Happy New Year!
We had a wonderful Christmas, hey, we're still celebrating
actually!
Eric's mom and dad ventured across the ocean to visit us in
Kumbo, it was so special seeing family during the holidays! Too quickly, their visit was over and we
watched them drive off in a cloud of thick dust. I was left meditating on their
visit and thinking about how having visitors is such a good opportunity to get
fresh vision.
This time of year in Cameroon is very dry and there is a
trade wind that blows across West Africa called the Harmattan that brings with
it a chill and lots of dust. Dust covers everything and the whole landscape,
typically lush, becomes dry and dim.
Similarly, we are at a dry point in our mission, where we aren't feeling
the excitement and newness of the culture anymore and we face a lot of tedium
at the endless chores of just plain life here. The figurative dust has settled
over our feelings about our mission, we're just trudging along getting by,
doing the work, but sometimes not feeling what was once such a magical and
wondrous experience.
Getting ready for visitors you clean up: you wipe the dirt
from the bookshelves and hidden corners of the rooms (knowing that it will last
not even hours before it's replaced by a fresh coat) and put the house in its
best light. You also dust off your perceptions and try to see things in a way
to help your visitors enjoy the culture. You try to remember what is exciting
to see and new and different or odd. And your visitors help by putting the
polish on it all with their enthusiasm and fresh perspective. You see through
the newness of their perceptions.
I feel like my spirit is all brightened up by this visit. I'm
reflecting on our time here: the end of this past school term; who we've met;
what we've accomplished. I'm feeling particularly glad to be beginning this new
year with such gratefulness in my heart towards God for bringing us to Cameroon
and for the opportunity to be his servant. I'm glad for new friendships and for
the work we are given to do. We have only six months left of our stay here,
only six months to savor this adventure, only six months to serve. Such a short
amount of time but I'm starting in dust free.
-Logan
