our most brilliant idea ever

Every time we'd tell someone that we were bringing a friend with us for the first month when we relocated to Rwanda they would give us these demonstrative eyes and body language that screamed "that's brilliant!" We agree. The idea to ask Brianne to join our family for the transition time (and flight) felt like one of the easiest decisions Hunter and I have made together. it went something like this: 

Adrianne- wouldn't it be amazing if the right someone could go with us and help us for the flight and first month.

Hunter- YES. definitely. who?

Adrianne....hmmmm (thinking about a few important factors: summertime month-long availability. fit with whole family. willingness. awesomeness. long blonde hair who loves the Squirrels. jk.)... 

Adrianne: how about Brianne?

Hunter- perfect. done.

Adrianne- let's call her.

Hunter- okay. 

not the most "spiritual" sounding decision, but it/she felt like God's idea and gift to us then and now.

And so, here is a tribute post to our friend and one of the most brilliant ideas we've ever had.

Ahem.

Dear Brianne's parents and family:Hi! You probably don't agree that this was our most brilliant idea ever (to take your precious daughter/sister so far. so long. to so different of a place). Or if it was...then you're now questioning our intelligence. Fair enough. :)

I'm really sorry we didn't get to meet you before your (beautiful and highly treasured) daughter, my husband and I carried our family across the Atlantic Ocean (with the somewhat significant help of Ethiopian airlines). However, I do want to sincerely thank you for generously sharing Brianne with us and allowing her to go on such a faraway adventure. As I imagine you know better than we do: she is remarkably selfless, helpful, strong, courageous, optimistic, calm, energetic, spunky, focused, warm, magnetic and fun. 

You might not have known this little gem: she's especially calm and helpful when there's projectile vomit from my daughter everywhere in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. hypothetically speaking, of course.

You probably didn't know that little detail about copious vomit/help before, but I bet you won't be surprised that she is sad coming home (and not just about leaving our family!)...but because she managed in 4 weeks to be helpful to our (needy) family everyday and yet had life and joy left in her to move towards more than a handful of now new friends. last night we had dinner with some new friends and their grateful words about her resonated with people in Richmond's experience: she's curious about their life, she listens well and asks good questions, she follows-up about important things in their life. In just 4 weeks she made many new people feel loved. 

Parenting isn't the only thing that makes people who they are (my kids and I are BANKING on this). However, I know she reflects both her maker and her family and so I'm thankful for and mindful of the ways you've positively shaped her to be so deeply beautiful and lovely.    

I know it wasn't nothing to you all to miss out on having her around for the past month. I imagine it felt costly. But it wasn't nothing to us to have her here. I wish you could've seen the way she loved on each of us, served us, played, read, exercised (with Micah. just ask), danced, cooked, cleaned, sang, snuggled. Her presence here was significant.

So, thank you. I promised you (through her) that we WOULD buy her a round trip ticket and we WOULD take her to the airport on time to come home. We're making good on that promise and sending her back tomorrow. However, I cannot promise that we won't look for jobs for her in Rwanda starting next year and hope and pray that she and others will come to Rwanda again to see us. Hope to meet you (here!) next year.

Dear City Church and friends of Brianne's:

Thank you, also, for generously sharing Brianne with us for the past month. The Scripture describes these kinds of visits and help sometimes. Here's one: "I hope in the LORD to send Timothy to you soon, that I may also be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me...But I think it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for you all... (from Philippians 2.)

Anyway! I feel confident although sad in sending Brianne back to you. She's kind of a combination of how Paul describes Timothy and Epaphroditus there. My confidence in Richmond being the place for her right now is there because her aches and prayers and joy and sadness for you all and your stories did not wane AT ALL while she was away. When you rejoiced in something she was with you. And when you were sad, she was. She served us and served folks in this community (both expats and locals) very well. She was present here. She held little ones who cannot walk or talk who are older than my children. She danced in the home of a dear woman/friend who makes $100 a month working remarkably hard 8-5 every day. But she came home and even throughout the day she prayed for you and your burdens too. She smiled for you and your exciting news. She isn't coming home with a judgmental or haughty spirit (which is incompatible with God's spirit) having served in and traveled to such a "radical" place. Her heart for the physically poor, the orphaned ones, the neglected ones has surely grown, but not in a way that made her concern for other people (equally made in God's image) but with other adjectives before their names ("wealthy", "lonely", "feeling rejected", "american")  seem less significant or less valuable in any way. The LORD is giving her spiritual eyes and wisdom.

The real Holy Spirit is obviously at work in you all. When asked what she was most excited about in coming to be in Rwanda this summer--in a time in the States when "justice" "care for orphans and widows" and similar heartbeats of God are very (pardon my crudeness) "sexy" to be connected to (and legitimate and important obviously too)--she said "actually I've never really dreamed of going to Africa. I'm just excited to serve your family."  She learned that somewhere people, and it wasn't us. and it was reinforced somewhere. and prayed for by people. She learned never to elevate someone over someone but to know all are broken and all are beautiful. all have dignity and are worth serving and laying your life down for. and she'll follow and serve whomever He leads her to, wherever he has prepared works for her in advance to do, whether that carries accolades and attention with it or not. I pray that kind of real gospel work will continue among you and that that truth will sink deeper and deeper into her and you. I pray that you'll cheer for each other as you serve each other and the world in many important varied ways. she's been a gift to us, but she's coming back to serve and love people there. We are so thankful you sent her with us. She's missed you dearly. 

Dear Brianne:

If your mission statement the past four weeks was to love our family well and help us transition to life here...job very well done. You were courageous. helpful. fun. thoughtful. A gift. 

Thank you.

You, because you were a planned gift and servant from God, armed with His kingdom's power, have been kind of like yeast in bread from Papyrus. Essential. totally noticeable if not present. But if the bread is made correctly, it kind of disappears after it is worked in all the dough. He has blessed our family and our new loved ones here and He planned and chose to do it through you and the specific ways He has gifted YOU. 

I'm so glad the Scripture at church this morning was about how if the resurrection isn't true Christians ought to be pitied among all. You missed things while you were gone. Your life of following Jesus will continue to mean that sometimes following and listening will include missing out or added hardships and sadness. But the resurrection really is true. Follow him wherever he leads without FOMO or fear of the Nile. without need for approval or reputation. Keep following him and live a life that (as a result and by-product, NOT goal) would continue to grow in "pitiableness." EXCEPT. Jesus really was raised. None of your obedience will be pitied in the end.

Your time with us was significant and we love you.

Dear Brianne's Creator:

Brianne was across the board (in her full life of joy and service to you and others) a brilliant idea you thought up. She's more marvelous than we know and I hope you keep showing more of her beauty and your beauty through her to lots of people. thanks for sharing her with us these days.

and lastly:

Dear all our people:

we have a guest room open.

I don't specialize in subtlety.