New England Bound

In Feb. of last year we left our home in Bundibugyo and came back to North Carolina for a much needed extended furlough time. We have loved this time of rest and reflection, visiting most of the churches who have supported us over the years, hanging out with people who have prayed for us and for our growing family, meeting new friends who have entered right into our lives at this stage and became dear to us. We've home-schooled our kids together. (Joe recently said thanks again. "Mom, thanks for giving me a year to understand kid's culture here before I have to deal with middle school. I think jumping right in would have been awful.") And been amply rewarded in that sacrifice. They are fantastic people, eager to learn and express themselves. As for Kev and I, we have, for the first time in a great many years had the chance to just slow down. To start with a fresh slate and order our days with an eye towards making time with God and quiet reflection a priority, instead of being dominated by the "crisis of the moment." We've each had big chunks of time each week to spend in solitude with God. I really wanted God to have written our future plans in big letters somewhere on our great 10-week camping adventure last year. I think I really expected Him to be speedy and dramatic in letting us know what we should do. Instead, we've been spending time learning more of who He is. The whole process of future decision making/which path to take has been slow and meandering. We've talked with folks we trust, been prayed over, pursued various options that interested either one of us, gotten into heated discussions (fights), and waited to see which doors the Lord would keep open. In the end, we realized that most of our options both overseas and here in Durham had closed.

Two doors remained open and what a gracious gift... both formal offers came in on my birthday. Both wonderful prep schools in the New England area, both beautiful situations for our family and for us. With two good options in hand, Kev accepted a job in the math department at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Of the two, this position and location will allow me to pursue a seminary degree at Gordon-Conwell.

We are simply delighted about this new direction for our family. Of course, we are shaking our heads at the nearly polar opposite situations that the Lord has provided for us. Bundibugyo to Exeter is quite the leap. Part of our decision making time has been releasing our need to go to the hardest place possible. To fully unclasp our desire to be back in Uganda and influential in the work at Christ School. To trust God to take care of that and to accept that He could give us more than we could ask or imagine. To trust that He knows the situation and circumstances in which He wishes to place us and our family.

So we are wrapping up our summer here in Durham, as well as our time with World Harvest as missionaries. Both feel bittersweet, a mixture of excitement and sadness as we transition both location and identity.