Why Now?

We have been talking about what to do when we retired for almost a decade. We weren't dissatisfied in our current work, more like Jeff's need to have a picture of what was next. There was a wide range of options. Not that we  have so many skills, rather we were pretty open to at least talk about almost anything.  It always was centered on some sort of ministry somewhere. There was really very little agreement on what it would look like.

A few years ago we were at a wedding talking with a friend who had attended and worked at Rift Valley and the subject of what we wanted to do next came up. She was so positive about RVA and our fit there, it just took hold of Jeff's heart.

Jane didn't feel the same way! Basically she didn't want to talk about it because it was not anywhere near her radar. Through some uncommon wisdom, Jeff didn't push. Gradually different ideas and desires turned into one. It was really cool. Last winter we were walking in Lakeshore and Jane realized that the time to go was near. Our parents were gone, no kids within 3 hours of home and relatively good health. (Jeff does get a new hip in Dec.)  Had God been preparing us to go? It sure seemed so.

Jeff went to Haiti on a short term mission trip in early January and came back with the overwhelming feeling of it's time. Our barriers to working overseas are lower and fewer than most others. Don't get us wrong, our jobs here are super important and we have known that they were our ministry for all of our adult lives. It's just time for us to work on a new chapter.

It has been very unifying to have different desires and thoughts merge into one call where we get to work side by side. This process has already drawn us closer together. Working side by side in ministry has been a desire for many years. We feel blessed to have been given this gift.