Future Ministry Possibilities

When will you return to Bangladesh?

This question comes up a lot and we're working on our plans, however, it is doubtful that we will return to Bangladesh. As much as we learned during our time there and came to respect the team, God seems to be opening other doors. Our experiences so far have continued to shape our priorities and philosophy of ministry. Jon feels a strong desire and sees the best use of his gifts, not just in being a general surgeon, but in working to train others.

In light of this, we've come to greatly respect the work of PAACS (Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons), an organization committed to training African physicians in Africa for Africa, a vision that seems to match our own. They, and we, desire to see these future surgeons become leaders in their churches, communities, and other mission hospitals. In order to fulfill this vision, PAACS has established surgery residency programs at several mission hospitals. One critical need is for more board certified general surgeons to be program directors so that they are better able to handle the tremendous demands involved in training and discipling, as well as meeting the surgical needs of the communities served by the hospitals.

Specifically, we've been drawn to a hosptial in Ethiopia. A newer hospital situated in a key location in the horn of Africa, they are actively training surgical residents through PAACS. They are also in need of another general surgeon. More on this later.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We celebrate with you the birth of our savior who alone can bring light to penetrate the darkness of our hearts and transform us into his likeness. We rejoice because his kingdom has come and he reigns on the throne. We find hope knowing that he is renewing his creation and are excited to be involved in this work. And we find comfort in the assurance that all of his promises to us will be fulfilled. It is our awe of and gratitude toward this savior that motivate us to reach out in love and compassion and that are the basis for our lives and ministry.

In one of our newsletters reporting our trip to Bangladesh, we quoted Proverbs 19:21, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Although we meant this, it has proven to be especially true this year. God has spent the last year affirming some things, saying no to others, and giving us a glimpse of new opportunities that we couldn't have dreamed of on our own. Check back because in the next few days I will include entries that describe these.

Pictures

I added a few pictures to the blog because we now have reliable internet access.  I also uploaded almost all of our pictures to Picasaweb from Google.  Here is the link.  http://picasaweb.google.com/bekahandjon

Back Home

We're back safely, although jetlag has made us nocturnal creatures for the past couple of days.

Waking up at 3:00 am, we're ready for bed by dinnertime.  We're trying to force ourselves to stay up, but that only lasted until 8:00 last night.  Grace is happy to be back home with her books, toys and Skype for talking with grandparents.

In the days and weeks we will continue to process what we've experienced, observed and   .  As with any growing experience, realizations come in bits and pieces, times of pain and struggle, and "aha" moments.

More than a vision for ministry, I think God has given us a better vision for our family.  In light of the demands of an American family living in a foreign culture and raising third culture kids, life in the context of a foreign, non-believing culture, and the sinfulness and selfishness that we must confront within ourselves we've been challenged to consider how we're to relate to one another.  We (especially me) have been led into further exploration of what kind of parents and a family God has called us to be.  How, as a married couple, do we reflect the relationship of Christ with the Church?  What is God's desire for us as parents and how is this different because of our faith?  How, as God's chosen basis for society, can the family reflect the best of his creation?  What does this mean for our ministry pursuits and the balance between family and ministry?

As a woman who has been blessed to become a mother, but who also craves intellectual pursuits, there is internal tension.  I've always stated that within a ministry context, my family must come first, that I will not sacrifice them for any number of others.  I'm now being challenged to make my life consistent with my words...

Bekah

The Journey Home

Tomorrow we begin the journey home. It's not the three month boat ride that it used to be, allowing for reflection on past experiences and anticipation of the future. Instead, it's 40hours of shifting around trying to be comfortable, walking around finding gates and allowing time to pass, and hauling around bags, Grace, tickets, and passports.

The past week has presented many opportunities. A few include:

• A visit to a tribal village for the first day of a tribal renewal conference. We were able to see how this group of people lives differently from the rest of Bengalis, learn about the economic challenges facing them, and witness their response to the message of Hope.
• Tea at the home of a hospital employee. We were able to meet his wife and kids, see their home and walk through a village near the hospital.
• Visit a working Compassion site and the home of one of the social workers.
• Bekah was able to spend a couple of hours in the OR, finally believing that Jon has been learning how to do surgery. During this time, she watched as they fixed a baby's club feet, repaired a fistula, and cut a tumor out of a man's chest.

