Two years ago, I sat by Michael's bed reading one of the Narnia books to him. He held my hand. Trying to imprint the image in my mind, I thought, "Better yet, use your phone!" I'm glad I did.
A few weeks earlier he had, in the jumbled up way his tumor allowed him to form words, wondered what I would remember about him. Our years together were not always wonderful. But now I hardly remember the hard times. I remember him dancing in the kitchen with an apron on; tossing herbs into the pan from behind his back in time to the music. I remember good conversations on the back porch - in Dembi, in Gambella, in Wise - over a couple cups of coffee together. I remember seeing him at a computer working on correspondence or lesson plans or sermons, a red bandana tied around his forehead, jazz or Led Zeppelin playing in the background, and Michael completely unaware of my presence at the doorway. I remember the last time I sang "He's Always Been Faithful" in church in Wise. It was the summer the second tumor came back. We knew it was there, but it wasn't acting up, yet. He was scheduled for another doctor visit soon. As I stepped down from the mic, I glanced back at the pulpit where he was standing getting ready to continue the worship service. His smile said he knew I would be ok. That one is only printed in my mind. I play it over and over.
I miss him so much.
So I study Hebrew. And Christian History. And Pastoral Care. I'm still not sure what I'm doing here at seminary, but at least I have something to do and a place to live. I'm glad our daughters live nearby, Lydia, less than 100 miles away and Amira, less than ten miles away. I'll learn something. Maybe I won't be too old to do something with whatever I learn when I'm done.
I'm still on the steering committee of With You Always, the initiative to keep supporting Presbyterian cross-cultural mission with partners around the world. We're still putting together whatever WYA will become. Currently, our important concern is to help those Presbyterian Mission co-workers who were fired but still had a call to be able to fill that call. We're not a funding organization but are calling on Presbyterians to consider choosing one or more of them to support financially and every way people need support. To that end we've started an occasional newsletter to keep them in view and to help Presbyterians interested in collaborative mission work connected to each other and to our partners.
The first newsletter came out last week. Click here to open it in a new window. And then subscribe, so that it comes to your inbox whenever the next one is out, probably in another three months or so. We are all volunteers with other things to do, and we're just figuring this out, so four times a year might be as often as we can produce a meaningful letter. You can find the full list of those mission co-workers on the New Wilmington Mission Conference webpage or by clicking here. It opens with an invitation to subscribe to the newsletter.
News from Ethiopia is troubling. You might have heard about the troubles in the north again. But there is also constant troubling activity in the west as well. My friends in Gambella are still hoping to put together a seminar to help broker peace between the Anywaa and Nuer there, but ... there are too many clashes and killings. Please pray for Gambella. Pray for church leaders. And if you want to contribute funds there are many needs. This is the place to support that work. Click "give now" then find "Ethiopia Partnership" in the drop down list.
If you're driving through or near Richmond, come find me. I'm not far off I-95.
If you only click on one thing, make it the With You Always newsletter. Presbyterians are still actively involved in God's mission in the world.
Thanks,
Rachel
