Roller Coaster Ride

Our journey begins in earnest today. This is our final day at Akron in our Leadership Orientation. I have often thought of a roller coaster ride as a metaphor for acting on significant decisions in my life and the metaphor came back to me this week.

You know how a roller coaster ride feels. You spend all that time waiting in line in anticipation. You are excited and brag to your friends that it's not a big deal, you've done roller coasters before. Sure this one is bigger and badder than the last one but you can handle it. As you get to the platform you look up at the first hill, you could change your mind right now and walk away. But you don't. Then it's your turn to get into the coaster. Again, you feel some trepidation and you could get up and go with some excuse (I have to go to the bathroom, so sorry). But you stay and the attendant straps you in. Even now you could shout, "Stop!" and the safety conscious attendants would stop and let you out.

But then comes the moment when the coaster pulls away from the platform and the click-click-click begins, taking you up that first huge hill. You are locked in. No turning back. Doesn't matter how you are feeling, you've gotta go through with it . . . and that first hill is a doozy. But the ride is exhilarating, exciting and upon exiting the ride you want to go again.

So we are at the platform of the roller coaster station. It's exciting and scary to think about. Soon the click-click-click of the beginning of the ride will happen, Monday is only 72 hours away. We are not locked in yet, but all the plans are in place.

We leave Akron with many great memories. All these people in the photo have become good friends in a short time. But like those days of schooling (university, seminary, etc.) when you live, work and play intensely for a period of time, the day inevitably comes when you must say good-bye and scatter. We are all assigned places around the world; Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, India, Syria, Ethiopia, Jordan, West Africa, South Africa, Washington D.C. and here at Akron. As Billy Joel once sang, "I've loved these days". The lunches where we got to know each other better, the daily devotionals, even the long sessions full of valuable information that overwhelmed us in the end (in computer terms, "memory almost full").

I cannot finish without a mention of our trip to the Material Resource Center near here. MCC still sends material aid to where it is needed. Our partners (local folks in all the countries we are in) ask and we try to respond. Pictured below is a ship's container on a semi truck full of education kits, over 40,000, for Liberia. When a container is full, staff and volunteers at the MRC will gather to say a prayer for safe passage and a blessing upon the contents, that it may get to those who need the aid. We saw so many amazing things (30,000 cancer kit binders to be thrown away were salvaged and turned into more education kits for children around the world) and heard so many amazing tales (MCC blankets being sent to Darfur to the delight of the people. The story is told that initially the leaders said no to the 12,000 blankets but after a promise of quality and the rep of MCC, they relented. They were used to a non-descript UN thin, blue-gray blanket. When the thick, hand-crafted brilliantly colorful MCC blankets arrived they were stunned. Now they are asking for more . . .) we feel privileged to be a part of such a quality NGO (non-governmental organization).

Remember us as we travel on Monday (Cleveland-Chicago-Frankfurt, Germany on July 2-3. A 24 hour layover on July 3. Leave July 4, Frankfurt-Khartoum, Sudan-Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 8:45 p.m. on the 4th).

Chasing Fireflies

Summer is here, with the longest day of the year. Nightfall comes late, creating a dilemma for conscientious parents; should you let your kids stay up well past their bedtime in order to chase fireflies? After all, the days are long and they get up early. No one likes a grumpy child the next day. But we let Amani, Abby and Sophia stay up past sunset into the dusk to chase the lightning bugs that are twinkling all around the Welcoming Place compound. Their friends join them and there is laughter and cries of joy as the children run to places where a tiny light blinks in mid-air for a second and disappears. In the cool of the evening the adults relax in 10,000 Villages chairs (made of bamboo wood and fashioned like a hammock on a frame) and enjoy a time of non-study. (inset photo: Renate, Amani, Nathan, Sophia, Abby)

Week 2 is now past. For the children there was more of the same; mornings with a short devotional time (singing and sharing and praying), then either a special speaker, crafts or an MCC video. In the afternoon there were the field trips; going to a large central market, or to a pretzel making factory or to the Lancaster Cultural Heritage Center or a 10,000 Villages tour. Learning about MCC or Mennonites/Amish and even the history of all the above is part and parcel of their education. But when the afternoon is done, they are happy to be finished. In fact, Wanda and I see less of them than when we were back home in St. Catharines. "Do you know where the girls are?" "No," is not as worrisome here. They are playing with their new friends either around or inside the buildings or they have found an open computer and are playing games on the internet (yes, we do monitor that).

And our daughters have made new friends. There is Nathan and Renate, children of our friends Marcellin and Esther who are going to be CR's in Zimbabwe. There's Annika and Faye, children of our friends Larry and Gayle who are going to be CR's in Bangladesh. There are other children coming and going as well. We got to meet Holly and her children Jacob, Nicholas and Suzanna coming back from Ethiopia. Suzanna quickly fit in with our girls (there are alot of girls running around here!). There is plenty to keep the children busy but there are times when Sophia or Abby or Amani will pause and think of what they left . . . and there have been a few tears.

As for Wanda and I? It feels like we sit all week long. Eating, sitting and sleeping. But good stuff happening in the sessions. How to fill out forms, who to talk to in the Akron offices for various and sundry problems, how to get around in the new financial programs for MCC countries. But the bulk of the week was with Jan Schmidt who walked us through how to deal with conflict in relationships. Jan, a professional consultant on conflict resolution in business and church, shares leadership in a consulting business in Winnipeg. Sessions were intense, focused, interactive (role-playing) and creative. We were exhausted every afternoon but we learned alot. Then on Friday Bob Herr and Judy Zimmerman came in to introduce us to the new MCC Country Planning System. They are walking us through the vision, the mission and the manuals that talk about it all. They aren't done with us yet. We'll see them next Monday and Tuesday.

