After a wonderful week of driving through nearly 60 years of family history, enjoying time with grandparents, and meeting cousins I never knew I had, I had the priviledge of spending a few awe-inspiring days with a different type of family. New, but close, immediate, intimate, and related by blood nonetheless. Just as with the wife of my dad’s second sister’s oldest son and her kids, I recognized many of the names of the brothers and sisters around me from months worth of facebook stalking, but I couldn’t have guessed how much I’d grow to love them in a few short days.
My older brother had kicked it off immediately with a cousin we haven’t seen since we were six or seven, and I felt that same uniting passion binding together the entire group of thirty or so that I met a week later. Even though team lines were more or less sketched from the beginning, the normal tendency to stay within those bounderies and unintentionally form dividing cliques really wasn’t felt, at least not as far as I could tell. Laughs, hugs, vunerabilities and prayers crossed team lines and I am truely looking forward to being with everyone for two additional months of training in Mexico.
Of course I was able to get to a deeper level with members of my own team, but that too is how it should be. 70 disciples down to 12 close companions to 3 in the inner circle. I am so grateful that, with the exception of adding the two who drove into the Gainesville base, the team that found our way out of the Atlanta airport stayed together that night on the city streets, throughout the entire trip, and will be staying together as we say goodbye to the four Africa teams come early December. (Two to Uganda, one to Swaziland and one to South Africa). At that time there will be a small subtle sympathetic smirk in our hearts as we sadly send them off to a 12- 14 hour plane ride while waiting for a flight to Managua, Nicaragua. (jk- you know I love ya guys!) Yes, it is official though – Nicaragua it is- just as I started telling people roughly ten months ago now. Sorry I confused some of you with talk of Peru- it really was a toss up between the two and I am thrilled with AIM’s decision to send all 8 of us there- even if they wanted the largest group to have 6. We’ll be based out of Granada, although trips to Managua to feed residents of one of the worlds largest slums will not be uncommon. Other possible ministries include helping with rehabs, street evangelism, working with kids, etc.
Now that things are starting to come together- places are official, voices are placed with pictures and fb chats, relationships are forming, leaving seems less abstract. More sane. In six weeks, I will not just hug my family with a sad goodbye but I will hug my family in a joyous reunion. God has recently given me a much desired community here, but He has also shown me that even though I have laid that down, I will never be alone. I knew He’d always be with me, but He showed me as well that no matter where I go, He will continue to be at my side introducing me to brothers and sisters I never knew I had.
