New Year – Perseverance

Happy New year to all who read this blog!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s been interesting so far, with Janelle’s first birthday, new accommodation, new schedules and a new dose of perseverance needed to survive this mission. It is down right hard now.

We are happy to report we are now in our new accommodation, although it is temporary. It feels heavenly. At least we can unpack and arrange things to our liking. Even though the kids have been well and truly settled from the beginning, the adults are only just getting in that frame of mind. In addition to our accommodation being temporarily sorted, our nanny from Segbwema, Mama Sombo, has joined us and the effect is amazing. Not only can we go to Joelle’s school activities and other business meetings without having to take Janelle with us, or one of us missing the event, we can finally relax a little more than before as she is single handily in charge of cooking and running the household. We need to get an additional person to help, but at least we can do this in a less rushed manner.

We are reminded of the experience of the fishermen who have to get their boats off the land and into the ocean before they can even throw out their nets. The effort it takes just to reach the first laps of the waves takes sometimes 12 to 13 men pushing the boat over sticks in the sand. And even when they get the boat off the sand and onto the first waves, these same waves which will eventually help the boat out initially are the ones to push the boat back onto the sands. It takes the continued effort of the 12 or 13 men pushing the boat over these first waves before the boat is fully in the water and the waves start to help it out to sea. Jesus used the analogy of being fishers of men for a reason; this profession is one of the hardest, especially when the catch is nothing to show in relation to the effort needed. We are reassured though that the hardest and darkest time is just before the breakthrough or the dawn and we persevere on to the goal that God has made for us. Sometimes we lose sight of this goal and forget why we came, but God is here and at the forefront of our hearts and minds as He reminds us exactly why we’re here – so that in all things His name will be glorified, not ours and not the hospital’s. We’re here because He sent us and He will keep us.

Please pray for our health and to keep the reason of our mission in full focus, also that this tour will yield the desired fruits.