SWEET SORROW

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50 kilometers of Ugandan road is all that separates our home from the Entebbe International Airport.  From the hours of 6pm to 9pm (especially on a Friday or Monday), the same 50 kilometers takes right under 3 hours to complete…one way.  Coming back takes approximately one hour…no joke. 

Driving to the airport to pick up visitors is always exciting, especially when the visitors are family or close friends.  We can’t wait to see them and share life together once again.  At the same time, we’re just as anxious to meet and discover new friendships with those we barely or have never met before.  All is good when you are a missionary far from home. 

But then there is the drive after the visit; that same 50 kilometers can’t be long enough.  My father (which was just here with my mother for 3 short weeks) with a tear in his eye, as we were leaving our compound said, “Parting is such sweet sorrow”.  He uttered those famous words out loud as Emma, Annie, Lucy and Wendy were all huddled in support for one another, watching as the van slowly drove away.  As “Plank Eye”, a famous rock band once put it, “It’s difficult to say goodbye.”  We all benefited greatly from mom and dad’s time here.  Thank you for all you do!  

The third and final term of the year for the FNC Academy has begun.  For some reason, I was a bit nervous/anxious for the return of all 39 of our kids.  Would all of them come back?  In what shape would they be? Are our teachers and staff ready for another term?  Was this really a good idea?   

With the exception of 3, all 39 students arrived on time, uniforms cleaned, pressed and were more than ready to learn!  The three M.I.A. eventually came the next day.  Our teachers and staff blew us out of the water; it was like they never went for holiday.  Let me take this time to thank Michael Yikki and the amazing FNCA staff for the hours of preparation put forth over the break.  The support you all showed (the weekly home visits, the more than 10 hour journey deep into the village to love on little Dona and her family as we helped bury her mother), and the many sacrifices only God knows about, showed on the children’s faces as they returned.  Thank you for loving on our kids, and thank you for showing it through your service. 

Wendy and I want to take this last section of the blog/newsletter to inform all of you of a major shift we feel God making with us, and the mission here in Uganda.  From the very beginning, we have been trying to replace ourselves, pouring our lives into the next leaders of Friday Night Church.  We have always believed, at the end of the day, that Ugandans minister best to Ugandans…and it has been our desire, to begin a work that could be carried on past our abilities and gifting. 

With that in mind, we feel our time “on ground” in Uganda is coming to a close.  God has assembled a great team here.  We strongly feel the best days of FNC and the academy are yet to come.  Part of this transition is doing what is in the best interest of our kids and family.   But another big reason is our heart’s desire to see FNC academy graduate to the next level.  It is our vision to educate kids all the way through the twelfth grade, which is going to take serious efforts on our part stateside.  From empowering our teachers and staff, to providing the space and future facilities for the students, our stateside efforts are desperately needed.  The story has to be told before it can be realized.     

Now, there may be some concern that without our family on ground full-time that the wheels of FNC have the potential to fall off.  As my father always says, “Time will tell”…it always does.  But let me bring this personal assurance…we have been committed, we are committed, and we will continue to be committed.  Once we return stateside both Wendy and I will continue to be part of the weekly FNCA staff meetings via SKYPE, and will be in constant communication to maintain the health and wellbeing.  We also have trips planned in February and July to be back in Uganda to make sure our kingdom work through the academy is at full capacity.

We are excited to be going home, but we are already looking forward to our return; part of our hearts will forever remain here in Africa.  Wendy and I humbly ask for your continued prayers, as it is our desire to exit well, handing off the baton we have thankfully carried for the last two years.  With God and our family’s stateside commitment to The Kissing Well and FNC, alongside your continued support, the mission of providing “Hope to the hopeless” for the children of Uganda will go forward.