Our Journey

Glendale UMC invited us to share our witness and plans for service in Malawi at their worship service this past Sunday.  It was a perfect morning that will remain with us always.

They prayed with us,

“As members of this Christian assembly representing the whole church, we send you into service with your special gifts and graces. We support you. You are our gift to Malawi. We will receive you back again in a year on behalf of God’s people...

In Sunday School the children learned about Paul’s missionary journeys and the activity for the day was to give cards to persons currently serving in mission.  What a blessing to receive these cards saying, “No matter how you get there… God is with you! Thank you for sharing the good news about Jesus with others.”

“Like you, we have special gifts and graces, particular endowments of mind and spirit, through which God seeks to be made known to the world.  Together we are the people of God, whose task is to participate in God’s mission in the world. We celebrate the gifts of life, and we face the future with unshakable hope…

The gifts and graces of Glendale flow freely and spontaneously from the individual members and corporate body of the church.  We feasted on a catfish dinner on Saturday night in their common room and arrived Sunday morning in the same room, transformed into a beautiful worship setting filled with cloth and pictures from Malawi.

And during the opening prayer, Betsey Heavner offered a prayer of dedication for a prayer shawl recently completed by the knitting ministry.  When the congregation invited us forward – including my parents, sister and nephews – to pray for us, Rev. Sandra Griggs brought the prayer shawl over and draped in around my mother’s shoulders, a mantle that will comfort her in the months to come.

The congregation at Glendale embodies extravagant generosity.

“Loving God, we ask you to bless the Olivers. Fill them with your Holy Spirit and strengthen them for the tasks ahead. Be in all their work and all the words they speak. Bind this family in your care. May their work glorify you and advance the coming of the kingdom on earth…

This amazing service reminded our family, in the midst of our good-bye tears, of the calling and desire to make our own small contribution to the coming kingdom that moves out beyond the comfort and stability of our family, our friends and our geography and culture.  I know that our family joins Glendale in sending us off with their blessings, prayers and excitement for our adventure; but it was also with heavy hearts and tears that we embraced and kissed.  It’s difficult to imagine what it will be like not to see them for a year, not to pick up the phone whenever I feel like it, or be close enough for birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  But I am so grateful for the faith that binds us and the prayers of the faithful embodied on Sunday that will continue to strengthen those bonds.

Amen.”

Read Full Post »

Thanks to Trayte Peters for organizing a wonderful send-off for Claire Marin and her friends!

As friends arrived they were invited to sign a t-shirt for Claire, sign a picture mat and fill out a form with their contact information and questions they have about Malawi.  And Trayte has already delivered the finished t-shirt, group picture in the frame and a book of all their contact information.  What a beautiful and fun way to remember, celebrate and stay in touch with friends from Nashville!

Claire Marin will have to write in her own words how she is feeling, but I will share one brief story…  As I put her to bed one night this week, I asked her how she was doing.  “I just want to go!” she said.  I commiserated that this is a difficult part of the journey, assuming that she was sad and tired of good-byes.  But she responded, “Yeah, and it’s BORING.”

So, we are all ready for our grand adventure to begin!

Thanks to everyone who is sending us off well.

Read Full Post »

[late Wednesday night]

I’m sad.
I’m tired.
My head hurts.
My heart hurts.

I’m annoyed at all these “last” coffees and lunches and dinners. The countdown is wearing me out. I want to enjoy a meal with my girlfriends without imagining the depth their friendships will grow while I’m gone. I don’t want to be afraid that they will change and I will change and we will no longer be the same friends as if I had just stayed put.

I’m annoyed that Jeff has meetings while I watch the kids. And equally annoyed that if I would just say so, I could be at the meetings.  And still more annoyed that I don’t want to be at the meetings that I’m annoyed I’m not at.

I’m frustrated with myself for buying clothes that I will “need” in Malawi because my purchases only reveal how shallow and unfaithful I really am.

I’m scared that I won’t be enough to support my family – not as strong or adventurous as Jeff, not as confident or prepared as I need to be for my kids. And what if I’m not smart enough or experienced enough to be a true partner with the persons of the United Methodist Church.

I’m sad that this journey is a source of pain and sadness for our families. And our friends.

But even as I feel and experience all of this, when I ask myself – and God – what else could we do, there is nothing else. Jeff and I have come to impasse. We have been given a glimpse of a new way of life, a new opportunity to use our gifts, a new adventure for our family. And to walk away from that now would mean even greater heartache and frustration.

When I look to our future, I don’t see a fork in the road. I don’t see competing options. I see Malawi. And not just because we have non-refundable tickets for July 6, but because it is our calling.

But yet, as the day approaches I become more convinced of the trials and the challenges that we will face. The introvert in me does not know how I will make new friends. The perfectionist in me doubts that I have anything of value to contribute worthy of all the sacrifices that have been made on our behalf. And how can Jeff and I provide an environment for our children that is as supportive as the one we have worked so hard to create here  – where we share meals with friends several nights a week, where the line between friends and family blurs, where the kids see their grandparents almost monthly, where they drink water from tap without fear, and eat raw fruit without a second thought?

I have no doubt we are to go. We have received confirmation and affirmation from a variety of sources and divine coincidences. But I seem to grow more weary by the day instead of more energized. I hope this is natural. I hope this is part of the grieving and separation process. I hope that I keep hoping.

Read Full Post »