Category: Other Page 66 of 181

I’ll Follow You

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On May 20, 2014

In Other

Seriously, it’s like I’m thirteen years old again.  My emotions are all over the place.

One minute I’m like, I can’t wait to go back to Tanzania!  I’m excited about our new ministry and learning more Swahili and amazing pineapple and my friends and I LOVE MY LIFE!

And then, two minutes later, I am freaking out.  What are we thinking?  What if we are not prepared for this?  What if we let everybody down?  How can we possibly go live in AFRICA?  What if we blow it?  What if we get dengue fever?  What if we get robbed?  



Come on, Amy.  Get a grip.



When the sea is calm and all is right
When I feel Your favor flood my life
Even in the good, I’ll follow You
Even in the good, I’ll follow You

When the boat is tossed upon the waves
When I wonder if You’ll keep me safe
Even in the storms, I’ll follow You

Even in the storms, I’ll follow You  

Right now, I’m in that weird place between worlds.

HOPAC recently posted pictures of the Talent Show.  That was my baby for the last three years, and I yearned to be there.

During the same week, our home church started advertising their women’s retreat….in October.  I yearn to be there.

I see it in my children too.  One day, Grace will skip and jump and count the days until we go back.  The next day, she’ll cry about leaving her grandparents and friends in America.  Why are you taking me away from them?  

People ask us all the time, Do you like it there?  Are you excited to go back?  Tanzania’s home now, right?  

And I just sort of smile and laugh and say yes, because it’s way too complicated to try to describe what I feel.

I believe everything that You say You are
I believe that I have seen Your unchanging heart
In the good things and in the hardest part
I believe and I will follow You
I believe and I will follow You

The tickets are purchased.  We arrive back on Tanzanian soil exactly two months from today.

When I find myself so far from home
And You lead me somewhere I don’t wanna go
Even in my death, I’ll follow You
Even in my death, I’ll follow You

When I come to end this race I’ve run
And I receive the prize that Christ has won
I will be with You in Paradise
I will be with You in Paradise

The Sacrifices Most Don’t See

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On May 10, 2014

In Other

When I was five years old and my parents were preparing to move to Liberia, my grandmother was so furious that she threatened to contact a lawyer to try to get custody of my brother and I away from them.

In contrast, last week my mom said to me, Your job is to follow God’s calling.  Our job is to release you to pursue God’s calling.

My grandmother really, really loved us and couldn’t accept us being so far away.  My parents really, really love their grandchildren too.  Being separated from them by 10,000 miles is excruciating.  Every time we talk about our upcoming departure, my mom and I get all teary.

Most of the time, the emphasis is only on the missionary and the sacrifices they make.  But hidden behind the banner of missions are others who are forced to make equally difficult sacrifices–the ones who are left behind, and who didn’t get to choose to be there.

We made the choice to live so far away from our families.  And yet, they have to suffer the consequences.

So today, I want to honor those who are our biggest supporters, our biggest fans, even though every day we are gone leaves a hole in their hearts.

My mom (known to my kids as Bibi) handles the American side of our finances when we are in Africa.  She is my personal shopper, and so many of my emails start with, Do you think you can find__________? or We just need a little bit more of __________.  She is the first one to be concerned, the first one to pray, the first one to listen.  When we are home, she stocks her closet with crafts and patiently pushes a four-year-old on her bike a mile to the park.

My dad (known to my kids as Babu) is the first one I go to with missions questions.  He is famous for his pancakes and even more famous for sneaking desserts to his grandchildren.  He has taken each child out for breakfast dates on numerous occasions, and dutifully rides the roller coaster at Happy Hollow–over and over.

And of course, Gil’s parents love us just as much.  Grandpa does our taxes and is also an expert roller-coaster rider, and Grandma can find anything at a garage sale–even cars, which she has bought for us more than once.  They have driven an hour each way every Saturday just to watch all of our kids’ sports games this year.  They drive an hour each way every Thursday evening to baby-sit while we lead college group.

I really can’t imagine any two sets of grandparents who are so devoted to their grandchildren.  And yet, we continue to take those children away from them.

And yet, they smile.

And they support us.

And they love us unconditionally.

Even though they miss almost every birthday, every Christmas, every Thanksgiving, every ball game.  Years go by before they see their grandchildren again.

But they smile, and they are so brave.

I know very well that this does not characterize all parents of missionaries.  I have a number of friends whose parents are bitter, or angry, or emotionally distant because of their children’s decisions, and the missionary has to make the excruciating choice between obeying God or making their families happy.

We feel so blessed that our families have chosen joy, and courage, and unselfishness.  They have given us to God, and given us the freedom to follow Him, despite how much it hurts.

Bibi and Babu and Grandma and Grandpa, we love you so much.

P.S. Oregon and Washington

By

On May 6, 2014

In Other

Remember that cross-country trip we did in the fall?  Well, there were a few states we missed out on.