Wanda and I got fresh insight on the MCC Ethiopia position this week thanks to Holly coming in. As we ate meals together, she gave us valuable insight into the program, the people and the position of Country Representative. John and Holly did great work over the past 4 1/2 years, we'll have big shoes to fill.

We've got Skype up and running! Thanks to a little help from a friend, we can now call and see Mom & Dad over the internet, even from Ethiopia (depending, of course, on the quality of the internet connection where we will be)! It was a most accidental connection. I was in bed with the computer on to download some photos from my camera and suddenly the Skype program popped up. The wireless service is weak on the MCC campus so I never expected my computer to connect, we use landlines for a stable connection. But there was Mr. Anderson and my Dad trying to connect, sounding like an old scratchy intercom connection. I quickly took the computer over to the Meeting Place and plugged in a landline connection. After a few glitches and false starts last night we talked for about 30 minutes. I think this will be fun.

So we are ready for the weekend. Saturday will be catch-up day for Wanda and I. Filling out yet more forms, making up another To-Do list for next week, going out to buy a few needed items yet, play some Frisbee golf with the girls. Sunday we plan to go to church at Akron Mennonite, then a picnic lunch with friends JW and Deb Sprunger. We found a great pizza place and plan to take our friends out to supper there. We've also got an invitation to go to an MCC house for strawberries and ice cream. Ah, these are the days . . .

Then comes next week. More sitting, eating and sleeping . . . and preparing mentally for next weekend when we will be packing to fly to our new home in Addis Ababa . . .

"I Feel Like a Crumpled Chip"

It is early Monday morning and Amani, Abby and Sophia are still in bed. We are at the MCC Welcoming Place, a series of buildings to house international MCC workers who are taking orientation sessions before leaving on assignment. It was a long drive on Sunday from Kidron, Ohio to Akron, PA and we arrived after 8 p.m. The girls were pumped, no getting them to bed before 10 p.m.

Now Wanda is waking up the girls. As she sits on Sophia's bed and strokes her hair, a still-tired Sophia says, "Mom, I feel like a crumpled chip at the bottom of the bag."

That about says it all folks. The last week has felt just so for all of us . . . I have felt like a crumpled chip too. The selling of so much of our worldly possessions. The checking off the list of all the things MCC asked us to do (shots and medications at the health clinic, forms to fill out) to leave town as well as what we needed to do to leave town without a posse coming after us for unpaid bills . . . Then there was the move-out and we weren't as ready as we should have been. Thanks to all those wonderful volunteers who came out to help us pack the UHaul . . . and sorry about the chaos.

We struggled with feeling sick and tired. Sometimes all at once. Deadlines drove us, especially Friday, June 8. So when, by a miracle (it seemed), our UHaul truck and grandma/ grandpa Amstutz' minivan pulled out of 1 Woodcroft Ave. at 3:30 p.m. we breathed a sigh of relief . . . but not for long. Would U.S. customs officials let us cross the border? The answer would be "yes" for me and our daughters. But Wanda was crossing without any status. A call to the border earlier in the week confirmed our fears. The official said that it would be the border guard's call; we could be pulled over and questioned or even denied entry and have to turn back. So we prayed as we approached the bridge.

Wanda and I felt that, given our recent run of luck, we were just a likely to be kicked back to Canada as to enter the U.S., a 50/50 chance. As the diesel engine chugged down to the border crossing on the American side, I decided to choose lucky 7. An older man awaited us. He asked us the normal questions, then asked us for proof of our story. We handed over a file of documents we had put together to convince them of the truth of our story. We told them about my parents in the minivan behind who had our 3 daughters. Then in a sudden gesture, he gave back our file and passports and waved us through, "you may go."

I was stunned. I almost asked for clarification (what did you say?). But recovered my senses and drove away and waited for the minivan. We were shaking like leaves in the wind. Deliverance. A "Gott Kann" story for our little family. How and why did he let us go without further grilling or documentation? I don't know but I was convinced in that moment it was the hand of God.

Our adventure wasn't quite over. We weathered severe rain storms through New York and Pennsylvania with the window on the UHaul wide open. I couldn't get the a/c or even the vent to blow anything but hot air so it felt better to feel the cool rain and the cool air rushing in on us. The UHaul made it to Kidron that night. Exhausted but content to end the day with the goodness of a shower, clean bed and quiet place, everyone rested. The next day we not only had to unload the UHaul but put everything out and re-sort items. The rushed packing meant items that should be together were scattered all over; kitchen ware, workbench, electronics, children's stuff, etc. But the day was beautiful. Sunny, warm but low humidity. Unfortunately we ended up with sunburns because we neglected to lather up in the morning (Wanda is suffering more).

We have finished our first day of orientation at MCC. We felt like crumpled chips but today some life returned. Bit by bit we shall feel more ourselves. We miss all our friends in St. Catharines (thanks to those who are writing Amani, Abby and Sophia. They'll be writing back one of these days) and family.

For now, we are in good hands and go to our rest tonight in peace . . .