We will see you all in a couple of days...in person or on our computer screens.

Bekah

A Camp Adventure

We busted out of here! Living on a compound begins to feel confining after awhile so we, especially me, have been looking for ways to get off the compound and be able to see more of the country and people. We found our chance on Saturday when a retired couple who is back for a few months offered to take us with them on a trip to the camp that they've established. The morning began with a two hour drive, which we were warned about. It was bumpy at times as we drove down the brick and then pothole filled dirt road, but was overall manageable. Grace's fun and then nap certainly wasn't disturbed by the bumps! It was especially enjoyable to listen to our host couple as they related just a few of the stories and insights gained over the course of 40 years of work.

After arriving at the camp, we were served some of the amazing Bengali tea with samosas and sharingas. We were then taken to a village where we witnessed a family at work in their pottery business. The clay was hand mixed to the right consistency and placed on the "pottery wheel" which was carefully caked with mud in order for an even rotation and turned by the potter putting a stick on a hole and manually turning the wheel around and around until it was spinning fast enough. This is the pre-foot pedal version. We also met a family who had had part of their house burned down, the part in which the believing part of the family lived. Since this incident, the rest of the family has come to belief.

We were also able to visit one of the two churches that have been started through this ministry. This church hosts an Awana program and a Compassion site through which children's lives are touched.

Finally we were served rice, dhal, chicken curry, and vegetable curry for lunch and shown around the little camp. Including housing for 100+ kids and counselors, two playing fields, a covered basketball court, and a challenge course used for team-building, this small but well organized camp is the culmintion of 40 years of ministry for our host couple and the fruit of their commitment and our God's work was evident.

Bekah

Week in Review

Ok, so I stink at blogging. No suprise. In my defense, this is the 4th time I've written this post. Each time. I write it adding more details of the week, only to find that as I try to publish it, the internet connection is lost and everything I have written is lost with it. So here I go. If I lose it, I will have saved it onto a word file and will be able to upload it when the connection is back. It has been quite a week for us, here are some highlights.

• Cox's Bazaar - Cox's Bazaar is the southernmost major city in Bangladesh and a tourist destination located on the Bay of Bengal. The day after Christmas, we took a trip down there (about 45 minute drive) and played on the beach, swam in the Bay of Bengal, and visited the local fish market (an intense sensory experience). Cox's Bazaar is famous as the starting point of the world's longest continuous sandy beach.
• Election day - Monday was election day in Bangladesh. These were the first elections held in 7 years. Bangladesh has an interesting political system. The founding fathers figured that any government in power would be incapable of holding free and fair elections so after each 5 year cycle, the government resigns and an interim government takes over to preside over the election process. In 2006, the interim government determined that the country was so corrupt that is needed an extra 2 years to clean up the mess. This election pitted the Awami League's Sheik Hessina (daughter of the George Washington of Bangladesh) vs. the Bangladesh Nationalist Party's Kalied Zia (wife of a popular former president who was assassinated in office). Both women have been prime minister before and both spent time in jail for corruption during the last 2 years. In the end, the Awami League won in a landslide, claiming parilment seats out of
• Dulahazara Safari Park - This is a zoo/forest preserve located about a mile south of the hospital. This place is famous all over Bangladesh and over 1 million people visit per year. Because of it's proximity, Dr. Kelley has taken care of many of the people who work at the park over the years for things like Baboon bites and the occasional poor person who sneeks into the lions area looking for food, only to wind up as food himself. We were treated like royalty, allowed to drive the Kelley's LandCruiser through the park, go behind the scenes, and go for a ride on an elephant. Grace loved it. We'll have pictures posted as soon as we can.
• The hospital has been slow because of the holidays, but we are still taking care of patients. This week's operations included a carotid endarterectomy. Bangladesh, in spite of being so despirately poor, still has a growing problem with obesity and vascular disease. We've also had some very sick people to care for with very little resourses. More stories for another post.

Jon