Mission Safari: The Next Chapter(s)

ICD P

I learned very quickly and painfully what these four letters signified at St. Mary's Hospital, the hospital where I will be teaching this year.  ICD P = Immune Compromised Disease, Positive or in its more familiar form ICD P = HIV positive.

I spent my first full day at the hospital today, doing rounds with another family doctor.  Out of the first 20 patients that we rounded on in the Women's Medical Ward, 17 were positive for this dreadful disease.  Their ages ranged from 13 to 57.  That's right, as young as 13 and as old as 57.  And the complications that they were suffering from ranged from Tuberculosis pneumonia to Cryptococcal Meningitis.  Unfortunately, the outpatient clinic was not much better.  At least 33% of the patients we saw today were infected with HIV.

To be quite frank it was depressing.  It was like walking into a war-zone.  The faces looked scared, old, and hopeless.  The stories of the infected were sometimes horrific - rape, prostitution, and marital infidelity.  I better understood 2 Peter 5:8 "the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Pray for these ladies.  Pray for hope in the Master. Pray for me.  Pray that I can learn as much as I can about HIV in the next several weeks.  Pray that I can not only minister through the practice of medicine, but also in the practice of mercy.

At Long Last...

At long last we are in Kenya. As we touched down on Kenyan soil Friday night, it was not unlike the feelings I have had crossing the line of a marathon. You are tired, hungry, sweaty, a bit sore, but oh, what a feeling of similtaneous exhiliration and relief. And this time, instead of finishing the race by myself, I finished it with the whole family.

Saturday, we woke up tired of course, but had an enjoyable time. After breakfast, we went to the Nakumatt to get a few necessaries. The Nakumatt is much like a WalMart. I venture to say that we will be there again, soon.

After that we went out to our new house. On the way there, Sam saw people standing along the roadside, cooking ears of corn over an open fire, and he said, "Oh, look, they are camping!" It was hilarious. Then, as we passed a few goats, again on the roadside of this busy road, he said, "Oh, I have never seen a real goat before!" All priceless, but indicative of the many "new" things that we are all seeing and experiencing.

When we arrived at the rental house, it was as if we were indeed home. I will write at greater length some other time about the house, but let's just say that Marti made a great choice, and God abundantly provided the means. We are grateful. The biggest surprise was the "discovery" of a guest wing (one room with full bath) that Marti did not see before. This of course was a blessing two-fold. It gives our prospective guests (there better be many!) a bit more privacy, and it gives me a "real" study, with a tremendous view of the yard. The yard is awesome with already planted grass, and landscaping, including 8 banana trees (2 with fruit already), 3 orange trees, and a passion fruit tree. We are delighted.

We are trying to take it easy. There is so much to process. It is weird for this to be home now, but not having an address, phone number, etc. We are trying to talk a lot as a family about what we are experiencing and how we see God working out the details for our new life. Please pray for us. We are so dependent on prayer.

This morning I was reading Hebrews 11:1 - "faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see." How true this is, especially as we begin our adventure here in Kenya. God has given us the faith to be sure and certain of those things that we were not able to "see" on the other side of the ocean. We have already been assured of His work in our lives. We have no reason to doubt that He will not be faithful in the days to come.

Tired, but in London

We arrived in London in one piece. We were only missing one piece of luggage but it has already been recovered. The kids didn't sleep well, so we only slept 1-2 hours. We are exhausted. We plan to go to bed around 6pm London time.

More later from a sleepy group.

God Answers Prayer...Always On Time

Well, if we had any doubts that God was in this "Kenya thing", the past 48 hours have removed those doubts. And not because it has been a "bed of roses" - in fact, far from it. But God has been near at hand.

Friday night we still had not sold our van. We were resigned to the fact that we would have to take it to CarMax Saturday and take a huge loss on it. At our farewell party Friday in Greenwood, our dear friends there, surrounded us for prayer. Prayer for the transition, for our health, travel, our kids, and the sale of the van. Saturday morning, we received a phone call (surprise, surprise!) from someone wanting to buy the van...at a much better rate than CarMax was willing to cough up. We were delighted. But God wanted us to know that He was active in this and we received a second phone call an hour later. Needless to say, the van is sold, our minds relieved, and the bank account better protected.

Tonight, to top off the craziness of last minute details, Sarah slipped awkwardly in the parking lot and hurt her foot. I was not here initially, but fifteen minutes after the injury, I arrived and examined. I was very concerned that she had fractured one of the bones in her foot. So concerned that I wanted to get an Xray immediately. This should raise an alarm for non-medical families. Most of the time, children of physicians wait on average of 5-7 days before the first xray is taken to confirm fractures. You get the picture.

