Preparing to Leave

The last several days have felt like a rapid change of seasons, jumping into a cold lake on a summer day. I’ve transitioned from a season of rest, recovery and waiting to one of active planning, logistics and nervous anticipation.

Henri Nouwen describes advent as “an active waiting in which we live the present moment to the full in order to find there the signs of the One we are waiting for.” The past few months for me have been a season of advent. While my initial plans were to leave for Papua New Guinea in September, the COVID pandemic delayed my departure. Initially disappointing, this season has turned out to be rich with time with family and friends, reconnecting with dear friends, recovering some of the depth in my relationship with God that was lost during the business of residency and time to actively prepare for PNG through language and tropical medicine courses. The pictures are from some of the renewing time I had in God's creation in Colorado and New Mexico this summer/fall.

 

Last week I received my visa! Thank you to everyone who has been praying for that. Once that piece fell into place things seemed to switch into 2x speed. Between emails, flights and other logistics life has changed into a different stage of preparation. Part of me is nervous for the big transition and mourning the end of this time of “active waiting,” but another is excited to get to Papua New Guinea, to learn and to serve.

 

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my work. I’ve been amazed at your generosity and humbled by your support. I am still looking for additional support if you feel called to give. All donations come straight to me without any overhead, are tax deductible and will carry over to my long-term sending agency once I finish at Samaritan’s Purse.

 

Prayer requests:

-Safe travel and the ability to sleep-my trip will likely take about 4 days with several long layovers

-A humble heart and a flexible spirit to be able to learn and fit in to my new work in Papua New Guinea

-Community in the midst of a big transition and a global pandemic

-Strength for our hospital staff who have been working overtime and short-staffed since the beginning of the pandemic. Please pray that I could be a support and not a burden.