A year ago Sunday you officially began your work in Rwanda for Karisimbi Business Partners. The "should we take the job?" discernment process weighed heavily on you for many months (years, really)-- I mean, the potential result this go-around was carrying 3 kids and a wife across the world--very far from the comfort of people who know and love us, and without some significant folks' blessing and approval; I guess it makes sense that it felt heavy.
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| on our flight to Rwanda when Hunter moved there last March |
1- How you decided we should go. You are still learning of course, but you knew God's Kingdom doesn't measure things the way the world does. You could have said our "yes" was so we would have greater impact on more people because of your skills...but you reminded me and others that we serve a God who taught us to (sometimes) leave 99 to pursue just 1. How could we know? You could have said our "yes" was because God has great concern for the poor--which He does. But you've consistently reminded me and others that when He walked the earth He drew wealthy and powerful people to himself too. His love and pursuit doesn't discriminate and so your time (and others' time) working for places like your old employer in our former country of residence wasn't somehow automatically "less" of a faithful vocation or calling. Why are you so (annoyingly) able to see both sides of things and still make (good) decisions?
Sigh. If I'd had it my way, you could have said a "yes" was because of a lot of things that sound passionate, rallying and inspiring (and sadly sometimes shaming and self-righteous). But in the end, those passionate and inspiring sound bites aren't what move people towards a faithful, steady life of listening to Him and following Him.
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| See, steady me while you were interviewing in Rwanda and I was about to burst with hope, fear, excitement, longing |
And of course you could've said "no" too--for about a bajillion reasons: because you had 3 kids in important years developmentally, because we were deeply involved in things we're passionate about (well, God's passionate about and we borrow it) in Richmond, because we own two houses, because you had a great job that you enjoyed that paid us really well and allowed us to do a lot, etc. But those weren't automatic deal breakers to you, though certainly worth consideration.
So instead, you carefully considered your skills and story, the make-up of the family God has given you, what you've learned about the Bible and how to look for and sense the direction of His leading. You humbly asked people who've walked closely with us for their prayers, their input, their concerns/cautions and encouragement (and at the same time you somewhat awkwardly (socially) chose to NOT include too many people in that process for fear of pride or attention on our story. You faithfully steered us really clear of the always tempting "look at what we're thinking about doing" acclaim). Oh, love, you've sharpened me by your faithful steering in that way. Thank you.
And after a number of months of consideration and prayer...well...it seemed like a "yes." So you said it. It wasn't much more dramatic than that. There wasn't shouting (well, I did. In fact I think I sprinted around the house in circles, maybe? but I'm always louder and more dramatic than steadfast you)--it was more of a trembling, obedient and brave "yes." Obedience is what it felt like we were pursuing, much more than a passionate world-changing calling (okay it still felt like that a little bit to me because I was (am) just so stinking proud of you and the work. But it was obedience first).
I respect you so much for how you went through that process and for how you led me (and the kids) through it.
And 2- I found you to be humble, wise, brave and faithful because of what you told me/others you thought our "yes" might (and might not) mean.
Before taking the job you talked to one of your best friends who runs a company having (what many perceive and commend as) significant impact on the lives of folks in Honduras. And you listened to him when he said: no matter how comparatively "inspiring" or "impactful" the job might seem right now...it wasn't actually going to feel like you were changing the world, even if you were doing a great, faithful job. Most days it wasn't going to feel like you were having any impact let alone significant impact. And he urged you not to take the job imagining (or me imagining) that it would feel like that. He warned us and you listened. He didn't say the job wasn't a good fit for us or that we shouldn't do it (much to the contrary, really)...he just didn't want us to have naive and harmful expectations. Your job wasn't going to mean you feel inspired everyday when you come home from the office. Your job wasn't going to mean that we were going to have sex twice a day instead of our normal once because of how energized about and proud of your work I am now. (He was SO wrong on that one. high five. guys I'm joking. good grief.) You get what I'm saying, though. We weren't suddenly going to feel everyday like it wasn't "work"--like somehow the toilsome part of the work curse gets extracted for you/us because we're following God into it.