Anyway, we were in Columbia at the hotel my parents reserved. I realized that it would actually be faster for me to drive to Newberry and get an Xray there than for us to go downtown in Columbia to wait in the ER and get the same film. Sarah was extremely distressed. She was so disheartened by this. She was saying "why is this the way I have to start my new life in Africa?" It was a good question. But on the way, we prayed. And we had Grandma and Grandpa pray. And we had her best friend pray. And we had her favorite Sunday School teacher pray. Again, you get the point.

Well, praise be to God, the Xray appears negative for fracture. I had two other doctors in Newberry take a look at the film. Her foot is bruised and sore, but it is not fractured.

So...if you had any doubts about whether God wanted us to go, just be reminded of the track record of God....He delights in answering prayer to bring Glory to Himself.

Just the Right Words from the Word

Today was our last Sunday at Cornerstone for a while. Although there were several hundred in attendance, it seemed that everything from the songs to the message were meant to encourage and edify us. Below is an email we get from a friend there who sends out a "play by play" on the service. May the words of the songs and message encourage you.

Cornerstone Choir sang "To Love Our God", by John Parker and Mark Hayes, based on Ecclesiastes 1 and 12. It begins sweetly, then introduces a lot of dissonance and discord before ending firmly, triumphantly:

Where does the wind come from? Where does it go? Blowing north then south, how does it know? The rain flows gently to the sea, yet the sea is never full. How can these things be? How can they be? Humanity works hard to make a name, toiling in the sun, yet nothing gained. We all return to dust from whence we came. All is empty, all is vain. To love our God, the reason we live; To love our God, the highest call. Nothing satisfies our soul, gives life meaning, makes us whole. For this purpose we were made... to love our God.

Our Scripture reading was from Isaiah 43:1-13, in which the prophet speaks of the future of Israel while facing captivity and exile.

Congregation sang "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms".

Marti Hutchison, leaving us tomorrow for Africa, sang "I Must Choose to Surrender":

There are things in this world God desires me to own. There are talents and treasures He has given me alone. But with every blessing I must choose to surrender each one to his will. O Lord, give me wisdom that I may clearly see that all I may own You have freely given me. For Your plan and purpose for me will not come true 'Til these things find their place in relation to You. All the things of this world such as silver and gold, He will not withhold. But if I may never in riches invest, I will trust Him to give me whatever is best. O Lord, give me wisdom that I may clearly see that all I may own You have freely given me. For my life's ambitions will never be complete 'Til these things find their place at the Savior's feet.

Pastor Rick asked Marti and Tim to stand, and we prayed for them, that He would bless them on this great adventure of serving Him, for safety, for protection, and that their efforts would multiply with eternal fruit that would last forever.

Pastor Rick began his message "Cornerstone Chapter 3" by giving a brief history of our congregation, from the first church in 1971 on St. Andrews Road, to meeting at Irmo Middle School in 1982 and the construction of our current building in 1985. Chapter 3 begins with Dutch Fork High School. Isaiah 43 speaks to this. He wrote at the end of Israel's Chapter 2. Chapter 1 was where God called Abraham, including slavery in Egypt. Chapter 2 begins with the Exodus, the conquest of the promised land, and the kings. In Isaiah's time, because of idolatry, Israel was moving from God's blessing to God's judgment. They would be overrun by the nation of Bab--on and exiled. All was not gloom and doom, however. God promised restoration and return.

God gave His people 3 promises in Isaiah 43. They have hope and comfort, not only for Israel, but for us as well.

3 promises - God promises to be with His people, God promises to gather His people, God promises not to disappoint His people.

God promises to be with His people - Is. 43 begins with "Thus says the Lord". Many times we would wish that we could hear from God directly, telling us what to do. Rick recounted the billboard advertising several years ago that seemed to be God speaking - "Have you read my Number 1 best-seller? There will be a test. God." Rick's favorite was "Don't make me come down there. God."

God speaks through the Bible. When Isaiah says "Thus says the Lord", we need to listen.

"Do not fear... I have called you by name; you are Mine!" Is. 43:1.

Actor Chuck Norris is best known as Walker, Texas Ranger. In his recently-released autobiography, Norris recalled his friendship with South Carolina political strategist Lee Atwater. Through this friendship, Norris was invited to a state dinner at the White House with Pres. George H.W. Bush. After the dinner, across a room full of people, Pres. Bush called out "Chuck!" Norris thought to himself "Who am I, that the President of the United States would know my name?" Yet that is what God says of us.

