The Why

"Where are you going?" "...When do you leave?" Two big questions that start with the letter "W" that Kelly and I have been asked in the last year or so, and we are glad people are asking them as it hopefully means that they care or are interested in our work with MAF. A lot has happened in that time (see previous post) but we still don't have many new answers for them, and that is okay.


There is a third "W" question though that doesn't seem to get asked quite as much, and maybe that's because people already know the answer. Why? as in "why are you moving?" "Why leave the greatest country in the world for potentially a third world country?" "Why move away from good healthcare, safety, a neighbourhood that's comfortable, from friends and family, from the familiar and routine?" Too many times I've given the quick and short answer which is "oh, we want to travel while we can." Unfortunately this implies that we can't travel later on in life, and that we have to do it while we aren't settled into jobs and don't have kids.


I realize that now is the best time to travel while our life doesn't require as much attention from things dependent on us, but the real answer for "why" is because we feel God's call to use our skills and abilities for His use. Paul wrote in Romans 12:5-7, "...and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching." I see Kelly's profession mentioned in there, so I like to think that if Paul were to add one more example, it would be "and for the aircraft mechanic, let him perform maintenance in accordance to the applicable standards of airworthiness to the glory of God!"


Enough of the "why" talk for now. I'd like to address the "when" and the "where". As it has been shown to us, the goal is to complete our ministry partnership in the next 12-14 months. After this would be up to 3-4 months of additional technical, security, and standardization training (all fancy words for stuff I haven't realized I don't know yet) that would take place in either Guelph, Idaho, or England, depending on where the "where" actually is. When we do find out "where", that could potentially lead to a year of language school in another country that we'll call "Somewhere-2B" (see what I did there?).


So as you can see, there is still lots to find out, and lots of work on our behalf in the next year or so (which may include how to properly write a blog). If you are interested in learning more about what we are involved in with MAF, please ask us! or else we will do our best to find you and tell you what we are doing anyway!

“All around you, people will be tiptoeing through life, just to arrive at death safely. But dear children, do not tiptoe. Run, hop, skip, or dance, just don't tiptoe.” 
― Shane Claiborne