Goodbyes

Last night we began the goodbye process, with pizza and presents and . . . a sort of a square dance to "She'll be coming 'round the mountains when she comes . . . "  with lines dedicated to some of the funnier aspects of Tim and Doug's summer.  Jack could not believe it is already time for them to leave, and our kids always find it sad to see more people departing from their lives.  We have appreciated their patience with us, enthusiasm, and flexibility.  They saved at least one life, finding a severely malnourished child with TB on one of their outreaches and bringing him in for treatment.  They also were present at too many deaths, children who came in their last moments and did not survive.  They preached, researched, gave out food and medicine, played games with small children, killed snakes and spiders, prayed, and processed what it means to live with God in an area of poverty and hardship, what the Kingdom might look like, and how to live in community.  They struggled with cross-cultural relationship and being stared at day in and day out. They learned to eat substances not found in their normal lives (like cassava leaves or big bizarre lumpy tropical jack-fruits).  Mostly they just laid down their lives to pull alongside of us for almost two months. 

In a few hours we will all head out to a weekend at the Kingfisher Kichwamba, on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth National Park.  We will also be saying goodbye this weekend to the Pierce's friend Brian and to a doctor nearing the end of her residency, Naomi, both of whom joined us for the last ten days.  We will join the Sudan interns with Acacia Masso, our former team mate Kim, and our former team kid Libby.  Praying that somehow in the mix of getting 30 people on game drives and fed and accommodated and transported, there will be moments of real connection with God and each other, glimpses of His glory in creation, and a sense of rest.