Soon after that, Atwater became a Christian, and then developed a fatal brain tumor. Norris saw Atwater shortly before his death. Atwater told Norris "Trust in the Lord, Chuck. I love you."

That's what God says to us. This was a wake up call to Norris.

"You are Mine! I know your name."

Of course, Christians do get burned, and they drown. God says "You belong to Me, and I love you, and I will set you on the other side, where everything will be OK."

In our new adventure called Chapter 3, God's word is comforting and assuring.

God promises to gather His people. After their exile, God told them "Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west." 43:5.

Only about 40,000 Jews returned to Jeru---em from Bab--on - not very many to rebuild a country. There was much uncertainty, but they had God's promises. Many of them were more comfortable in Bab--on, and chose to stay behind. Even today, the Jewish people are not many. What happened to God's promise?

God had something else in mind - "Every one who is called by My name..." vs. 7. He speaks of the church of Christ, today numbering about 2 billion people worldwide.

The application for us is that Cornerstone is included in this plan and promise. Last month we sent missionaries to Asia, and today to Africa - and to Dutch Fork High School to reach the thousands of people moving into Irmo north of I-26. Will we succeed? Absolutely - we have God's promise. He will gather His people. "Bring out the people who are blind..." vs. 8.

Rick told of a missions couple who witnessed an operation that literally restored sight to a blind woman. Her recovery took awhile, but then it came suddenly, and she threw her walking stick high in the air, and shouted "I can see! I can see!"

This is what God does, and will do for the people north of I-26, spiritually blind.

God promises not to disappoint His people - we all have disappointments. Many of us fear that being a Christian may be another disappointment. To this, Isaiah says:

There is no proof like seeing for yourself. "You are My witnesses... in order that you may know and believe Me..." vs. 10. The people in Isaiah's time were 700 years removed from the Exodus, but they were only 2 or 3 generations removed from exile to Bab--on, and then the return to Jerusalem. God says to them - and to us - "Be patient, and watch."

God has a corner on the god-market. Israel was placed in the middle of 3 of the strongest pagan religions of the ancient world - the Canaanites, Egyptians, and Babylonians. These idol gods are all dust and bleached bones now - Rick and Barb saw some of these last year. The same will be said of Al--h.

"Jesus saves" is not just a slogan. People have been trying to build bridges to God from Isaiah's time until now. Rick recalled that the city of Wheeling West Virginia built the first suspension bridge across the Ohio River in 1849. It was a technological marvel in its time, which lasted 5 years until a gale wind destroyed it.

"Every bridge that people try to build to God on their own ends up at the bottom as a twisted mass of wreckage. None of it works. But God has built a bridge. He sent His Son Jesus Christ." Is 43:25 speaks of this. "I will not remember your sins."

God pulls off His plan every time - "There is none who can deliver out of My hand. I act and who can reverse it?" 43:13.

In the Upstate of S.C. there is a thing called Stumphouse Tunnel. Originally designed as a railroad tunnel, they ran out of money during construction, leaving only a hole in the mountain.

"God never runs out of money. He never messes up."

"Trust Him, and He won't disappoint you."

As we begin to move out in our community in new ways, we do so with confidence because of who God is, and His promises to us.

As we trust our lives and families to Him, we can be confident God will take care of us, because He knows and loves us.

Rick prayed, asking God to open our eyes that we could see Him better, that He would bless our efforts beyond what we have ever seen before. He gave the benediction, the organ played, and we walked out under mostly sunny, beautiful skies.

Next week - we observe Communion at both campuses. Pastor Rick will speak on "Death Without a Whimper" from Mark 15:25-37.

Until then - "humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God... casting all your anxiety upon Him for He cares for you." I Peter 5:6-7.

To My Best Friend - Correction

+++I first have to publicly ask forgiveness from Sarah. I published the content of her letter without asking her permission first. I have deleted the quote from her letter. I also ask the forgiveness of the reader for publishing something without clearing it with my family+++

Have you ever wondered how an 11 year old girl processes going overseas to live, leaving her friends and things behind? The following is what my 11 year old daughter, Sarah, wrote to her best friend, Rachel, today as we tearfully said our goodbyes. They have been friends since they were toddlers.

Rachel,

{deleted per the request of my daughter}
Your best friend, Sarah.

Reading these words and then watching these two sweet, tender, innocent, godly girls express such a sweet and honest love for one another was heart-wrenching. I was blessed and brought to tears by the agape love that they both genuinely had for one another. If there had been a female example of brotherly (and sisterly) love like that between David and Jonathon, it certainly could have been based on the love that Sarah and Rachel have for one another. I truly believe that one of them would actually lay down their own life for the other.

