HOW TO SAY GOODBYE?

by Cheri Roland

Since Facebook is blocked, we have no internet signal and the water is off for the second day in a row, I might as well jot down some thought about leaving that have been swirling around in my gut.

  

The Field Education and Ministry course we initiated in January 2011 has demonstrated that working with real folks in real life situations across the life spectrum plays a major part in spiritual formation.   This year FEM has graduated from a non-credit/non-grade course requirement into a significant part of the curriculum.  We feel blessed to have been instrumental in FEM’s development and implementation, as well as providing pivotal input into writing policies and procedures of this infant seminary.  The longer we have been here, the more we have come to understand the profound importance of these budding ministers’ mission to transform Southern Africa and beyond.  

Doug and I have been lame ducks, basically, for the past week.  And this is a good thing!  Our Board of Global Missions Intern, Hillary, is already doing a great job with our FEM program.  Despite her tender age of 23, she has gained the respect and acceptance of the staff and seminarians.

Now saying goodbye is a black cloud looming on my horizon.  Leaving folks I have come to love is hard in any situation, but perhaps having to wiggle our way into an an unfamiliar culture has forged a different quality of bonds.  Here we’ve had to work more intentionally at relationship building. Nurturing these friendships took  dedication to scrape away layers of suspicion and miscommunication before we could click as fellow children of God.  Yup, I’m dreading April first!   

What really makes any place in the world special is the PEOPLE.  The friends, colleagues, seminarians, agency partners, neighbors, fellow church members, even the folks that keep us company on TV - they will forever remain a major part of our lives, of our stories.   

And just to name a few other things I’ll miss...  

The true gift of being part of the team that leads, mentors, counsels, prays/giggles/cries/praises/sings/dances with this amazing collection of dedicated souls who are striving to save this church and nation

Working where the number one thing stays the number one thing

Working in stunning surroundings, my floor to ceiling windows looking out over the tree-studded quad to the amphitheatre and chapel

Sitting on my “front porch” grading FEM workbooks

The privilege of sharing the insights and spiritual growth of the seminarians as they confronted serving the marginalized

Walking/hiking through this arresting landscape with my new-found peeps, both human and animal

The profusion of flowers and birds everywhere

Learning and living other cultures

Working with my beloved husband 24/7 

Being surrounded by hills and mountains as far as the eye can see

The serendipty of weird critters sharing our house, inside and out 

Hiking in the bushveld with giraffe, zebra, wildebeests, impala, warthogs and monkeys just ten minutes from home

Cheeky monkeys awaiting any opportunity to sneak in the house to forage for food

So, how to say goodbye and express my thanks for the extraordinary love and care poured out to us by our extraordinary adopted family?  God only knows!