We had the privilege this month of meeting a lot of people who have lived in a foreign land for most of their lives. One question I had for them was how certain did they feel when they finally made the decision to move a new continent. Each person's initial reaction was different -- from absolute certainty of their call to long nights of doubt and prayer about leaving behind everything they knew. But as we continued to listen, everyone started to remember the times where doubt reigned and they thought their idealism and vocation were misguided. In more practical terms, they started packing their bags for the next flight home. In a strange way their struggle to reconcile their sacrifices of being far from family, of being a misfit in the culture they are in, of trying to learn a new language, etc. with the reality of daily life was encouraging to me. As Meg and I continue to discuss and pray about our future and the many exciting paths before us, it nice to know that all people struggle with the big decisions they have made even if they seem from the outside to be making the best choices possible (like taking care of poor children in Africa).
Kijabe has many exciting things going on- new TB and HIV clinics, palliative care for the sick and dying, Care of Creation ministry for teaching people how to care for the earth, multiple boarding schools for African and missionary children, maternal-child health for a country whose infant mortality triples most American cities, Moffat Bible College for training Kenyan ministers, great orthopedic and neurosurgery programs, and an internship for training Kenya physicians. I can get really excited about all of these things, but I also get excited about working with Native Americans and in the inner city too! So we will continue to talk with our family, friends, and mentors over the next few years and one day finally make the big decision
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