Our minds are focused on looking ahead. In less than a week we will be starting a new adventure, a new life, a new language. We are wrapped up in preparation and planning. What will the months ahead bring? What awaits us in our new home? And then we received an email from our former teammate Alissa
, “Happy evacuation anniversary.” In the midst of our leaving, our minds were called back to a year ago when a routine trip to the capitol in Chad ended with us being evacuated out of a war zone. A year ago this week, we were hiding under tables while bombs and gunfire hammered the streets near by.Has it really been a year? In some ways it seems like yesterday. On the other hand, in some ways it feels like a lifetime ago, a whole different reality. So much has happened since then. Our Chad team was dissolved; our daughter was born; a new president was elected. The world seems like a different place.
It is a good thing to stop and look back. Have these moments in our lives shaped us? Have they impacted us or have we simply slipped through them unchanged, like walking through a mist? Did we learn a deeper appreciation for life? Did we gain any wisdom about ourselves? Have we remembered all the ways God has provided for us?
We think of our teammates, and the new places God is taking them and we are reminded to pray for them. We think of our friends in Chad and are reminded to pray for them. For them, the situation has little changed. War still threatens. Many still suffer at the hands of injustice. Many still die without hope.
On our “evacuation anniversary” one truth that stands out to us is the fluid and surprising nature of life. It is not static. Life can change forever in an instant—like an evacuation, the birth of child, or the death of a loved one. Most everyone accepts this fact about life sooner or later, but we often forget to think about what it means for our lives. It is a simple tru
th, but one with big implications.PRAYERS ANSWERED
Grace went to her doctor’s appointment and got a clean bill of health, although she is still getting over a cold. God has given us many opportunities to see friends and say goodbye as well as finding time to make serious progress in our packing and planning. These past days have been very special.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Megan’s uncle has suffered a stroke with total paralysis. Her father, Fred, has gone out to be with his brother and nieces to help with medical guidance, but the situation is very serious. Please pray for the family at this time and for God’s grace in this sad situation. Our departure date is Feb 13th. Our next blog will be from Kenya. Please keep our packing, traveling, and goodbye-ing in your prayers.
