One year ago today, we packed up two bags each with
everything we thought we needed to survive the adventure ahead. These items
included lots of quick dry, light weight clothing, scrubs and long skirts and
dresses for me, flashlights, headlamps, batteries, two of every kind of
toiletry, sunscreen, bug spray, malaria medication, laptops, cameras, family
photos, duct tape, ropes, grits, hot sauce, granola bars, nursing equipment, bibles,
devotional books, kindle, and hand written letters from family to open during
future times of joy and sadness. It was a bitter sweet day. I didn’t sleep at
all the night before. I laid out everything I wanted to pack, and when Newman
was finished with his bags, I handed him my bags, pointed to the pile of stuff,
and said please make it all fit. He did, and only rolled his eyes once or twice
at what I wanted to bring. The weeks before leaving were spent having as much
quality time with family and friends as possible, sorting out our finances,
getting vaccinations, hours at Wal-Mart trying to figure out what we needed,
skyping and emailing Michael and Amanda asking questions about what to
expect/pack, and lots and lots of time in prayer. All of those things helped to
prepare us some, but nothing could have totally prepared us for what we would
live through the next year. Our past experiences traveling were helpful, our education
came in handy, our work experience played a big role, but more than anything
our faith has taught us the most and is what has kept us going. Without that, I
would I bought a ticket back home a long time ago.
So some of the highlights and lowlights of the past year
are:
-
The first 6 weeks spent living alongside Michael
and Amanda, learning how to live in a completely different world, getting to
know them better, meeting their friends, meeting the staff we would work with,
and celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary together
-
Moving into Michael and Amanda’s home they
built, making it our own, and getting to know Wilson better as he worked in the
house with us
-
Dealing with our first major challenge as an organization
and as individuals: an Ebola outbreak which resulted in needing to cancel the PMI
August 2012 team.
-
Taking a second honeymoon basically to the
island of Pemba, Tanzania in September for a much needed break to maintain our
sanity. Fishing and swimming in the Indian Ocean, eating amazing food, and
having an amazing time together was just what we needed.
-
Hosting Newman’s parents, Bob and Lynn, in
October and taking a trip to Burundi together was such a special time. My first
time to Burundi, Lynn’s second, and Newman and Bob’s 3rd . Also having
them here for the grand opening of the Maternity and Surgical building and
being a part of the first deliveries and surgeries at MKMC.
-
Holding tight to Newman and Bob and Lynn as we
learned of my first grandparent passing away, Pop, and dealing with being so
far away from the rest of my family. Totally relying to God for comfort and
peace, and the understanding that Pop was no longer in pain and could now be
closer to me than he was when he was back in Charleston on the other side of
the world.
-
Hosting our first Thanksgiving as a married
couple, killing our first turkey, and cooking my first turkey. It was a success
surprisingly and a great memory.
-
Taking a long awaited trip back to Charleston to
be with family and friends for Christmas and the New Year. Realizing how we had
changed once we were back in our hometown and realizing what we really appreciate
and need in this life.
-
Returning to Uganda with Newman’s brother
Stratton and his fiancé Hunter in January. Taking the time to see a little bit
more of Uganda with them. And enjoying having family around as we eased back
into life in Africa.
-
Dealing with a bout of sickness from Malaria to
pneumonia in a short period of time. Trusting in God’s healing power, and
bringing Newman and I even closer together. Bleeding all over your husband in
the middle of the night when he helps you change out your IV fluids will bring
you closer.
-
Having some old friends return for the PMI March
2013 trip was such a blessing. Seeing a small team accomplish so much was just
the boost we needed.
-
Hitting a slump emotionally over the past few
weeks as the stress of Newman’s job went up, as we were approaching the one
year mark of being away, and as we began to take on too much responsibility and
not giving it up to God to carry. As we began to recognize what was happening
and as we surrendered ourselves once again, things turned around. The faith we
had lost in some of the people here began to be restored, our efforts were
finally producing results, and we began to re-energize.
Now we are at the one year mark. We still have a lot that we
want to accomplish here over the next year, but I can see that this clinic is
going to be successful. There is great leadership in place. I can see Newman’s
whole demeanor changing in a good way. He is able to do more of what he is here
to do and less of what others are supposed to be doing. I keep telling him when
he gets frustrated or down, that he can’t even tell how much he is learning and
growing as a businessman, and a leader, and as a follower of Chirst. This experience,
when compared to all future endeavors will show him, and me, that we can do all
things through Christ who gives us strength.
A lot of people when they come over here for the short term
get on a kind of spiritual and emotional high, which is awesome. I experienced
that when I came here the first time, and Newman experienced it when he went to
Burundi the first 2 times. Everyone says, gosh I bet you are just having the
best time and this must just be the coolest experience, etc… They are right, we
do have a great time sometimes and it has been the coolest experience, but
maybe not in the way you think it would be. It’s a heck of a lot harder than I ever
imagined it would be. It has shown me my best qualities and worst qualities. It
has totally exposed my selfishness, especially on those days when I feel that I
have given all that I can give, and then there is a little knock on the door
with someone asking for more. I have to continually remind myself that we do
that to Christ EVERY day. He’s given all of himself to us, and we still ask for
more and more and more, and he is totally selfless. I have to remind myself when
I start to compare my lifestyle at home in the U.S. and when I envy my friends that
I don’t have it the worst. Someone always has it worse that you do. When I am
washing a huge load of laundry by hand, my hands are bleeding from scraping the
skin off, and then the rain pours down just as I hang everything up to dry, I
can still be thankful that I have a running tap of water at my house. I didn’t
have to carry gallon upon gallon of heavy water to my house in order to do my
laundry. I have it pretty good at my house. When I am trying to sleep under my
mosquito net at night and there is zero breeze and the power is out so our fans
aren’t working, I have to remember that at least I am in a clean comfy bed,
with a mosquito net, and a roof over my head. My next door neighbors probably don’t
have half of those things.
I will forever be grateful for this experience. We don’t
know how much longer we will be here. We are praying about it all the time that
God would continually reveal his plans for us. He unfolds them slower than we
would like, because we are impatient people, but I know he will make it just as
clear as he did when he told us to move here. We do know that in our near
future, we have the PMI May team coming on May 4th. Then Newman and
I will be going on a little get away at the end of May for much needed R&R before
my parents arrive in Uganda for 2 months!! We are really looking forward to
sharing our lives with them here.
Thanks so much for following along with us this past year.
All of your support has helped us more than you know. Being a follower of
Christ is an adventure that one could never dream up for themselves. I
encourage everyone who has doubts or who is hesitant to jump in with both feet,
to do it! I have never spoken to anyone who did that and said, “Gee, I wish I
hadn’t done that.”
I will leave you with the verse we chose before we left the
U.S. to think on during this time in our lives:
“He has shown you, O man, what is
good; And what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly,
To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
