We are a Bridge

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