Three Years Later

    It was recently bought to my attention that I have not written a blog post in over three years, since before I left Canada! I sincerely apologize for this, and I will endeavor to do better. I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, but I will do my best. I have found that living in Congo uses up most of my mental space, leaving me with little capacity for all the stuff I used to do. It's worth noting that I do have a half-written blog post in that I started drafting, but never finished. Sorry about that.

    So what does one write after a three year absence?

Celebrating a friend's birthday

    I don't know. I don't feel that I should write and update on what I've been doing. It's been too long, and let's be honest, you can read my newsletter and follow my Facebook if you really want to know what's been going on. (I also have an Youtube channel if videos of my flights are your jam... Though I don't post to that very often either.) After significant deliberation, of approximately 10 seconds, I think I should write a reflection on the lessons that God has taught me over this time.

The moment you take a photo
All the kids come swarming

    God is Lord over everything, and His timing and plans are always better than mine. Shortly before I left Canada, MAF had to evacuate our longtime base in Nyankunde due to militia fighting, moving to the nearby city of Bunia. Now, for those who are unfamiliar, Nyankunde is a small village on the side of a large hill (some may call it a small mountain, but they are wrong. Trust me, I'm a B.C. boy, I know mountains). Our base there has a gorgeous view of the valley; it is quiet, peaceful, and one of the prettiest places I've ever been. Bunia is a city of over a million people, not far from Nyankunde (I have a video of the whole trip). The sound of mosques and churches accompanied by the constant roar of traffic is the soundtrack of everyday life. Dust clogs the air, and the view out my bedroom window is a cement wall. Suffice to say, we were all eager to return to Nyankunde as soon as the security situation improved.

My pets also make life nicer

    But that was not to be. Instead it was decided that the security situation was unlikely to improve over the long term and so we would be starting a permanent base in Bunia instead. The disappointment was palpable. But as I always say, "it is what it is", and so my colleagues and I made the most of our new lives in Bunia. Blessedly, I found myself a great community of people my age and my season of life with whom I became very close. Along with the various ammenities in the city, like a tennis court, a pool, and plenty of restaurants, I was able to build a social life and find much needed recreation. 

    I would not have had these things if we had moved back to Nyankunde; the small village just doesn't have that many people or facilities. Though I wanted to return to the objectively much prettier village, God knew that it would have been much harder to live there in the long run, and so closed that door for us. And I know that my colleagues feel the same way about the decision that was made.

A plane full of missionaries

There are many refugees in Bunia

    Now, I should also address the elephant in the room. I know I said I wouldn't do an update on this post, but anyone who follows my social media or newsletter knows that I've had a few rough patches with my health. I suffered complications after my appendectomy that were incredibly painful, and I suffered extensive 2nd degree burns in a welding accident. I have spent more time on bed rest in the past three years than the entirety of my life before moving to Africa! Any one who knows me knows that I don't like being inactive. I need to be doing stuff, to feel like I'm accomplishing something, and so bed rest was... hard (I know, no one likes bed rest, I'm not that special in that regard). A lot of my time was spent wondering why in the world I ever thought moving to the Congo was a good idea, especially if I'm going to be spending so much time not doing the work I came to do! Add to that all the other challenges of living overseas, and I've often questioned my calling to be here and wondered if I shouldn't just throw in the towel and go back to Canada. But every time God has reminded me that "[His] grace is all [I] need.

The kids are often excited to see the planes

[His] power works best in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). And, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).

    I know that God called me here, and though it is hard, though it is painful, though it is discouraging and frustrating, I know that God has not released me from this service. And so I will continue to serve for as long as He has me here. As we all should, in whatever work God has given us to do.

    And who knows, maybe I'll remember to actually write blog posts along the way.

    Maybe.

The Beauty of an African Sunrise