Friday, April 20, 2012

Hello and Goodbye


I knew that entering this new line of work would mean saying a lot of goodbyes. We aren't planning to leave for Haiti until July so I figured that goodbyes wouldn't really have to start yet. What I wasn't ready for was the Hellos and Goodbyes. I'll explain..

As part of ReachGlobal we attend many conferences and trainings with other cross cultural ministry workers. We spent 8 days in January with fellow workers from Latin American and the Carribean at a conference in Orlando. And just last week we spent 9 days with other ReachGlobal candidates going to all parts of the world. During these intense training/conference weeks we get to know each other extremely well. Our weeks are spent in 12 hour days together, working on projects, discussing theology and missiology, delving into the Word, and forming bonds with one another.

And then we say goodbye.

Sure, we will see some of these individuals again at future conferences. But many we won't see again. All 5 members of our family deal with these goodbyes differently. I sleep, Eloise gets angry, Luke cries, Kate creates imaginary scenarios where we can still be together, and Chris busies himself with household tasks (I'm not complaining about that).

These hellos and goodbyes are just a reality of our lives now. In Haiti many teams will come through, we will attach, and they will leave. But it is worth it! Over the past 9 days I was able to see the image of God uniquely reflected in 20+ individuals. I was able to learn from the wisdom of others and see the body of Christ at work in the world. It was priceless.

Just hoping it gets easier.....