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Two years, really?

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 I had forgotten that I started this blog. Soon we will have been in Ghana for two years. (It wasn't long after arriving that I last posted.) The time has passed fairly quickly, with the cares of day to day living keeping us occupied. Coming from the west many would say this is a difficult place to live, I don't call it difficult, but agree with the locals who will often say, "it's not easy". Usually context is important when they say it, but I say it because many of the things we take for granted in the west aren't available, easily accessible, or convenient. For example, electricity, internet, water, phone service are here, but each can be unreliable and all require in person payment by differing methods. Food prep is time consuming, no grabbing take out or a packaged meal from the grocery store (there are no 'grocery' stores), most items come from 'the market' or small shops which might have basics like tomato paste and salt. I underestimate...
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  Moving ... We have arrived! Sort of. We are not in Tumu yet (but we’ve visited, more below). We’ve spent most of our time so far in Accra. The first several days working through immigration requirements and in SIM Ghana orientation, but much of the time since sorting out what we’ll be taking north (shopping), and other logistical things, including with our vehicle. We believe that God orchestrated a meeting with Troy back in October while training with Samaritan’s Purse. Troy, a physician, had been serving here for several years, and he and his family were preparing to move back to the US, so we were able to purchase their vehicle, a Nissan Patrol. It is a utilitarian vehicle similar to the Land Cruisers and Land Rovers so often seen in African documentaries and is perfectly suited for where we will be. (Thank you, Troy!) Half a day at the DVLA (the equivalent of most US DMV’s), some time getting the A/C serviced (more important than a steering wheel, according to our director)...
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Home

  A few weeks ago, while still in Alaska, I received a text – “You guys home yet? But where is home?   Is it where you - ‘hang your hat’, ‘park it’, ‘make it’, ‘grew up’, ‘return to’…? Is it where your – ‘family is’, ‘heart is’, or where you’re ‘longing for’…? When I was in the Navy our ship had a ‘home port’, and many of my fellow sailors couldn’t wait to get out, so they could ‘go home’. Keyboards have ‘home’ keys, and websites have ‘home’ pages. Sports teams have ‘home field advantage’, and salesmen (and animals) have ‘home territories’. SIM, our organization talks of ‘home assignment’ when leaving the field for short periods. Beside the physical, dictionary.com defines home as “the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered.” I think that for many of us that is what home becomes. Not necessarily a physical dwelling, but a place we call home. Where our family or the people we’re connected to are, that’s where home becomes. Currently, it seems when I’m ‘...
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A malady. A cure.

 A "Holy Discontent" is how someone described it as we were sharing where we were at. Retired, living comfortably, active in our community; family, friends, church, too far from our grandchildren, but enjoying them when we could... And yet, something was missing. We travel, we volunteer, we have stuff, there are plenty of projects; we're as busy as ever, but... We want more, not more of those things, more of God. More of what He wants for us. Those things don't, haven't, won't satisfy, He does, and it's Him who has stirred us with a Holy Discontent. Realizing what it is has led us to the cure: obedience. Obedience to do what He has commanded of His followers, and equipped us, Beth and I to do. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." We hesitate to use the term "called" too lightly, maybe because we are all "called". However the command is there and we feel "equipped" so why shouldn't we? Because it...
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