It's only 8:30, the day before we leave so it might be premature to call this entry "Departures," but it would be unfair to call all the fair-wells and fissures from our past way of life anything but a leaving of what we've known (I also hope that not every entry is as serious as this one... but after about 10 hours of packing, I defy you to have a sense of humor). Let me start this whole thing out by explaining the title. One of our favorite authors and a catalyst for this whole trip is named Shane Claiborne, and he talks often about the irresistible love that is Christ, but he is stubbornly set on the fact that this guy Jesus called us to love each other in a revolutionary sort of way. Both Jenna and I felt like we have been living in a way that was in need of revolution in order to manifest the love of this Jesus guy, and we were both drawn to this conclusion in a strange feeling of discomfort in both our lives.
We found ourselves living this American dream: we were planted in a community that is thriving, in families that are supportive, we have strong friendships, had work environments that were ripe for success, and we were financially doing pretty well for recent college grads... but we couldn't honestly find ourselves in the midst of all this "success." To be honest, our discontent was not founded on a feeling of "Something is missing," but more accurately we had lost ourselves in the midst of "success," or at least the parts of ourselves that we like. It became obvious that we needed to re-evaluate who we wanted to be. This is why Jenna and I have decided to depart from how we are living to investigate what a revolutionary love looks like for us.
So we are leaving Sioux Falls, South Dakota for Katatura, Namibia in about twelve hours. Are we going to sell all our possessions and give them to the poor in order to hike ourselves up on some moral high-ground? No. All this means is that we'd like to take a minute to breathe out a life we ran head long into because it's what we knew. It means we're taking a minute to breathe in a whole lot of world before we decide what our next step might hold. It means we're giving the momentum of our lives over to a God who has provided an irresistible path of adventure for us because, in the words of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, "There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark. But I shall not depart from this place yet. In any case we must here await the morning-light." So we've got about twelve hours till morning.
Both Jenna and I will update this blog with information about John and Suzanne Hunter, the kids at Community Hope School in Namibia, and how we fit into all of that. John Hunter was here in Sioux Falls a number of months ago and quickly earned the title of "Top 5 Most Interesting Human Beings I've Ever Met." He has a strong love for his family both in blood and in Christ (something Jenna and I would love to learn to do better), he likes to hunt (big African game... something that is cool), throw pottery (also cool), and is teaching himself to throw knives (something that is cool and that I--Bryan-- would LOVE to learn how to do as well). Suzanne is one of the teachers and owners of Community Hope along with John, and we have yet to get to know her better but we cannot wait to get to know these people who will quickly become family.
Balbina is the only child from Community Hope that we already know, and she is currently in the fourth grade. I can't wait to talk with this wonderful little girl who we've already sent a few letters back and forth with.
To finish this first (possibly longest) entry of our blog, we're almost done packing for this major departure with anticipation for a grand adventure that we hope provides a more clear vision of where we want to be in life.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we set off on this journey. I hope not every entry is this serious, and I also look forward to posting pictures of what life looks like in a very different home in Namibia. I'll be sure to end every post with a brief word of what we'd love for you to think on and pray about, so here's the first list:
1) That we don't forget anything major... you know, passports or spouses
2) That all goes well getting on the plane tomorrow...and safely getting off...at the right destination.
3) That we don't get so caught up in the accidental stuff of this trip (cloths, cameras, books, etc...) and that we remember that there are more real concerns that will be met once we get there... no matter what
4) Please share in our thankfulness that this whole journey was not of our doing, and that we're in much better strength than our own...
Thanks guys!
In Love,
Bryan and Jenna
