Being Together

There’s a lot to be said for being together.  It’s necessary.  It’s vital.  It can be hard, but it can also be such a blessing.  There’s also the old saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,”  which anyone who lives far from family or friends can relate to.  For us, this is one of those weeks where we get to revel in being together with our friends and colleagues from the islands and beyond.

Being together with our oldest kids

It’s a literal truth that oceans divide us from our island colleagues. So when we get together, (which only happens once a year), it is a special time.  We are so thankful for the people with whom we work.  They are not only kind and fun and a joy to be around, but they are also bright, thoughtful and full of experiences and questions that cause us to think in new ways, challenge us to work and live better, and engage us in their joys and struggles.  The questions, exchanges, ideas, experiences that get shared are a tremendous blessing.  They refresh us and restore us.  They encourage us.  They remind us that we are not alone.  We are not the only one facing these struggles.  Our specific situations may be different, but we have so much to learn from one another.

As is our habit, we organized our island gathering to happen the weekend before a much larger biannual gathering of colleagues from all over Africa.  (We are in between sessions even as I write this.)  In the same way that the islands gathering is a blessing and refreshment, this larger gathering is a similar blessing.  Though we may not work as closely with the people at this gathering, we consider many to be friends.  There are also many whom we are meeting for the first time.  But in the same way, the questions, exchanges, ideas, experiences that get shared are a tremendous blessing.  Our vision is expanded.  Our perspective is changed.  We come together to learn and grow and listen and share the joys and the sorrows—and we are blessed.

Being together with teammates from 15 yrs ago

Some of our island brothers and sisters have struggled to gather together regularly. They allow the distance between their villages and all the distractions of life to get into the way of this vital activity. We are praying that they will be reminded of how important it is and to make it a priority. Being together keeps us strong and reminds us of our united purpose and priorities.

It may be that all the important people in your life live close to you, that you get to see them all the time.  You may take it for granted.  We hope you won’t.  May this be a reminder of how precious it is to be together.  What a blessing.  What a privilege.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
The weather was not great last week and everyone on Clove Island and the small island had cancelled and/or significantly delayed interisland flights, but we all made it to the big island and subsequently mainland Africa. This was a big answer to prayer! We so enjoyed our time with our island colleagues and now with our colleagues from across Africa (including old friends and former teammates/leaders), it is a blessing. We got to have our older two kids with over the weekend and will get to be with them again this coming weekend— another blessing of being together.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Praying that our island brothers and sisters would prioritize meeting together on all the islands.   Pray for our daughter’s rheumatoid arthritis. She had a flare-up that made her miss some school this week.  Next week, we will go to an educational support week with our youngest to do the standardized testing he needs and also get advice about how to continue to guide his educational journey— pray that it would be a good time and provide some clarity about how to proceed with him. Ma Nadjma will probably be married by the time we get back to Clove Island- pray that we can continue to be a light to her and her family.  Pray that Muki and Mtsa would meet and study together during Tom’s absence (they were studying almost daily before we left).  Pray for several transitions happening in our higher leadership— may God be with both those leaving and those coming into those roles.