When I was growing up and going to summer camp, we used to sing:
GOLD
The morning we left, we stopped in Fort Portal for breakfast with Pat. We both came to Uganda in 1993. Pat is pure gold, refined by fire, one of a kind. You won't find many people half her age willing to do what she does. Sorry I didn't snap a picture. We diverted slightly from our path to visit the Wrights in Mbale, another family with whom we've had long-term connection, commiseration, encouragement, perspective.
Once over the Kenya border, our next night we reached Sunrise Acres, a little cluster of homey cabins on a working dairy farm run by AIM missionaries who make us look like newcomers. This is a place that has offered us respite along our weary travels time and time again, a place of prayerfulness and peace. And of many fond memories. We took some prayer time, reading, and rest.
The next day we reached Kijabe which is generally a gold-mine of old friendships and our own history, from Caleb's birth in 1995, evacuation and short term work in 1997 up to Jack's birth in 1998, then five years of intense investment as we began our AD role and grew a team 2011-15, and close connection as we worked in Naivasha 2016-18. Part of the poignancy of this trip was some closure and processing with Michael Masso as the Masso family wraps up the African chapters of their sojourn. Besides Pat, they are our longest-lasting colleagues here. Though we only spent one full day at Kijabe, we were delighted to greet old friends, many in the hospital and a few in their homes.
Bob and Lilian were my first Kijabe colleagues and friends, and are the heart and soul of the service still.
The Letchfords! and I wish I'd taken pictures with other colleagues including Sarah Muma and Ima and Jack Barasa . .
SILVER
Interspersed along the bumpy jog down memory lane, plenty of glimpses of the plethora of new relationships God has brought us, the younger people who are growing into their calling. Our very first night as we stopped in Kampala we met Ivan and Isaiah for dinner. It's always a delight to hear them process their education and vision for Bundibugyo as they near the end of their training (nurse and doctor).
Of course we are always dreaming and seeking ideas and wisdom as we travel, so it was a treat to visit a regional referral hospital's neonatal unit in Eastern Uganda along the way and hear from the nurses they way warmth, CPAP, oxygen, feeds, care has reduced mortality dramatically . . . in spite of the fact that there were 40 babies in a very small room.
Almost all the Kijabe team have been on the ground for less than one term, so they are a breath of fresh air as well. It is a privilege to listen, encourage, process, dream with them. What a wonderful group, and they dedicated their team meeting time to praying for us!
Our last stop was Nairobi, lunch and annual reviews with our Team Leaders the Rigbys, and appropriate for the silver medal: our newest Serger in East and Central Africa, Eoin!
WESALO/KWAHERI
Which brings us to tonight, our pile of suitcases and carry-ons, the last minute scramble to the airport. In a couple of hours we will take off for a two-month USA time, to attend graduations and a wedding and reunions, to see our patient octogenarian moms. We'll still be managing from a distance the school, and our Area, praying for wisdom from afar.
And we'll be reveling in all sorts of silver and gold, friends old and new, people whose history gives us glimpses of God's faithfulness and glory, as well as those whose new connections point us to hope for the future.
Make new friends, but keep ye old
One is silver and the other gold.
I suppose it was a way to encourage us to keep in touch with each other year to year, and to embrace the newcomers.
Over the last week, we have found ourselves appreciating both as we drove about a quarter of the equatorial stretch of Africa, from the Congo border to central Kenya. Originally, we had planned that our time in Uganda would be January to the beginning of May, so we would drive back to Kenya and fly from Nairobi for Jack's graduation (and Acacia's) in May and Luke's wedding in June. Long story short, we believe God is calling us to remain in Uganda for at least another year and possibly longer . . . which still meant we had to drive to get our Kenya-registered LandRover back to the origin of our flight. More on that later. If you drive solid 10-12 hour days, you can do that trip in 3. But we took 5 as we had some work along the way, and believe it or not, sometimes we DO admit our age and try to plan life a little more gently. Not that there is much gentle about all those potholes and trucks and police stops, but we DID have some great connections along the way.
we also had a stop along the road for the Huduma number registration, now required of all Kenya residents, which we technically still are . . .
GOLD
The morning we left, we stopped in Fort Portal for breakfast with Pat. We both came to Uganda in 1993. Pat is pure gold, refined by fire, one of a kind. You won't find many people half her age willing to do what she does. Sorry I didn't snap a picture. We diverted slightly from our path to visit the Wrights in Mbale, another family with whom we've had long-term connection, commiseration, encouragement, perspective.
Once over the Kenya border, our next night we reached Sunrise Acres, a little cluster of homey cabins on a working dairy farm run by AIM missionaries who make us look like newcomers. This is a place that has offered us respite along our weary travels time and time again, a place of prayerfulness and peace. And of many fond memories. We took some prayer time, reading, and rest.
The next day we reached Kijabe which is generally a gold-mine of old friendships and our own history, from Caleb's birth in 1995, evacuation and short term work in 1997 up to Jack's birth in 1998, then five years of intense investment as we began our AD role and grew a team 2011-15, and close connection as we worked in Naivasha 2016-18. Part of the poignancy of this trip was some closure and processing with Michael Masso as the Masso family wraps up the African chapters of their sojourn. Besides Pat, they are our longest-lasting colleagues here. Though we only spent one full day at Kijabe, we were delighted to greet old friends, many in the hospital and a few in their homes.
Bob and Lilian were my first Kijabe colleagues and friends, and are the heart and soul of the service still.
Mardi and I were colleagues for many Kijabe years, and it's a treat to see her and the other pediatricians pushing care so far forward for needy kids.
The Letchfords! and I wish I'd taken pictures with other colleagues including Sarah Muma and Ima and Jack Barasa . .
SILVER
Interspersed along the bumpy jog down memory lane, plenty of glimpses of the plethora of new relationships God has brought us, the younger people who are growing into their calling. Our very first night as we stopped in Kampala we met Ivan and Isaiah for dinner. It's always a delight to hear them process their education and vision for Bundibugyo as they near the end of their training (nurse and doctor).
Of course we are always dreaming and seeking ideas and wisdom as we travel, so it was a treat to visit a regional referral hospital's neonatal unit in Eastern Uganda along the way and hear from the nurses they way warmth, CPAP, oxygen, feeds, care has reduced mortality dramatically . . . in spite of the fact that there were 40 babies in a very small room.
Almost all the Kijabe team have been on the ground for less than one term, so they are a breath of fresh air as well. It is a privilege to listen, encourage, process, dream with them. What a wonderful group, and they dedicated their team meeting time to praying for us!
Our last stop was Nairobi, lunch and annual reviews with our Team Leaders the Rigbys, and appropriate for the silver medal: our newest Serger in East and Central Africa, Eoin!
WESALO/KWAHERI
Which brings us to tonight, our pile of suitcases and carry-ons, the last minute scramble to the airport. In a couple of hours we will take off for a two-month USA time, to attend graduations and a wedding and reunions, to see our patient octogenarian moms. We'll still be managing from a distance the school, and our Area, praying for wisdom from afar.
And we'll be reveling in all sorts of silver and gold, friends old and new, people whose history gives us glimpses of God's faithfulness and glory, as well as those whose new connections point us to hope for the future.
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