Africa is a Big Place

Megan & boys with "classic" African backdrop

East Africa feels like “classic” Africa, or the Africa of films.  Long sweeping vistas, acacia trees, giraffes and zebras seen from the highway.  The earth is red and the soil is rich.  Everything seems so spread out here—people walk for miles!  Houses do not stand one against the other, but seem to require their own breathing room.  Along the road there seems to be a regular rotation of empty space, followed by shops, followed by a restaurant, followed by a church, and then repeated  The weather is dry and cool.  The African sun still beats down during the day, but in the morning and at night, the winds come up and the land cools down and you happily snuggle under a warm blanket as you tuck into bed.

How different from our Clove Island, which we await with great longing to see again.  The jungle rises from the ocean.  The heat slaps you in the face like a wet towel and there is little to relieve it except a cold shower or a rotating fan.  The taxis drive you past houses crammed up against and on top of other houses.  The people smile and wave—looking in to see if they know you, because everyone knows everyone on our island! Bats fly across the skies of the setting sun as the call to prayer echoes around the mango trees.

Our youngest checking the landscape

It may have been more than a week since we left the States, but we are still only making our way to the Islands.  Because travel to the islands is difficult and expensive, it sometimes makes sense to combine trips to and from together.  That is how we have come to be in East Africa for the past two weeks for two conferences and now a week of school testing for our children. 

It is times like this that we realize again what a large continent Africa is.  At the first conference we attended we met people from all over the continent.  Some came from steamy jungles, others from dry deserts.  Some from the coastlands, others from so far inland that it takes a 24 hour bus ride to make it to an airport.  Some live in air-conditioned homes in gated communities, others live in mud huts and walk half a mile to fetch water.  It was a wonderful time to gather together and learn and hear from a great variety of experiences while at the same time finding the commonality and purpose in what we do.  It was so refreshing to be among such a diverse group of people with the same heart and vision.

Our second conference was less diverse. It was only people who work on the islands, but it was all the more special for it.  It was wonderful to be with our colleagues and see just how much we are on the same page, how much we appreciate one another and how much we feel like family.  What a privilege it is to serve with such wonderful people!

Reconnecting with old teammates

As I write this, I am still in East Africa and as I listen to a cold wind gusting outside my window and sit comfortably in my mosquito free room with continual electricity and no need of a fan, I am reminded again by how very different and very big this great continent is.  The islands won’t be like this but the islands await…

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We adjusted quickly to the time zone. The conferences were great— both encouraging and giving us a lot of good ideas and practices to implement on the islands. We’re excited to get back and try them out! We continue to feel blessed that we can count all these great people our colleagues. Our kids seem to be doing well so far.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Our old team leaders are leaving the islands for another assignment in just five weeks. Their current team on the big island are having a final goodbye weekend with them here in East Africa before returning to the islands for their final weeks. We are so thankful for being able to serve under them and for all their years on the islands. They are very loved on the islands. Pray for a great time of finishing for them and for all the deep relationships they have with islanders and they share with them and say goodbye  Continue to pray for our kids— that the testing will go well for our older two and that we would get good advice for their education, that they would continue to be such good sports as we continue to pack up and move from place to place (they are on their 4th beds since arriving in Africa and we have 2-3 more before we’re home on Clove Island). Pray for our return to the islands and all that entails.