Debriefing Week

July 10, 2016

It is hard to believe that we are getting close to finishing our bottle of malaria pills and that our time is drawing near to when we will hop on a plane and come home.

We left St. Francis Retreat Center at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning and drove for about 12-13 hours until we arrived in Mombasa where we are gathering with our team for debriefing.  

the back of the bus.... 

While we knew we would be close to the beach, we were not told where we would be staying. So, when we drove up to the Neptune Hotel that is right on the beach, we were all in a bit of shock. Students and staff had no idea that this place that has a feel of a resort was the landing pad for our debriefing so it was a huge surprise. (Brian and Debbie - our fearless leaders- are very good at keeping secrets for the sake of the entire experience for everyone.) 

Over the last 24 hours since arriving, I have seen the whole spectrum of emotions on our team from guilt to anger to dissonance to relief to excitement and contentment.  Anna’s first response when we got here was “I wish we were back at St. Francis” which did not surprise me because she connected so well there with the sisters and she felt so at home here. When we arrived here, we got off the bus and were handed glasses of fresh fruit juice and I wanted to cry as it was a bit overwhelming. The contrast to the last 6 weeks here in Kenya is stark as we all have seen so much poverty and we are now faced with the abundance here.  This is a place we get to experience culture shock to prepare us for the culture shock we will face back at home. The conversations we have been having are deep and are helping us process the time here in Kenya. 

  

Brian talked about Philippians 4 today:

¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Often this verse “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” is cross-stitched and put on a pillow or on a wall hanging and is taken out of context. This verse is really about contentment. On this trip, we have seen such need and such abundance. This is a training ground for learning about contentment.  We are invited to accept the things of life as a gift.

When faced with the abundance we see this week (whether at buffet tables of food for meals, the pool behind the hotel or the Indian Ocean that is right out our back door here), we have a choice to fall into resentment or treat it with entitlement. Or we have a chance to ask, “What am I going to do with the things entrusted to me?” We can receive this as a gift and a laboratory for God’s continued work on our hearts.

God, give us strength to pay attention and look for the lessons in each day. Continue to take out the weeds in our lives and make us good soil.