Finally back again, together

From the beginning, this ministry has always been a family endeavor.

Tracy and I prayed about serving vocationally for many years even before God’s “wait” became His “yes, now.” The kids grew up preparing to move overseas one day. We all let go of things that would’ve become family heirlooms or treasured toys and mementos to share with later generations, and much harder, we all said goodbye to friends and loved ones and stepped forward in faith and obedience to God’s call. We moved to Cape Town, found a church and embraced our community and its people, and made friends. There were blessings and joys and challenges and heartaches—just as there are in every season of life.

Then, much sooner than we’d anticipated, we did it all again, letting go of the life and relationships we’d formed in South Africa, stepping forward again into God’s plans although it felt like stepping back, trusting and obeying God even when we didn’t understand His call back to the US.

There have been many blessings over these past six years, but there have also been challenges and heartaches. Our family has continued to serve the Lord through this ministry, but it has often been difficult to keep a family connection when only I have been able to travel back and see those friends and colleagues and the many people to whom we’d shared Christ’s love in community outreach, when only I have been involved vocationally while Tracy has worked in medicine and the kids have attended school.

It has always been our family’s ministry—and the family has always been very much involved in the sacrifices, steps and choices that make it possible—but it is only fair to acknowledge that it hasn’t always been easy for them to feel connected to it.

So it was a very special joy last month to finally spend time in South Africa together as a family again. We had long tried to take a family trip back, but funding shortfalls, caring for my elderly parents and COVID all kept delaying such a trip (we had even bought four airline tickets about a week before COVID shut down all international travel). What a blessing that we were finally able to do so!

I went first for three weeks of ministry travel (about which I will post soon), and then Tracy and the kids joined me for a two-week family holiday. We were able to revisit many places that had been important to us there, renewing those memories and reconnecting as a family to them and to the country and people they represent. More importantly, we were also able to reconnect to many of the people who had been so dear to us, from colleagues and community friends to those who had become family themselves. I had been able to keep those connections strong and present through my visits, but Tracy, Karen and Billy (and we-as-a-family) were finally able to enjoy them directly again.

Some particular highlights:

• three dear friends and I greeting Tracy and the kids back to South Africa at Cape Town airport after three weeks away from them and seeing all of them reconnect
• hosting a “Taco Tuesday” dinner party for many friends in Cape Town
• visiting the Chama family, who have always been so close to us and who host me for dinner every time I’m in Cape Town
• spending a weekend with our dear brother Freeman (who’d lived with us a couple seasons there as a young, single man) and his lovely wife, Hlengiwe, their son, Ukhona, and one of Freeman’s sisters, Buhle
• Karen reconnecting with her friend Summer and Billy with his friend Simanye
• visiting Juliet—our favorite convenience store clerk who always asks me about the family—and being able to tell her manager what a blessing she has always been to us
• Tracy attending her old knitting group again
• sharing beloved treats that we can’t get here in the US
• taking many family photos and even recreating some old favorites
• returning to the US together as a family

It has felt so invigorating to have finally reconnected our family in person with our beloved South Africa and friends and ministry there, and we are excited about so many things moving forward—including the next time we will be able to return together. What an encouraging reminder this has been of God’s faithfulness and goodness.

To all of you who have prayed alongside us and this ministry, thank you for your faithfulness, too.