Change!

Jeff and I both grew up on the East Ohio District of the Church of the Nazarene.  We were fortunate to be involved in several W&W trips with the district.  The W&W coordinators at the time, and for many years, taught us a lot of useful tidbits concerning missions.  The single most heard phrase by far was "Be flexible!"   Many cultures around the world don't put the same value on time efficiency nor as much focus on getting the job done completely and as quickly as we westerners tend to.  I used to think that I was pretty good at being flexible and, realizing that on the mission field things don't always go as you might think they should, I would manage just fine! 
Thinking about being flexible leads me to think of change.  When change comes we need to be ready to adjust our thinking, our priorities, our focus...we need to be flexible!  The past couple of years has brought some pretty dramatic changes in our lives...and it has been tough!  In some instances way tougher then we had ever dreamed.
First, was the high school graduation of our firstborn, Jessica.  It was a happy time in that she had met this milestone and did very well!  But I couldn't think about graduation without thinking about her coming departure from PNG.  And that was hard, I mean really, really hard.  God has sustained us though and we are continuing our work here in PNG while Jessica is successfully navigating life in the US as a college student.  He has given us the strength and the resources to assist all of us during the transition.


General Superintendent, Dr. David Busic with the ordinand!

Other changes have come along as well.  Some with joy and ease.  Ethan is now more than 1/2 way through his junior year of HS and doing very well.   Jeff set out a few years ago to complete the requirements to become an Ordained Elder in the Nazarene Church.  He was approved  by our home district, the East Ohio District, in May of 2014 and was ordained here in PNG on Nov 15th!  I became a great Aunt for the first time on July 16th!  We had Jessica and one of her school chums here for Christmas and then a whole bunch of MVNU students were here for January term which Jessica joined in on. 
The biggest change for me in the work place came about after much deliberation  and prayer, over a long period of time.  I  made the decision to move out of the position of Director of Medical Services.  I moved into the position in March of 2009 and so have finished nearly 6 years.  Why was it so difficult?  Well, I have given that much thought as well! I'm not sure that I have it all figured out completely.   One thing that I have come up with is that although there are aspects of the position that have been very rewarding,  it is simply not where God wants me to be right now.   And for that reason, I have lost the joy that I once had. 
Service to our great and awesome God should be a joyful experience should it not?  Oh, that's not to say trials and disappointments won't come.  We know that life is full of trials and in fact God uses those trials to grow us into the men and women He desires us to be.  I believe that if we are where God wants us to be, doing what He has for us to do, we should have a sense of deep satisfaction and joy!
There will always be changes headed straight for us!!  My prayer for you and for myself is that we will stand strong as we continue to seek God's path...and that we will remain joyfully, inexplicably flexible!!