Passing the Torch

Its been a while since I last posted something on this blog. We are all doing quite well. The kids are healthy and happy, and Shea and I are getting busier by the day chasing Beau, and keeping up with all of Gracies different stages. Since I last wrote we've celebrated Beau's 2 year old birthday, Gracie is now 6 months, and 2 of my sisters each had babies (Colton and Kate...who we can't wait to see). Beau's birthday was a lot of fun. We ended up having a pool party for Beau....probably the first this part of Zimbabwe has ever seen. It may not have been the biggest pool you've ever seen(ok..ok it was only a kiddie pool), but it had cool water ,and the local African kids, and Beau and Abbi absolutely loved it. Beau and Abbi were probably taken back a bit, by the excitement of the local kids(ok Beau actually left the pool crying at one point....he just wasn't used to having 5-6 bigger kids jumping around and splashing in he and Abbi's little pool), but overall they enjoyed themselves. We actually cooked hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and Shea made 2 great cakes(chocolate peanut butter and strawberry) from scratch, turned out great. I think all of the kids really enjoyed the food...a little better then the normal sadza (corn meal mash) that they are used to eating.Beau continues to grow at a lightening pace. He is saying more things all the time. He loves chasing beetles, ants, and especially lizards. (he actually starting to catch them on his own now) He's working on the whole potty training thing right now(couldn't come at a better time...the whole cloth diaper thing is getting a little old). His new love of chewing gum has been a great incentive for him to use the toilet. He's actually pretty good at chewing it, and not taking it out.(except for the time I found he and Abbi ripping off an old piece off the ground that he had dropped some time ago....oh well with kids theres always exceptions). Its been especially fun watching him explore the African bush these last few months. He never gets tired of being outside and exploring the vast terrain(namely our front yard:)). He gets stir crazy sitting inside for very long (takes after his dad). Its been a ton of fun watching him have his own adventures as he explores new trees, plants, bugs and animals(just so long as he stays away from the mambas and cobras). For me its like living life again as a little boy......(I guess for those of you who know me best, you wouldn't think thats much different then normal). Anyway, he is doing great, and we can't wait for everyone to see him when we get back.Gracie is also changing everyday. She is becoming such a beautiful little girl. Compared to Beau her activity's don't seem quite as fast pace, but Shea and I see her doing different things daily. She is now almost sitting up on her own, getting closer to crawling, and eating solid food(She hates bananas though). She definitely chatters more then Beau did at his age, so she may be quite the talker here in a few months. She was actually ravenged by mosquitoes one night several weeks ago. ( I think Shea counted...38 bites....something only a mother would do) We both felt awful for her, but the bites are all healed, and no signs of malaria.......so I think we're out of the woods. She really is doing wonderful and is a joy for Shea and I. As I mentioned Shea and I are staying busy with the kids and work. But we are loving every minute of it(or I guess I should say....most minutes of it). The hospital is full of interesting pathology, challenging cases, and heart wrenching stories. We've seen a wide variety of problems including: land mine amputations, gold mine accident(see Paul and Aprils latest blog if your interested in the details), fractures, HIV, TB, Hydrocephalus, Prostrate cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, Hepatitis, Malaria, schistosomiases, meningitis, and people with strange things growing in strange places(just to name a few :)). We've also been busy doing most of the C-sections here at the hospital. We've done them without light (well I at least had my $8 walmart headlamp), without sterile gowns(Shea and I each had nice plastic aprons...keeps the blood off at least), and performed them on patients who had been in labor greater then 3 days(not a easy thing for those of you not in medicine). So the educational experience we have received has been unbelievable, and we've taken a great deal of the work load off the other doctors so I think its been good for them as well. Shea and I are still splitting up some of the hospital/house workload. We are currently taking care of the women's ward, and last month we took care of the Pediatric ward. The wards are all busy, and each one provides a unique array of problems and pathology. We've also enjoyed getting the opportunity to share our faith with patients and hospital employees. That in fact, is the biggest reason we are here(its easy to get caught up in all the blood and guts....literally), but the reality is we came here to share Christ with people who don't yet know him. All 4 of us feel that with local Shona friendships, and great translators, we have been able to truly minister to patients staff and and especially the HIV orphans spiritual and physical needs. This has enriched our time here more then anything else. Other then that we have enjoyed the extra free time we seem to have. We're out here in the middle of nowhere, so there are'nt a lot of distractions. There is a small little local sadza resturant next to some of the shops.