Our colleagues leave China once every two years for a group conference.
It is a chance to see friends whom I would never otherwise see.
It is a chance to worship with a large body of believers.
It is a chance to encourage one another through stories of how God has worked since we were last together! It has moved my heart deeply to hear that Jesus has been introduced to people in some very spiritually dry, barren areas.
It is a chance to walk with each other through tough times. One couple, who has only been in China for one year must return home for a time as the husband, just this week, was told he has a tumour. Another family leaving on a home assignment is unsure of their return because of an illness affecting one family member that local doctors have been unable to diagnosis.
It is a chance to witness change. Since last conference there have been 12 children born to our colleagues. At this conference we said good-bye to 12 teenagers who will graduate from high school before our next conference (and so will likely not be back). Some of these teenagers were the same age as Eli is now when we first came to China. I have photos of them allowing Eli, 1.5 yrs at the time, to "play" soccer with them!
It has been a chance for me to sit with a number of women and listen as the tell me about their past year. The struggles they have had. The loneliness that they felt. The struggles in their family at home. They are tired, they are worn out. With some I have prayed, with some I have listened, with some I have been able to offer good advice. This has been near and dear to my heart since coming through our previous term in China.
This is my family in China, there are more than 300 adults and children, and it is good to be with them again!
But this joy has required being removed, at least physically, from my extended family in Canada.
Looking to sell a house, looking to buy a house, continuing education, birthdays, labour strikes, maybe moving across the country, being on the stage, celebrating together in the good times and supporting in the hard times...
These are things that I will miss being present for, experiencing with my family.
This is my family in Canada, there are ten of them, and it will be hard to be physically absent for such events for the next few years.
More than 300 and 12. These are my two families and I love them both but they will never come together and so, it would seem, that my heart will never be quite whole no matter what location I may be in.
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