, but in my mind I thought it was Jesus + me.  Christ alone gave Lazarus life!  It wasn't Jesus + Lazarus.  It was Jesus alone.

Right now I'm feeling a lot like dead man Lazarus.  I don't have much to offer and don't really know what I'm doing or how I'm going to do it.  But today I'm leaning hard on the God who has called us to Kenya and trusting that the very same God who breathed life into ordinary Lazarus' dead corpse will accomplish His purposes in and through our ordinary lives.  I'm trusting that with God's call comes His provision and His power!

I may need some of you to remind me of this a few months down the road when I'm in the throes of culture shock and wondering how I will survive. 

Frequently Asked Questions - Part 3

Most of the questions we get are predictable and we were prepared to answer them, but we were initially caught off guard by what is probably the most common question we are asked.  The conversation is usually with someone who does not know us well and it follows a predictable series of questions that goes something like this:

"You're moving to Africa?"

"You have four kids?"

"Are you taking them with you?"

I'm pretty sure the people asking these questions think it is crazier to take four kids to Africa than it would be to go without them.

So just to make sure we are perfectly clear...



4.  Are you taking your kids with you?

yes

Frequently Asked Questions - Part 2

2.  How long are you staying?

We are moving to Africa indefinitely.  Our initial two years will be through World Medical Mission's "Post Residency Program" (a branch of Samaritan's Purse).  WMM helps us establish ourselves in Kijabe over the course of a 2-year period just after the completion of Erik's formal training.  We then have the opportunity to transition to a long-term mission sending organization.  We are very grateful to have the chance to to work with Serving In Mission (SIM) which has allowed us to begin making plans for continuing with them after our time with WMM is completed.  We plan to make Kenya home.

3.  What will the kids do for school?

We are so excited that the kids will be able to attend Rift Valley Academy.  RVA is a boarding school that serves missionary families throughout Africa.  It is located just up the hill from the hospital and our children will be able to attend as a day school.  We are so thankful that they will be in a Christ-centered school with a diverse student population.

Frequently Asked Questions - Part 1

We are going to be using the next few blog posts to answer some of the many questions we've been asked about our move to Kenya.  Feel free to add your questions in the comments section as well!

1. What will your housing be like?

Our housing will not be very different from what we are used to in the US.  The housing is quite modern and we will have running water and electricity (most of the time).  We do not know exactly where we will be living, but all of the physicians' housing is within a very short walk to the hospital.  We will likely be in a duplex or an apartment of some type.

Here is a picture of the apartment Erik and I stayed in when we visited last year.

An update

I know it seems that we've disappeared, but we're still here!  We are enjoying Nashville and a slower pace of life.  We are really enjoying having Erik home most nights and weekends and the kids are loving that they can spend more time with Daddy.

We're continuing to prepare for our move to Kenya and are trying not to get overwhelmed by all that we need to get done before we leave in a few short months.  We have a long "to do" list that lingers over us during our "free" time.

We have a week of orientation with World Medical Mission coming up in late August and are eager to learn more about this wonderful program that we will be affiliated with for the first two years we are in Kenya.  We will also have a week of orientation with Serving in Mission (SIM) in November as they will be our sending organization after we complete our initial two years with World Medical Mission.

We are also planning our "goodbye tour" the last two weeks of November where we can go to Texas and say goodbye to family and friends before we catch a plane from DFW to Nairobi at the end of November.  

We are so thankful for our family and friends that continue to encourage us in so many ways and are so thankful for your prayers.  Please pray for our kids as the reality of this is starting to hit them and they are very nervous about all the "unknowns" that are ahead of us.  

Graduation!

Today we celebrated Erik's graduation from 29th grade. He has participated in many graduations in his life.
Here are pictures from a few of them.

Kindergarten:  I really love the tie and the brown pants!

Undergraduate

Medical School

Tonight Erik was honored for completing his pediatric surgery fellowship. The department hosted a lovely dinner and we enjoyed having family in town to celebrate with us.  We are all so proud of him!

Home??

Two years ago we received a BIG surprise when found out we had a new baby and we brought him home from the hospital six days before we moved from Nashville to Birmingham.  Our Nashville friends really became the hands and feet of Christ as they came and brought food, packed and loaded our home, and cleaned  our house so we could keep it on the market.  I don't really remember much about those days, but I remember standing around with a newborn strapped to me just watching people pack boxes, move furniture and love on us in such a tangible way.  As we were going to bed that last night before we moved, Erik and I recounted all that our Nashville friends had done and were still doing to serve our family and we talked about how hard it would be to leave these friends who had become family to us.  I certainly couldn't imagine Birmingham becoming a home to us like Nashville had become home.

When we drove into Birmingham the next day we got lost trying to find our house and we continued to get lost EVERY time we left home for several weeks.  Even if I wasn't physically lost in this city, I sure did feel lost.  I had four kids ages five and under and we didn't know anyone.  I resented that Erik got to go to work and I was left wandering around this strange city - feeling lost.  It was also hard for us to adjust because we knew we'd only be here for two years and I didn't think that was enough time for this city to begin to feel like home for us. 

Here I am two years later with a house full of boxes as we prepare to move back to Nashville for a few months.  Once again I am amazed at the wonderful friends who are serving us and blessing us.  Friends that are partnering with us in ministry, friends that are helping with kids so I can pack, friends that are bringing food for us and friends that are committing to love on our family even when we are across the globe.  Somehow this city I was determined not to get too attached to has become home.  I'm not sure when it happened or how it happened, but I've grown to love the community that God placed us in during these two years and part of me isn't quite ready to leave it behind.

It is a bittersweet move as we leave behind one home to return to our former home.  We are looking forward to catching up with precious friends in Nashville and know that they will be a great source of encouragement to us as we prepare to make our new home in Kenya.

God has provided for us in amazing ways as we have journeyed with Him one step at a time and we are so thankful for the many friends who have loved us well along the way.