And yet, I believe that these girls are only exhibiting what they have watched their own mothers demonstrate in their relationship with one another. It has been neat to watch Marti and Leanne grow in their own relationship the past year. This past month has been especially wonderful to watch each of them demonstrate their gifts of love.

Today was indeed a very emotional day of good byes. There is a temptation to not want to get emotional because the intensity can be painful, but there is also a peace and comfort that results in bringing proper closure to special relationships.

I am sure that the crying and tearing has not yet reached its threshold, but I say "let's roll!"

48 hours

Stay up late from the dinner and prayer party with our closest friends and supports. Wake up late. Tired. Put Sam in front of TV. Rest on couch. Finally get up with phone rings. We have one hour unit lunch. Check emails. Agree to car sale over phone. East Breakfast Burritos together at Keelers House. Print out Bill of Sale. Divert my folks to come through Greenwood SC. Work to organize suitcases. Say more goodbyes as more folks stop by. Send all the boys out into the woods. Girls go off somewhere to talk. A round of vaccinations given; I give to Marti, Sam, Sarah, and Ben while Sarah gives me my injection. Parents arrive with larger truch to haul the luggage to Columbia. Finish packing bags. Another family stops to say their good byes (more tears). Load up the vans. Begin saying our most difficult good byes to date - To Marti's best friend and to Sarah's best friend. I am brought to tears feeling a responsibility for this adventuresome move.

Travel in relative silence to Columbia. Meet my brother and family there. The kids play, but somewhat subdued. We order and pck up McAlisters Deli. As we wait, we say good bye to our very close Kenyan friends - the family that God used to strongly show us the convinction of this call. They leave, making promises to visit next year. We eat ravenously (we forgot to stop for lunch). I put the kids to bed. Mart goes to be as well. I go to the lobby to spend time with my folks. And now finally we are here for bed.

These are the types of things that one does 48 before he leaves home, family, and country.

This is what missionaries do

Two Extractions

Our busy day did not go so smoothly. Rather than bore you with the details, let me just use two words to describe the essence of the day..."Painful Extraction."

The first extraction was a "wallet extraction." My interaction with CarMax was less than hoped for. I was told that because of "possible engine sludge" the van was only in "Fair" condition. That bumped us into negative equity on the loan. The wallet extraction will be uncomfortable but is unfortunately unavoidable at this 11th hour. It is a very painful reminder of the downside of borrowing money for a vehicle.

The second extraction was totally unexpected as well. It was a double wisdom tooth extraction for my beloved (and now miserable) wife. The 5 of us went to the dentist. All 3 of the kids were "worried" about whether they had cavities. Alas they did not. In fact they have "wonderful" teeth. I escaped unharmed as well. But poor Marti....she had some problems with her upper wisdom teeth and was advised to have them extracted before leaving so as to not run into problems emergently. This too ended up being unavoidable.

Well, I guess if you have read to this point you wanted to be bored with the details. Thanks for your concern (and hey, wipe that silly smile off your face - smirking at our misfortune....)

5 Days to Go

Only 5 days left in the America. And what a busy day it is going to be.

After I finish my 15 hour shift in Augusta, I am going back to the hotel and checking out. I will then drive back to Columbia to meet Marti. We will switch vehicles and I will then go over to CarMax to get a price quote on how much they will pay for our van. We really need a lot of prayer that it will be a fair and FAVORABLE price.

We will then grab a bite to eat in Columbia and then travel back to Newberry where we have a few errands to run. After this we will enjoy the rest of the afternoon at the dentist. We are so excited about this.

From there we will travel back to Greenwood and get the kids ready for bed. Then Marti and I will get ourselves ready to get up at 5:30am on Thursday to travel over to Atlanta to go through our "exit interview" at MTW. And then, and then, and then.....

The Last Day of Summer

As the sun set for the day, it marked the end of summer here in the United States; when we wake up in the morning it will be the first day of Fall. Although the weather has become more "fall-like" (and more enjoyable) here in the Southeast the past few days, I found myself a bit melancholy as I realized that today was the last day of summer.

This is a bit odd in that I have always enjoyed Fall here; it is my favorite season. I love the sunny warm days and the cool crisp evenings of fall. I also love the beginning of the post-season in baseball and the return of college football. I love seeing the change of green to the brilliant colors of fall. And it doesn't hurt that I celebrate my birthday in the late fall.

