"What to pack?" How many packets of ranch dressing mix can I stuff into my four-year-old's carry on bag ? Will my first grader's 50 lb luggage allowance be enough to fit in the next six weeks of homeschool...or (like he's hoping), will the math flash cards have to be put in cargo to arrive sometime later? Exactly how many disposable diapers can I cram into the baby's diaper bag (and still carry it on the 18 hour flight)..and cram into big sister's purse, and Daddy's computer bag...so as to stretch out the blessing of disposables just a little bit longer before real life hand washing begins again?
As we begin to prepare for our return to Mozambique for our second term of work, I've been struck frequently by the significant differences of this move from the first one we made over 5 years ago. Some of them make me laugh and some of them have had me crying.
When we left Kentucky to move go Mozmbique in 2006, we were a young couple with just a little toddler in tow...we were excited...we had the support and blessing of friends and mentors...we were passionate about God's name being made known and worshiped...we had this amazing background of having grown up in a developing country and having seen the God's love shared with those who had never heard...and we...well, we basically had no idea what we were getting into.
We had no idea how hard it would be. How overwhelming the need all around and how helpless and ineffective we would feel--most of the time. How the truths we came so excited to share had to be first carved into our own lives through pain, dissappointments, and ever so real fears. We had no idea how many opportunities there would be to turn back. And we had no idea, no idea, how sweet it is to find "the One who called you is faithful, and He will do it." (I Thessalonians 5:24)
And this time...this time we take four children. This time we take homeschooling supplies. This time we stock up on all the spices for scratch cooking...all the books we can get our hands on...all the Benadryl and Dramamine and Children's Tylenol I can get without looking too suspcious at the pharmacy...and we try to figure out how to pack it all so that if one bag mysteriously "goes missing" (i.e. blesses the baggage handler), we won't have lost our entire library of Veggie Tales. And truthfully, I find myself trying to cover all the bases and trying to remember everything we learned the first four years in Mozambique...because we know what we are getting into this time, right? We should know what to expext this time around! We should be prepared.
I think we have no idea what we are getting into. :)
And in the same breath, I know that whatever it is (that we are getting into) will show me and draw me to The One Who Calls Me.
2 comments:
Hi Sharon! I just saw your facebook post that you are back in Africa and I came back to your blog to read an update. I am thinking about you & praying for you today as your family is in transition again!!!
Just now read thru your entire blogspot with your very descritive, well-written "novel" of events and places and family happenings - THANKS, SHARON!! I hope you can KEEP every single blog entry and someday compile them all into a book. Maybe call it "Tales of life in Mozy with the Kern family" or something much more original which I am sure you could come up with. :) I love and miss you-all!! God bless each one of our Grandkids along with their parents as you serve our LORD in Mozy! Luv Mom :)
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