Finding a beginning at the end
Karl and Debbie....the beginning of the end
CS Lewis in “The Last Battle” pictures death as entering through a dark doorway into a space that becomes bigger and brighter and more wonderful with every step. The concluding words in “The Last Battle of the Chronicles of Narnia read, “All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
Fifty years ago we stepped through a “life-warp”. It was for us perhaps a little like entering the wardrobe to get to Narnia. Last week was a special anniversary day for us when we reflected back many years to the day in 1974 when Debbie was released after 26 days as hostage in Eritrea. After watching our colleague Anna fall, and then burying her, we have had many adventures and stories. You have read about them if you have stayed with us through these years.
Our first Christmas in Ethiopia
In the Chronicles of Narnia you follow as four children grow older, wiser, and change through the seven different books of the series. We were only 24 when we first entered our “new world”, and we now come to what we perceive is the “last book” of our Chronicles. Not the final chapter. Not the last sentence. But the last book.
Following the first book of our mission walk that started in Eritrea we might call “Kyuso”. It was our life in rural Kenya, learning new languages and culture, living without water or electricity, homeschooling, and getting grocery deliveries off the top of a bus.
The next book of our mission journey was “Urban Church Planting” and detailed lessons learned and self-discovery in working with an American team, walking among the poor, joining with Kenyan colleagues, and finding joy in God’s growing church.
Following that was the book of “Changes” which involved many chapters of shifting our center to the US to do training of missionaries for preventive health, HIV/AIDS, and then a return to Kenya to create a healing and reconciliation team in Rwanda.
It might make sense to entitle the next phase of our mission journey the book of “Precipices” because we started new programs of HIV/AIDS and family-health across Africa, and a new center for church leader learning in Nairobi. Those escalated to a global reach with programs that impacted hundreds of thousands of youth, mobilized families through the church and started a movement of peace making in seminaries with a new PhD program in Manilla, the Philippines
Now, our final “book” starts. Call it, “The Final Journey”. We are not exactly sure how the story line will read, so you will have to keep reading. Our intent is to:
1) Assist in the start up of new Graduate Peace programs where new PhD graduates are seeking guidance;
2) Continue the formation of a global network of International Christian Peacemakers for dialog and exchange, and perhaps most importantly,
3) Capture the stories and many of the nuggets learned from the amazing saints across the globe and write before our minds no longer recall the masterpieces.
The lines are likely to become lighter and fewer. But we see the Church as a gathering global force. We are watching that force in many countries and seeing some of our earlier themes being repeated. A former intern at the Institute for the Study of Africa Realities (in Book “Precipice”) has now become the director. Five doctoral students in Peace Studies are transitioning to become resources in or begin other programs in Peace Studies, (graduates from Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, Lebanon, and the US). The curriculum for Families for Life at World Relief ”Precipice” Book has now multiplied to more countries and programs and is the standard for World Relief.
Now our role is changing, and you will find it in this season of our lives. We will no longer be a part of Mission to the World for our monthly provision, but we will seek to draw from a project fund to travel and help nurture the gathering force for peace from time to time. We have moved from our home in Baltimore to an apartment in a senior living community in Baltimore to preserve and consolidate our strength and time. We will continue to assist the International House in Baltimore. We are praying for God to provide a long-term investor to carry it forward. We will continue to serve the local church, for we have always served the local church even as we have served the global church. We hope to write more about missions at the start of a new journey…until our memories fade.
When we look back to the start of our journey fifty years ago, the path since then has been ever more wonderful and adventurous. But not as wonderful as it eventually will be. We look forward to the pathway that our sister Anna took 50 years ago. One day we will enter that doorway, as will you. We look forward to the dark becoming light, to the small becoming great. Do you? Fifty years ago Paul’s words to the Roman church was our light, and it still bears light today:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways, For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36
So as we come to a final season, not knowing the final end of our story, we are amazed at the wisdom and the gifts of God in our lives. We have seen others of our friends enter the final doorway, and we know that is our door as well one day. Until that new day though, we rejoice in our adventure, the story, and the joy of our journey with the King. We will continue to write of our journey and story and if you want to keep following and praying with us, you need to do nothing but read. We will continue sending you updates. If you would like to set our chronicles aside and follow others, then feel free to click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of this page and you will no longer be on our email list.
The international house now has one empty room, a Chinese couple, a Brazilian PhD student, a Palestinian PhD nursing student and a Turkish post-doc surgeon.
We are deeply humbled as we consider how you have faithfully prayed and sacrificed to support God’s work chronicled in these “books”. We trust your reward will be deeply satisfying as you center on The Author and Finisher of our Faith, the Lord Jesus Himself.
Eagerly looking Ahead,
Karl and Debbie
Give thanks with us:
-Our support account is healthy at this time. MTW will be communicating with all our donors about our next steps and how our account will be handled.
-We have completed our move. Our new home will keep us fit and active, and has a guest suite for you to visit. We are minutes away from the Baltimore Airport. Our new address is: 707 Maiden Choice Lane, Apt EW207, Catonsville, MD 21228.
-We are in process of selling our house of the last 20 years and know that God has the right purchaser at the right time.
-We look forward to new opportunities locally and globally as God helps us to choose from the many options.
-We have strength and health for today, and our hope for tomorrow is always going to be brighter, greater, and further up.
