How all of you, our children and our grandchildren - and little Levi! - have enriched our lives. As we have lived these years in the United States, it is always a wonder to us to see how dysfuntional and disconnected many American families are - even Christian families. In this age of easy access, some do not even talk by phone or correspond by email. Facebook has maybe helped a bit in family communication - but that communication is pretty shallow I think. There is nothing like a loving voice on the phone or a warm message by email. I guess you have spoiled us by being such good communicators and we appreciate it!
The saying is among people about to retire: Don't move to be near your kids, as kids have a way of moving away and leaving you behind, with the change of jobs, family, etc. But in spite of that, we did move here to the South to be near you boys and your families! And actually, we have never been sorry! Of course, we miss you now that you have gravitated to the cold north.....but you stayed around long enough for us to grow some Southern roots and make lasting friendships with local people and get involved in local activities. We have never been sorry about our decision to live in Toccoa. Our church is a very active one, with lots going on. We use our home for Small Group studies, we are involved in Missions activities and serve on church committees. Many missionaries do their home assignments here so we enjoy their presence. We like having the College here in town and help out in classes there each year. We have profitable ministries here in the city and in the local jail. We have caring neighbors and a great neighborhood where we live. So when you boys and families all moved north, we did not feel abandonned in any way - although we do miss those fun, quick trips down to Buford and/or Flowery Branch that we used to make!
With today's easy and cheap communication, we can all keep in contact. It always amazes me to get a clear call from Senegal or Tunis or Ouagadougou - you sound like you are right in the room with us! Visiting you in Ohio for the wedding celebration and again at Christmas time, we felt welcomed in your lovely new home, John and Sheryl. That week of Christmas with the Phenicies and us together with you is a beautiful memory. Thanks to all of you for keeping in touch - we are grateful!
John and Mark, it was a delight to see you settle into business and both do so well in that. A good Christian businessman can have a lot of influence for good in society. We enjoyed all the special dinners and fun times with the kids and special holiday occasions we had for so many years with both of your families. I loved the Christmas decorations in your homes, with those gigantic trees reaching to the high ceilings. Jennie's Christmas houses collection was so beautiful. We were always glad to attend your churches with your families and see your growth as people of God. Your spouses and children have always brought joy to us and continue to do so. Thank you! Mark and Katy, you have made a welcoming home out of a large sprawling house there in Connecticut - it was fun being together there last year, and we look forward to being with you soon now for another visit.
Visiting you girls was an entirely different experience. For one thing, you have all moved around quite a bit. But this gave us a taste of countries and cultures outside of our Burkinabe life. It was wonderful, Debbi and Steve, having you in our country, we had many good years together. We are so proud of all you both have accomplished through your outreach to people of all types - the villagers and the big city elite; the literate and the non-literate; the Dafings and the Mossis and many other peoples. You have learned to both abound and abase, and you do both with dignity and joy. It is not everybody who can fit into all cultures and all levels of education the way you do. God has gifted you both in so many ways and we are so proud of you. Your children have been the closet to us of all our grandchildren because we have spent so many years together in Burkina.
Joel and Elin, it has always been fun to visit you as well - whether in Coudersport or Paris or Côte d'Ivoire. We even visited you in Wheaton during your Home Assignment and again that was fun walking the girls to school and just enjoying one another. For the most part, we are a family of communicators. We would just as soon hang out together in a home or at the Mall than to go to some special program. I have written about visiting you in Coudersport and Paris, and we also followed you around Côte d'Ivoire. All of you girls have the knack of fixing up a palace or a shack to be livable and attractive. That is an art. We were glad to be in RCI for the birth of both of your girls. We loved being a part of your ministries when we visited you in RCI and got to know many of your influential friends there. We enjoy the pictures you send of your new home in Senegal, and again you have an attractive home there, which we probably will not see. Throughout West Africa, people love you and appreciate the great ministry gifts God has given you.
Steve and Debbi, it was a special delight to be able to serve in the same country as you did for many years. Your ability to abase (Safane) or abound (Ouaga 2000) is a gift from God! You both have so many gifts for ministry. Whether we visited you in Poundou or Safane or Ouagadougou, you were always involved with the local people and blessed the lives of so many people, including us! When you had to stay in the States in Pittsburgh for a period of time, again you reached out to people there and blessed your church. Steve, you have such a strong gift of preaching and also evangelism and you are both good teachers, appreciated by so many. And now you have entered the uncharted waters of marketplace ministries - we pray that you may continue to know God's direction in this as you have through your busy lives!
Darrell and Cheryl, we visited you first in south Jersey for your ordination, Darrell. Then as God called you to the Middle East to work with the peoples there, you continued to enrich our lives when we visited you. Whether it was in Damascus or Amman, in Aqaba or Jereusalem or Beirut or more recently Sulimaniya, there was always something good going on where we visited you! We have met so many wonderful Arab leaders and Christians through you. Just recently we had Martin Chaaya's parents here with us for dinner, and we reminisced of when we met them over in Hartabilani church in Beirut. You have broadened our vision of the Middle East and continue to do so. Your fearless, pioneer spirit has blessed us and many other people as well. We look forward to spending time with you in Tunisia before long.
God has enriched our lives through all of you and also through your children. What will the next generation look like??
No comments:
Post a Comment