Update on our hopes, plans, and dreams

***Scroll down for updates***

So, this blog started as a way to keep you, the reader, informed and up-to-date on our progress toward Burundi as the Lord leads us.  There's been lots going on, but admittedly, little on the blog as of late regarding Burundi. This is partly due to the fact that for a while we didn't know what was happening or what we could or could not say.  And partly due to the fact that Hannah can bring you such wit and humor as it pertains to cleaning the schoolroom, making pizza, camping, horseback riding, and birthdays.  I will make my best attempt here to bring you up to speed on our Burundi progress and timeline as we see it.

Hannah and I traveled to France in June to spend a week with the medical team heading to Burundi.  They spent 10 months in Albertville, site of the 1992 Winter Olympics, at a Christian language school.  At the time we only knew the Faders and wanted to meet the rest of the families and singles who were headed to Burundi.  We really enjoyed getting to know everyone and we both felt a connection to the group.  And, yes, France was amazing--pastries, parasailing, people, and all!  But it was not up to the team to invite us and we couldn't invite ourselves.  Hope Africa University and it's leadership would have to invite us and we didn't know if that would happen in 6 months or 6 years.  We left in a bit of emotional turmoil regarding this unknown.  There were a number of issues, which I won't get into here, that could have affected that decision, but as the Lord would have it we didn't even have to wait 6 weeks!

Shortly after our return from France the rector of the university extended an invitation for us to proceed with our plans.  In all likelihood we'll be working with World Harvest Mission as our sending agency.  This fall we'll begin their Sonship discipleship training course.  In April 2014 we plan to travel as a family to Burundi for 3 weeks to further evaluate (and be evaluated) the situation and our fit.  From there we would attend World Harvest's week-long "Assessment and Orientation" program in Philadelphia.  From that point we'd begin the process of support-raising, and then the big relocation.  It remains to be seen how long support raising will take or what we'll need in terms of language training, but we could be saying au revoir in as little as 16-18 months.

In the meantime we're praying and asking you to pray with and for us.  We need to be more diligent with working on our French.  Hannah has to school the kids.  Life goes on.  I still have a dental practice to run.  I'm in the process of contacting dental supply companies and inquiring about their humanitarian aid discounts and donations policies.  An advocate for us is working hard to procure dental chairs, lights, and other equipment and get it all shipped to Burundi (no small task, I assure you!).  I'm working up a 3-year list of dental supplies to have shipped ahead of time (there's no national dental supplier and the cost of mailing supplies would be exorbitant (not to mention the risk of "losing" supplies along the way).

Oh, on September 19th Hannah and I will be meeting in Spokane with Dr Frank Ogden, for whom the medical school in Burundi is named.  Dr Ogden is a surgeon who dedicated many years of service in Burundi. We're excited to meet with him and hear his stories, wisdom, and recommendations.

There's much to do and at first glance I think there's loads of time to do it.  But I know that's not true.  Time can and does move quickly and if we're not careful before we know it, it will be upon us.  I'll try to update you as we move forward, but I hope this brings you up to speed a little bit.  (Published 8/27/13)

***UPDATE 12/23/13***
We have our tickets!  The whole family will be headed to Burundi for three weeks this spring.  We will spend time at Kibuye with the McCropder team, in Bujumbura (the capital city) meeting other Hope Africa University personnel, visiting with some of the other physicians, missionaries, and World Harvest team members, and possibly giving some dental care. 

We have so many questions about how our family could fit and be used with HAU's vision for dentistry in Burundi.  Our prayer is that God would clearly direct us!  We have had a picture in our minds for the past year plus as to our idea of living, teaching, serving, and learning in Burundi.  We realize that some aspects of this vision are spun from our own chaff-like desires, and some have been nurtured by God's plan for us.  Deciphering the difference feels impossible at times, but we have confidence that we won't be left to flounder halfway between Bonners and Bujumbura. 

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.