So for the last two weeks, we traveled in our Odyssey again, and this time we went north.  So you could call this the “post script” to our epic cross-country trip.  

We got to see all these wonderful friends:

Redding, CA:  Ron and Carolyn, the first director of HOPAC 

Quincy, CA:  Jay and Diane

Oregon:  Our nephew, Alex

Also Oregon:  Debbie, my wonderful friend from college

Washington:  Eric and Holly, co-workers and friends from Tanzania

Pat and Carol, long-time family friends

Janelle, and her brand new baby boy Samuel–only five days old!

Mark and Jan–friends from Tanzania

Jim and Lisa–more friends from Tanzania (principal at HOPAC)

Sean and Becky–my college roommate!

And we got to do all these wonderful things!

visiting Shasta Dam

at Jay and Diane’s house….with their zip line and ultimate game room…they have the best house ever!

Debbie got us a sweet hotel room right on the Oregon coast

at Pike’s Market in Seattle

Seattle Space Needle

Jim and Lisa took us to an amazing dinner at the top!

Four very good friends back together again

No one would really believe they are only six months apart….but they are sure buddies!

It was warm and sunny while we were in Seattle.  We were assured by everyone that we must have brought Southern California weather with us, which we were happy to do, of course!

Pretty special when children of friends become friends themselves.

Once again, we were blown away by the kindness and incredible hospitality of our friends.  How blessed we are!  

Everything I Love in One Video!

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On April 30, 2014

In Other

I knew that HOPAC was making a new recruitment video, and today it came out.

It made my day.  Partly because I love this place so much, partly because the video is so well done, but also because the missionary it features (Mark) is our partner in our new, upcoming ministry!  Everything you see HIM doing is what GIL will be doing in the very new future!

So not only does this video talk about our past ministry, but our future ministry as well!

It’s less than 4 minutes, and if you have followed this blog for any length of time, please watch it!  You won’t be sorry!  Enjoy getting a glimpse of our (past and future) lives, and then pass it on to any teachers you might know!

Dorothy and Karama and Dreams Coming True

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On April 26, 2014

In Other

This story is about Dorothy, and about Karama.  And about Mother’s Day too.  Don’t worry, it will all make sense.

(in front)

I met Dorothy back in 2001, when she was a student in my fifth grade, and then sixth grade class at HOPAC.  I loved that class and all of us got very close.  

Dorothy was bubbly and radiant and I loved that when I was her teacher, she would write me long notes and schedule lunch meetings with me where she would pour out her 11-year-old soul.

(in center, sixth grade)

(10th grade and Grace, age 2)

When we returned to Tanzania in 2005, Gil became her Bible teacher for all of high school.  She was one of Grace’s main baby-sitters and Gil was her basketball and soccer coach.

(far bottom right)

She was also a part of our youth group and she attended our summer camps.  Basically, she couldn’t get away from us.  Like many of our students, she felt like our own kid in a lot of ways.  We had the privilege of watching her grow into an incredible young woman.  

(sitting to my right)

In 2009, we got to see her graduate from high school and she went off to college in the States on a big scholarship.

Gil and I visited Dorothy (on the right) and Aishi (whom we also love) in Minnesota during their freshman year of college.  

Dorothy graduated last year and started praying about where God was going to take her next.  

She knew she loved Jesus.  She knew she loved Tanzania.  She knew that God had given her the precious gift of a college education, which very, very few Tanzanians receive, and that she had a unique dual understanding of both African and American perspectives.  

Meanwhile, back in Tanzania, one of our good friends, Dyan, started a non-profit organization called Karama a number of years ago.  Karama is dedicated to helping women develop micro-enterprise skills and helping them sell their products to women in the west.  It is entirely and completely fair trade, and works to improve women’s standard of living while maintaining their dignity.  Any additional profits go directly toward sponsoring African teens to attend Young Life camps.  

They sell amazing stuff, don’t they?

A couple of months ago, Dorothy called me to say that she had been hired to work full-time with Karama.  She would be working with women all over Africa.   

I was happier than a bird with a French Fry.  Perfect for her because she loves Jesus and Africa.  Perfect because she understands American fashion and African social issues and she studied political science and business.  She couldn’t be more perfect for the job.

Our prayer for our students over the years has always been that they would love Jesus and love Africa.  We knew that it wouldn’t be true for all of them, but we sure hoped it would characterize a lot of them.  

So the joining of Dorothy with Karama is a dream come true for us and for her.  And I think God delights in doing that.

And since we’re on the subject of Karama, and since Mother’s Day is right around the corner, why not check out this amazing website-store?  Want to help African women?  Want to give your Mom a really unique gift you won’t find anywhere else?  

Here’s your link:

And just in case you’re not convinced yet, here are a few samples I stole from the site:

I’ve got you hooked, don’t I?  What are you waiting for?  Visit Karama!  And praise God that He continues to work in our students’ lives.  

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