Leaving and Grieving

'Leaving and Grieving' is the term for the transitional period that happens frequently over a missionary's lifetime. Going to the field, transferring assignments, others leaving the area, back on home assignment, back to the field, back to the home country for good, and many other situations. We had a whole class on this during our candidate week.

These emotions truly began for us during the summer of 2008 when we became serious in our process toward becoming missionaries. We began examining our lives a little differently at that time.

'My food processor broke, but why replace it when we should just get used to not having one?'
'Maybe I should start cooking with less meat, and more un-prepared foods, like dry beans, just to get in the habit.'
'I'm not sure I can get used to bath water for my kids that is brown.'

These material changes will be stretching at times, but we have hope that we will eventually feel almost completely adapted (materially) to our new environment. Sometimes I (Heather) have even gotten a little carried away, wanting to sell or give away possessions, prompting Jim to pipe up "Um, honey? We're not dying!" So remind me in 12 months how much fun I think it is right now!

The much tougher side of this for us is relationships. We certainly will still have the same relationships in our lives, but not the proximity. The goodbyes are going to be hard. In case you didn't know this about me, I'm a crier. Everyone, myself included, is going to be sick of the crying come June! The people who are the closest to us now won't be able to share in our lives the same way. I know that some days we'll feel like we will give almost anything to see some of our friends and family that we left behind.

But I am reminded of our true home. How our Father yearns to be with us, but allows us time on the earth. It would be so easy to stay here at "home" in Woodland Park, to be surrounded by what we have become comfortable with, but the knowledge that I haven't really been home yet helps spur me on. We are excited to meet the new family and friends God is preparing for us in Kijabe. We don't expect this to be easy, but we expect God's hand to be on all of it.

Until we are HOME...
"Consider it joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2,4)