This is a season of travel for us because it is a season of
connecting with people we rarely get to visit. We love people most of all and
we are grateful for time to connect. In this season we have newly realized
something about ourselves. We are a bridge.
We are a bridge between cultures. Now we are physically
present in the United States of America but a very big part of our hearts and
brains are in Uganda. We span these two cultures like a bridge spans a
canyon We have deep pillars in each of the two cultures, supporting us as we
bridge the differences. Life is very different on either end of our bridge and
yet, for us, through us, the two are connected.
We are a bridge between resources and service. As we connect
with people we share what we get to be a part of in Uganda, how we see God at
work and how he invites people into his work. We are asked questions about the
ministries and people in Uganda. Often they also want to know how they can participate
in serving in Uganda. Many people are sacrificially donating money every month
to enable us to connect people to Jesus in Uganda. Resources and service are
the framework for all of us collectively serving in Uganda. Together we are a bridge
in the Kingdom of God.
We are a bridge between the past and the future. This is
obvious in so many facets of who we are and what we do, but perhaps no more so
than in grand-parenting. We connect our grandchildren to the past and they
connect us to the future. In the same way, we help to bridge the gap in
knowledge of what has been in the past with what is now, as we look with our
colleagues into future ministry opportunities in Uganda.
We are a bridge, and sometimes we need to lighten the
traffic load on us for maintenance to take place. This is part of why homeland
ministry assignment (HMA) is necessary. Stepping away from the responsibilities
we carry in Uganda and connecting with loved ones in the U.S. brings us renewal
and refreshment. This is also why we take Sabbath time every week. God knows
just how to repair and restore us for continued service. He often uses His own
people to touch us in restorative ways, and for these we are forever grateful.
We are a bridge designed by God. We are a bridge held up by
strong supports, ones that have names and faces and we know parts of their life
stories. We are a bridge, common in sort, bridging uncommonly good people and
places and times. We are a bridge designed by God.
Jeff and Christine
