Across the wadi

Greetings from Al Ain!! Earlier today I donned a sweater, grabbed my coffee, and took off for a walk. In Kenya, I would explore the fields and hills nearby, gazing across the expanse of the Great Rift Valley. I do not have this luxury here in the desert. Today I enjoyed what I call ‘wandering the wadi.’ As you leave the front of the house, you can look across the street through the buildings and see date palms. Between you and the palms is the wadi. A wadi is best thought of as a potential river. In the times of rare rains it may fill and flow with water; the remaining times the wadi is a dry, meandering pathway through the town. I find the wadi a quiet place to walk and wander with my thoughts.

2011 is ending; 2012 waits nearby as a blank sheet to surprise us all. Looking back to the brief pause in life called 2011, I think just how remarkable life was for our family in our small speck of the world. Each year I traditionally take time and look back over the year past. Following this reminiscence, I try to put 2011 behind and look with anticipation for the next brief period we will name 2012.

Transition is the word that comes to mind looking back at 2011. For us, life has been and still is within transition. We started 2011 living on the Rift Valley in Kenya. I was busy being a team member of CURE Kijabe, where we sought to transform the lives of the physically disabled child through emotional, spiritual, and physical care. Jana and I were enjoying being ‘empty nesters’ as Michael was boarding at Hillcrest in Nairobi and the rest of the kids were in parts of the US. Life was comfortable and fairly predictable. But new challenges waited in 2011. We moved to the desert.

When I first heard about CURE Oasis and was asked to consider moving there, my answer was a firm, “No!” I would never leave Kenya to go to Al Ain. Why should I consider this place?

Never say never; you may find out life can be a lordship issue.

Years ago, I surrendered my life and its control to God. Ever since I was very young boy, I always enjoyed the feelings of power and the pride of accomplishment. I liked to succeed as I defined success. I had a good job, a large income, a beautiful home, a gorgeous wife, good kids, and an empty space none of this filled. Life must be more than I, I, I. Life must have and be something more. One fateful night, I made a commitment to let God be in charge of my life and lead wherever He wanted me. I still struggle to take over at times; hence the “no.” That watershed decision redirected my life from one where I planned and pursued into an adventure where I followed. My previous plans for life through retirement and beyond drifted away as the mist they were. My plans were indeed good plans, but God had something different and better in mind for us. At first, the changes were slow and very cautious on my part. My faith and history in this new way lacked depth. I smile, considering what in reality were mere baby steps of faith at that time but appeared as huge mountains to climb or wild rivers to cross. All along the journey, God provided wise friends and teachers to encourage, direct, and instruct us. Maybe you are one of these supporters for someone on their life journey. You may not even know the value you bring to others, but keep on going.

Looking back over the years, I am amazed at where I was and what has happened. In 1994, I was a much younger Midwest orthopedic surgeon working in a busy private practice with plans to work full time until my youngest graduated from college and then part time to pursue other options. A great plan!! In 1994, my brother nearly died from leukemia — an event that got my attention, causing me to reconsider my plan. In 1995, I was introduced to medical missions in Ecuador. In 1997, we went to Kijabe, Kenya, for our ‘once in a lifetime, never to be repeated trip to Africa.’ In 1997, while in Kijabe, we met Dr. Scott and Sally Harrison, CURE’s founders. In 1998, we moved to Kijabe as CURE’s first orthopedic surgeon in CURE’s first hospital, to serve for a year. Mom Mead died just prior to our returning to the US in 1999. In 2000, we returned to Kijabe until God told us to move elsewhere. CURE Kijabe Children’s Hospital ministries grew in unprecedented heights no matter how you measured it. Physically disabled children came from all over Kenya to receive the special emotional, spiritual, and physical care of CURE. Talented teachers arrived to share their knowledge and skills, thereby raising our standards of excellence and increasing the complexity of surgeries possible to perform. Spiritual networks were created and expanded our mobile medical/spiritual efforts into unreached communities. New programs were created to reach out to those in need. A new orthopedic residency allowed many other doctors to be trained now and in the future. Our family grew in all aspects. In 2011, we moved elsewhere.

We celebrated many events in 2011: some happy, some sad. My son Aaron graduated from North Park University and is a youth pastor in North Carolina. My son Ben returned to school to pursue his masters in engineering. Ben’s wife Laura is now Captain Mead. We playfully point out to Laura she is the second Cap’t Mead, since Ben’s grandfather was Cap’t Mead as well. Becky continues to lead the middle school ministry at Forest Park Church. Abby is continuing to pursue ‘Hospitality Business.’ Michael finishes his A levels in June and plans to attend a university in the US next year. CURE Kijabe had three residents finish the COSECSA orthopedic residency. All doctors did very well on their final examination process. Drs. Mbugua, Muchiri, and Ndasi are the first graduates of the COSECSA orthopedic residency started in Kijabe in 2006. Their graduation is a major landmark for orthopedic education in Kenya. These three men are very special to me, and I celebrate their success. The new educational wing and resident housing projects are finished in Kijabe. The process started with grant writing in 2005; 2011 is a happy finish for all involved. CURE Kijabe again had another good year sharing ESP care to many children in need. Each year is never taken for granted, as CURE relies so heavily on donor support to be able to care for the very poor disabled children. All of these events and people were indeed blessings to celebrate 2011.

Life, however, is not only about happy times as we all know. Financial issues plague many people around the US and the world. Many people are hungry to the point of starvation as droughts circle the globe. Ocean storms destroy from the other extreme. Wars and threats of war cover the news. Corruption eats away resources better used to provide care for people in need. We also had sadness enter. Jana’s dad died this August. Dad was 87 years old. He lived a long life and is now in a much better place. We still think of all those gone with a sad smile as the year closes. As the Psalmist says, we are like grass or a flower, here one day and gone another.

We experienced sad times of saying goodbye to friends in Kenya. After many years in Kijabe, it was time to move; the ‘elsewhere’ had arrived, and we needed to follow. It only seems appropriate as well that 2011 closed with another reminder for me. This year I ‘celebrated’ another landmark birthday. This number when I was a teenager was definitely “older than dirt.” I cannot believe I am now 60; I must have miscounted somewhere along the line.

Jana and I are now in a new country and entering a new adventure. I lack a vision of what is to come. I am not sure what I will be doing. I know some of my gifts but cannot see how they will fit and be used here. I study a new language that looks like dramatic squiggles and dots that defy comprehension so far. I am adrift in the midst of papers, as licensing is a difficult maze. I, I, I, I…. Looking back at 2011 and also life preceding, I am gently prodded to remember my life is no longer about me — the I, I, I of before — and my power. I am not in charge of my future plans. I surrendered my life and my claim to lordship. I do my best but rely on God for direction. He is in charge in His strength and His wisdom, using His resources and abilities. What a relief! Taking a deep breath shoring up my faith, I push boldly into 2012 knowing I am not in charge of 2012, but, rather, I live in 2012 firmly in His grip.

Happy New Year to all!

“But as for man, his days are like grass,
He flourishes like a flower of the field;
The wind blows over it and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.”

Psalm of David 103: 15-16