But as I thought it through, I realized that it was yet another aspect of life that I was "losing". We will certainly enjoy the year round pleasant weather in Nairobi. But that is just it. It is the same all year. We will miss the 4 seasons. We won't really experience the changing of color associated with Fall or Spring. We won't experience the long hot humid nights of South Carolina. We won't experience the occasional ice storm or snow fall. And that is a bit sad.

So "good bye" summer; as short as it seemed we enjoyed it. And "Hello" Fall - we're sad we won't really get to know you.

Magic Numbers: 4 and 10

As a baseball fan, watching a magic number go down has significance. For those with limited baseball knowledge, the magic number is the combination of number of wins for the good team and the number of losses for the second place team needed for the good team to claim the Division Title. My team, the good team, is the St. Louis Cardinals. Their magic number is 4. They should claim the National League Central Division Title this weekend. I am excited.

I am also excited about our magic number. It now stands at 10. That's right. We leave in 10 days. It seems unbelievable really. But it is a reality.

As we make final preparations we are in need of prayer for the following:

1. Pray for the sale of our van - we are needing to sell our 2001 Toyota Sienna van. It has 93,000 miles. We are thinking about taking it to Car Max and selling it there. Pray for a good and fair price.

2. Pray for the Use of a van or large car - we would like to sell the van by the end of the week. We will then need the use of a vehicle for about 8-10days. If you know of one we can use please let me know.

3. Pray for our work permits - I have been waiting to hear of the progress of these for the past two weeks. Well, I heard this morning. It is not good. My contacts in Kenya are waiting on passport size pictures of me and Marti. We are sending more today. Pray that they arrive quickly and safely. Pray that the processing of the permit will be less than 2 weeks once it is received. We need our permits BEFORE our shipment arrives or we will pay 50% duty on the contents.

Some of you had been praying for our multiple entry visas . They have been approved and are now in our possession. Thanks for praying.

We serve a big God. He may not necessarily be concerned about Magic Numbers in regards to Major League Baseball, but He is concerned about every detail regarding our Magic Number of 10.

How Cool is This?

The Belgian Waffle

The Belgian Waffle. No, I'm not talking about that light fluffy wonderfully tasty treat in Belgium. I am talking about the "newsletter" that was produced and printed while we were in Belgium. Over 20 missionary families spent last month in Belgium for Pre Field Training. I have spent much space here detailing our experiences. However, we just received our "final" installment of the newsletter. It was produced to allow supporters get an in-depth view of the types of experiences we all had. So, enjoy the following excerpts from The Belgian Waffle.

Put Your Pen In Your Nose and Laugh.
It is 6:45 on the morning of July 28, or 28 July as they transcribe it here in Europe. It is Wednesday - three more days of Urban Jungle Camp and then we all board planes and head to our next destination in this missionary journey. For most of us that means returning to the States to continue our itineration process with the single prayer that God will provide the needed financial support, the buyers for family homes, the visas, the new living situations and the answers to the multiple issues that come with letting go of the life you have known, packing up what remains of goods and kindred (leaving some of both behind) and getting to each prospective field as soon as God allows. More importantly there is the prayer that God will continue to provide the courage and conviction one can only imagine it takes to do all these things.

I woke up to the sound of a mosquito in my ear this morning, a common occurrence here at the Don Bosco Technical School for boys in Ghent, Belgium. It has become a part of my morning routine to do battle with that last persistent denizen of the swamp and then to sit up and assess the damage of the previous night, usually appreciable by the number of new bites sustained, despite the use of repellant, and the number of mosquito carcasses on the floor that fell pray to my razor sharp reflexes. By the way, it is possible to box your own ears without intending to do so. Believe me, I know.

Most mornings I wake up to another sound as well…a sound that continually amazes and delights me. It is the sound of the Jeh language echoing inside my brain. Although I cannot recount to you the specific words in speech or in writing, they are there and they speak to me each morning. Moreover, I have little doubt that if a Jeh speaker were to vocalize the litany of commands that are lodged in my mind that my body would respond, except if asked to stick a pen in my nose in which case I would know to laugh.

“So, what is this Jeh?” you may ask. Jeh is the language of the Jeh people, an indigenous tribe in Vietnam. Our language acquisition mentors, Dwight and Barbara Gradin were Wycliffe Bible translators assigned to the Jeh during the years of the Vietnam War. It is the primary language they used to impart their extraordinary method of learning a new language. I don’t yet know how to us it (Jeh), nor do I really know how to spell it, but, I know it’s there. I cannot tell you how this seemingly little thing delights and encourages me. Somehow the experiential knowledge that I can learn like a child again gives me hope. Somehow that has given me an unexpected excitement and anticipation about learning a second language, even though I personally don’t have a second language to learn.