( It looks more like an old west town, then any shopping center we are used to) They serve “burn your fingers” hot sadza with either beef, chicken or veggies. We have begun to frequent that place at least once a week. The beef is a little tough, but tastes great....and we dont have to cook it(so thats always a big win). Before we go into the big city again it will be 6 weeks. After about 3-4 weeks we get pretty stir crazy for civilization, so that will be a nice break for all of us.We are finding one of the biggest benefits to being isolated here in Zimbabwe is the free time we have had....... especially at night. It has really been great for our familys and it has given Shea and I a lot of time to talk and to dig deeper into God's word. Life in the US is so fast paced......there is always more to do in a day than possible, and my prayer and quiet times have always seemed to take a back seat to the busy schedule I help to create. Getting a chance to really spend time in the Word has been great. So I just wanted to share a little of what God has been putting on my heart these last few months. The book that has made the most impact on me lately is 2 Timothy. A little background for those of you who don't know. This is the last book that the apostle Paul wrote before he died. At the time of his writings he was sitting in a cold, hard, lonely, Roman prison(essentially on death row). He had already been through years of traveling, years of preaching, and years of persecution all for the sake of advancing the Gospel of Christ. He had persevered through shipwrecks, beatings, stonings, and imprisonments. In this, his last letter Paul chooses to “pass the torch” to Timothy, a loyal, yet inexperienced friend. He starts out with encouragement. In 2 Timothy 1: 7-8 He says “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” He then warns Timothy of the trials that await him and how to prepare for these inevitable hardships. He compares it to being like a good soldier, an athlete, and a farmer in 2 Timothy 2:4-7. In 2:4 he says“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” He also reminds Timothy of his current suffering, and says in Chapter 2 verse. 9 “ For which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.”(Powerful words) Toward the end of the book in probably my favorite verse, Paul says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.”(Can't you just hear Pauls tired and rugged voice as he utters those phrases)This whole book is incredibly encouraging! You can feel Paul's emotions as he writes it. His moods alternate between sadness and confidence, nostalgia and grave concern. He does not write in his normal composed, and intellectual tone. Instead he writes as one whose physical body is suffering, and although contemplating giving up his spiritual body fights on, like a rugged and tested general calling his troops into battle. So many of you who have continued to read all the way through my ramblings are probably saying “Ok thats nice and all but whats your point? What does this have to do with Zimbabwe?” (don't worry I'd probably be thinking the same thing...I don't really like long rambling blogs either). Ok...the point: We, as believers, have the opportunity and the privilege to accept this torch and run the race that has been run by so many great men and women before us. Just think about that for a moment. You and I get to follow and serve the Creator of the universe.(It gives me chills) And we're not the only ones! There have been thousands upon thousands of great men and women who have given their life to our Creator. They are all now in eternity cheering for you as you run this race in both joy and suffering. Many have even given there physical lives in death and torture (as did Paul) to see that the Gospel of Christ would spread to the ends of the earth. The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” We are all currently running the difficult race of Christianity, but the wonderful thing is we don't have to do it alone. We do have a great cloud of witnesses that are rooting us to victory, and praying that we will keep the torch and then pass it on to those that come behind us. I can just picture these words from 2 Timothy being written directly to me....and in reality they were. God spoke to Paul in such a way that even two thousand years later the torch of faith would still be passed to new generations of believers through the words Paul once had written down. Today as you read this, I'm asking you to fully except this torch of faith that has been offered to you. Know that the road wont always be filled with joy. There will be temporary pain and suffering along the way. But the indescribable joy of living with The Creator and all fellow believers throughout history.....well I just don't have the words to adequately express that joy. Let this way of thinking change how you live your life....I know it has for me. You can't just settle for church as a hobby or just something to do on sundays with this way of thinking. As one of my favorite preachers Matt Chandler always says “Church by itself is really a lame hobby!”. That statement resonates so true. So accept this torch with vigor and excitement, and let it transform the way you live your day to day life.I know for me today, its not just about accepting this “torch” and moving forward with my own spiritual journey. My job personally, and we as believers have been charged with the challenge of passing the torch/baton of faith to people coming after us. I have to raise Beau and Gracie to know our Lord, so that very soon they can take the torch and run the race. I hope all of us when our life comes to an end can confidently say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith”