Africa…The Coming Crazy Time

We’re, Miriam and I, and maybe our friend, Bruce, are going to Africa this coming December and early January. We’ll hopefully head out right after Christmas. There, I said it. You have to understand something. This scares the begeebees out of me. Actually, being in Africa (Burundi, to be exact) doesn’t bother me that much. I’ve spent several weeks in Paraguay and a couple weeks in Haiti before and really enjoyed, valued those experiences. What scares me is the flying. I deeply dislike flying in airplanes.

But we’re going and I’m really excited. Miriam’s parents were missionaries in Burundi. She hasn’t been there since she was a junior in high school. For years she has had little if any desire to go back, but in the last three or so years, there has been a growing draw back to the places where she grew up. She has some important reconnecting and reunderstanding work to do and I want to journey with her through all that. So why are we going to Africa? To do some humanitarian work for others? Nope. Just to allow Miriam to revisit places important to who she is and most likely to find some healing for her. If the truth be told, we probably should have made this trip years ago. I only hope I’m not the reason we haven’t. For my part, I’ve taken Miriam to all the places that were important to me growing up. Finally, it’s her turn. Of course, we’re going to spend as much money on this one trip to her stomping grounds as we have on all the trips we’ve taken to Colorado, so….

It’s been exciting to see how God has gently, but consistently been moving us to this trip in the last three years. We even tried to use a trip to Hawaii for our 25th wedding anniversary as a substitute. No deal. We’ve made contact with a person that Miriam’s parents knew and who is running an organization in the capital of Burundi for people, especially women and children, who were traumatized by the violence in Burundi during the civil strife. His name is David Niyonzima. Wonderful man. He has visited in our home twice and the timing of his visits in relation to the timing our plans has been spooky…divine, some might say, some like me. Then there has been the encouragement of Bruce and the possibility of him going with us. He and I have tracked together in several important aspects or our lives together and when he showed interest in going, it seemed so natural. Then, for me personally, there has been the reading of a couple important books that have challenged me to stretch…move into crazy time…go for adventures I would be sorry I would have avoided later in life. But most of all, it has been journeying with Miriam, watching the need for her to visit Burundi rise in her heart and mind and knowing there is nowhere else I would rather be than with her as she lives into this challenge and transformation. She is the most incredibly and loving person I know, and to support her in this trip brings me deep joy.

So we’re going to Africa. I’ll be flying in a plane for hours and hours and hours. But hey, I’ll be sitting next to Miriam. That makes it good.