Another unexpected yet much cherished dividend from the encounter with the Gradins, Dwight in particular, was how this unassuming, soft-spoken Midwesterner of Swedish descent could say so little, yet communicate and effectively teach so much. For me, Dwight was one of the best examples of the integration of word and deed I have encountered in some time. Not that I am in any great position to judge this, only that I am grateful for having received it. I imagined briefly that perhaps this is what it might have been like to sit under the discipleship of the apostle Paul. Dwight, to me, seemed to have the same sort of seamless walk of faith. He was the master, I was the student and that was good.

I dare say that when each of us is able to sit down and digest the fire hose feeding we have received over the past month we will each recognize the indelible marks left by the Gradins. If you, the reader, have any doubts about this fact I invite you to ask one of the missionaries who represented you at this training how they will respond the next time they hear a helicopter overhead.


Brain Drain

Throughout this past year as we raised our support AND raised people's awareness of the issues facing the country of Kenya, we have often talked about "Brain Drain". In a nutshell, this is where a developing country loses "people resources" to other countries. In regards to physicians it can have a devasting effect on the overall health of the country.

Today I came across this information about the extent of Brain Drain in Africa. According to JOHN KIWANUKA SSEMAKULA on the website Medilinks there is a significant amount of Brain Drain in Kenya and all of Africa. Consider these facts:

*Africa lost 60,000 professionals between 1985 and 1990 according to the UN*

*Kenya, 50% of graduates go to South Africa *

*More Ugandan Doctors registered in South Africa than in Uganda *

*Ghana 50% of nurses, 90% of Dr’s go abroad*

*30,000 PHD’s live outside Africa according to UNESCO *

*There are more African Engineers and Scientists in USA than Africa itself

The article goes on to explain other factors involved in this "Brain Drain" and even offers some ideas to help correct this problem.

And please pray that as one little family doctor from little old Newberry goes abroad that God will use him to impact this overwhelming problem.

Grandmother's House

One of the more difficult parts of this journey to the mission field is the good-byes. We spent the past 4 days in my hometown where I grew up and where all of my grandparents live. I really tried to pay attention this visit to the many things that made growing up special.

This started Friday in our visit to Busch Stadium. It continued through the weekend. On Sunday, I was asked to "preach" at my parent's church. It was difficult at times looking out at many old and familiar faces. I saw my baseball coach, my Sunday School teacher, my parents, grandparents, uncle, and even an old girlfriend. It was humbling to be speaking to those who really "knew me".

We continued our stroll down memory lane by going to my Grandmother's house after church. Except for being more crowded than I remember as a kid(with my wife and 3 kids, my brother's family of 5, and my cousin and his family of 4)it seemed very familiar. My Grandmother had 21 different bowls and plates of food - something for everyone with at least one favorite dish for everyone - things like black-eyed peas, green beans, sweet corn, cooked apples, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, cornbread, 3 meats, and best of all the deviled eggs. And then of course 3 different deserts to choose from. Grandmother has cooked like this every Sunday for as long as I can remember. Even after lunch, just like old times, my brother and cousin went outside in the yard to play wiffle ball - with their own kids!

Then of course we went back to Grandmother's house this morning for breakfast - eggs over easy, fresh biscuits, sausage, bacon, and lots of homemade jellies. All this made to order and washed down with the strongest coffee in the St. Louis area! But instead of my dad taking me over, it was me taking my kids over.

However, this stroll down memory lane was a bit painful today. Instead of the usual hugs and kisses "goodbye", there were quite a few tears. You see, my Granddaddy is 88. And his health is declining somewhat. And he (and I) both knew that this may very well be the last time we see each other this side of glory. And although we both fully believe in the promises of God regarding eternity, it hurts to think that it may be a while before we see each other again.

My kids heard and saw this crying...and they joined in, with hugs and tears for Granddaddy. I am glad they experienced this. I want them to know that there is some pain and sacrifice involved in going to Kenya. Even at their young ages I want them to value their elders and lineage. I want them to realize that life is but a vapor, it is fleeting. I want them to experience the sorrow that comes when our loved ones aren't with us anymore.

I have forgotten this somewhat this year. I have been so busy with raising support, making plans, transitioning through jobs and houses and so on. I have forgotten the fact that for better or worse, my family (parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles) have left a mark on my life. They have impacted me. They are part of who I am.

I needed to take in my upbringing this weekend. I needed to be reminded of all the fun times. All the ordinary things that make up life, that give it meaning, purpose, direction. And I needed to be reminded that I am leaving them (family) behind for now. And I may even "lose" a few of them to the grave. But, I am reminded that I serve a Covenant loving God. A God that makes Covenants with Families.

Mission Safari Newsletter, August 2004

Dear Friends,

Exhausted! That is how I would describe our family after this tremendously challenging month of Pre-Field Training in Belgium. We arrived back in the U.S. on Saturday evening around 4 p.m. We "landed" in our hotel room in Atlanta worn out - it didn't take long to fall asleep. We are still trying to adjust to Eastern Time; Sam and Ben have started Sunday and Monday at around 5:00 am.

The month in Belgium was exhausting physically and emotionally. Dorm life with 20 other families, 10 p.m. sunsets, and jam-packed days added to the fatigue. Throw in a quick trip to Nairobi for Marti, and a second Trans-Atlantic round trip for me in the middle of the month and you can understand why we have circles under our eyes.

Emotionally, Belgium was no picnic either. The culture fatigue of a new European city after a year of support raising was difficult at times. Thrown right into the mix of this month was the pain of another miscarriage for Marti. At times it really seemed too much.

But please don't feel "sorry" for us.

Reflection of a Month in Belgium

We have basically concluded our month in Belgium for our Pre-Field Training. What follows is the Reflection Paper that I submitted commenting on some of the most important lessons learned this month. It is my attempt to be honest and accurate about the process here. Enjoy!
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How do you summarize an intense, challenging, thought provoking, emotionally difficult month into one 5-7 page paper? Is it possible in the midst of the process to accurately relate the impact of the month on our understanding of ourselves, other cultures, and missions? Although the month has been filled with some intense emotional times for me and my family, I am glad that we have participated. I am hopeful that my observations of the Belgian culture and observations of myself and my family will have important ramifications for our lives in Kenya.

Before we arrived, I was trying to understand how immersing my family in the Belgian culture would have any relevance for Kenya. However, I have a better understanding of the skills that are needed to do this more successfully.

Why Do We Expect So Little of God?

-Ghent, Belgium
-July 14, 2004

I wonder why so often we expect so little of God? Why do we go about some of our tasks in life and ministry as if so much depended on us and so little on Him? Or why do we think that He is not interested in the details of our lives? Why?

Today, I have learned once again that I expect so little of God. Because Sam was sick last night, up with a cold and cough, I stayed with him during the morning sessions (Marti stayed with him yesterday). I decided to use the time to pack for my quick 3 day trip back to the States for my Family Practice Board exam on Saturday. Although it seemed mundane, it did give me and Sam some one on one time. I am thankful for that.

This afternoon I headed back out for my field work. But before I share what happened, let me give you an idea of what our “field work” entails. During this Pre-Field Training period, we are receiving training in “how” to learn a language and a culture so that we will be better prepared to do so once we get to Kenya. To do this we have been having lectures in the morning and then “field” exercises in the afternoon. Hopefully the practical application of the field sessions will give us some confidence in putting into place the knowledge we receive in the mornings. Still with me?

Anyway, our assignments in the afternoon are to go around this city and start connecting with the Flemish and the Turkish communities that live here. We have some data we are to collect over the next couple of weeks that will be distilled and passed on to the missionaries and national pastors here. So although they are “exercises” they are for “real”.

Now, let me resume my story from this afternoon. Marti stayed with Sam while he napped and I took Ben with me. We went back to the café (the one I described in “A Belgian Café”). The name of the café is Michele’s. The owner, Patrick, was happy to see us again. Although he had other customers, he came and sat with us for about 45 minutes. We first discussed bringing some of our group (there are about 40 adults here) for a dinner date to get a taste of Belgium. After that we discussed family life and the attitude of the young people here; sadly they face the same problems here as we do in America. As he was getting a bit busier, we said our good-byes and we promised to visit again next week.

I then decided to visit one of the hospitals here. Across from the church that the missionaries are working with was one of the larger hospitals in town. I took Ben inside to get a bird’s eye view of the place. After about 10 minutes, I decided to approach the Information Desk, introduce myself as a physician from the U.S., and ask if I could arrange sometime a tour of the hospital. The friendly lady asked to wait a moment and she would try to do this. About 10 minutes later, a gentleman approached me and kindly introduced himself as the Medical Director of the hospital. I was stunned and surprised. To make an already long story short, he spent 45 minutes telling me about the hospital, showing me the Emergency Room and Radiology Departments, and explaining the Belgian medical education situation, as well as the medical reimbursement and malpractice situation. He then invited me back.

Even as I write this, I am still amazed at how the doors seem to be all ready for me to walk through and engage in some meaningful conversations. But why should I be amazed? Haven’t I asked my prayer partners to pray that God would prepare the way this month? Haven’t I asked God to guide me and give me wisdom for the tasks? Why do I doubt? Why do I have such little faith that He would answer these prayers? Why do I expect so little from a Sovereign God?

I am humbled and amazed. I cringe when I look back and see all the answered prayers in the past that I did not recognize. God is interested in the details of our lives. He is interested in opening doors. He is interested in seeing His name glorified because of what He has done in our lives.

A Belgian Cafe

-Ghent, Belgium
-July 12

We started our "field work" yesterday. We were divided into groups based on our language learning group from last week. Somehow I was chosen leader of our group. My first question to the group was "what was your preference type on the Myers-Briggs". Somewhat to my consternation, I was not the only Introvert - our whole group of 5 scored in the introvert preference(I know some of you will not believe that I am an introvert but it is true) . I realized right away that we would need to take the next two week project a bit slower.

I decided (with the groups consent) that it might be best to "test the waters" in a situation where it would be natural to engage in conversation; I thought we might do best just going to a cafe, ordering a coffee, and eventually ask the waitress a few questions. Everyone thought this was a good idea. It was "safe" and we would enjoy ourselves.

Having spent Sunday in the central part of the city, I thought of a small coffeehouse that might be ideal. It was right next to the castle we visited. We arrived at the cafe around 3:30pm. There was only one customer. The waitress came and took our orders. However, in the typical European style she did not check on us much at all. Just when I was contriving to get her to come to our table, the owner came out of the bathroom situated near our table.

We told him how we liked the cafe. We inquired when it had opened. He told us "three days ago". We were amazed. He then talked about his cafe, asked why were there, and so on. He ended up sitting down with us for 1.5 hours. We were amazed.

He told us a lot about the Belgian and European mindset. At one point he said that Belgians did not dislike Americans. He said that they even look up to America and want to be shown the way - just not the wrong way. Then He shared about why he opened up his shop. He shared why the Belgians were so opposed to the war in Iraq. It was extremely insightful to hear his perspective. He then said that he would be happy to help us in our "studies" this month. His wife even joined in the conversation and invited to come daily at 3pm to learn Flemish (or Dutch).

We were amazed at God's provision. Our group had been anxious about going out and "meeting" people. God lead us to this cafe. We were just hoping to "get through" our first day. We were hoping for a teaspoon of water but God provided a 2 liter bottle of our favorite drink.

Pray for us as we develop this relationship. Pray that it will lead to conversations not just about American ways, but about "THE WAY". Pray that this will lead to other opportunities to influence this community for Christ. Pray that the information will be useful for the missionaries and pastors here.

Culture Adjustment

- Ghent, Belgium
- July 11

As good as Saturday was, Sunday was difficult. It started well, but as the day wore on, I struggled. I think it was really the first time that I had time to stop and “think” about what life is like here. I understood better why some folks describe Europe as being the dark continent.

After breakfast, we decided to spend the day in Ghent (church was in the evening). We got on the bus and connected with the tram and ended up near the center of town. We easily found our way to a 12th century castle. The boys were excited to go to “guy” place since we spent Saturday at “girl” places (romantic Italian restaurant, lace shop, and chocolate shop). It was indeed very interesting with all kinds of preserved swords, knives, guns, and suits of armor. We went up into the castle through tight spiral staircases and ended up on the lookout areas. However, the realization that this was indeed a castle from the dark ages became manifest when we visited the torture chamber.

There in this castle was a room full of “tools” used in torturing people. It was both fascinating and revolting at the same time. I had an overwhelming sense of darkness come over that did not resolve for the rest of the day. It definitely impacted me in a significant way. It really impacted all of us as we all became a bit more edgy and irritable.

As the day wore on, I began to look around at the folks around me. I realized that many folks walk around with a blank stare. Very few folks make eye contact. Voices are low. There is very little animation in their voices or actions. People are very reserved. Then I began to notice that there were not very many families out and about, just adults.

Although it was a bit of a bummer, I am glad that I had a “bad” day. It helped me appreciate the need for missionaries here. It is easy to understand why “third-world” countries “need” missionaries when poverty and need is so obvious. It is harder to understand the need initially when a country is “modern”.

Lord, help us to understand more fully that despite modern advances countries are dark without the presence of Your Son.