You listened. You absorbed. You repeated to anyone who would listen who was tempted to "pollyanna" the work, or put your work on a pedestal, or who has similar aspirations. We probably weren't going to have a super significant impact on anything (by normal measurable standards), and even if we did...it probably wouldn't feel like it most of the time. But we were going anyway, hoping we could be helpful offering our little bit. You deflated many a balloon with words of wisdom.
And so one year ago you went in, and helped me and the community around us go in with eyes mostly open or at least more open than they could have been. The way you made the "yes" decision and the way you listened to his (and the Bible's words about unseen fruit, working unto the LORD regardless of accolades or seeming effectiveness, or passionate excitement etc.) has made all the difference for us this year.
Because...well...we really haven't changed the world. At least a few parts of every week we wonder if what we're doing is even going to have much of an impact on the teeny part of the world in which we serve. Lots of the work has felt more like herding sheep while swimming upstream (yes this time I'm intentionally mixing metaphors) instead of transforming one or ninety-nine lives. Many days this February and March--along with everyone in the east coast of the US--we've wondered if "spring" is ever going to come (in the work).
But, in part, because of the way you walked us through the discernment process and the way you talked me through moving here, I'm not confused. I'm not shaken. We're here because He called us here. We're here to work hard and to do so unto the LORD regardless of seen fruit or certain long term impact (though surely we ought to aim, strive and hope to see lots of it--He was raised from the dead after all and can do anything, and He made YOU in His image for this work. I mean we have SO much hope because of true things). And we HAVE gotten to be a small (but who isn't small?) part of some amazing stories of redemption, hope, transformation.
But, at the end of year one I'm more in step with you (and the Bible) in a marathon pace--thanks for shaping me towards that. For us to continue to do this well we'll surely need the LORD's help to endure with patience and joy. But we have a God who isn't short on supply. These verses are my prayer for us as we enter year two:
Hebrews 12:1-3 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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
and
Colossians 1: 10-12 "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Hunter, I respect you for how you've walked with the LORD in taking and doing the job. I honor you (and your maker) for your gifts and skills that help bring about beautiful Kingdom impact in the work/our lives here. You being here (in particular) matters! And I respect you for your faithfulness over years of walking with him and submitting yourself to his care, correction and leading. I love you and am in this with you. Your people will always be my people.
indefinitely yours,
Adrianne
PS. FYI, other people are reading this and I don't want them to think work stuff isn't going well just because of all this talk about a better reason to come being obedience not impact... or the fact that I'm telling folks we need endurance and some of the grittier things God promises to provide us with when going through difficulties. As you know, both of these versions are true: the work is so hard and we don't feel super impactful much of the time...and your work is actually really impactful and inspiring and you're (along with the team) kicking some ass.
Ahem. So, lest you people think we should just come on home because of all this less inspiring sounding "steadfastness regardless of results" "please pray for endurance and long suffering for us" stuff...and because telling (allowing ourselves to think them through) impactful stories nourishes US too...
here's just one amazing story from a long list of ones I'd love to tell you over coffee or at a party this summer where we'll share with Richmonders about how it's going.
This is one about Lilian and Hunter's work.
Verses that have been important to us throughout our married life (coming up on 10 years this September!) are Jeremiah 29: 4-7. Verse 7 in particular: "seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers you too will prosper."
That was (is) our prayer in our neighborhood in Richmond and it has become our prayer here in Rwanda--it is how we'd like to live wherever the LORD carries us. We long for the deepest forms of peace and prosperity for people here. And we believe the LORD when he says that our own shalom (translated prosperity here) is caught up in others.
So last month the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, requested a site visit to one of the projects Hunter's firm has been working on. I'm not super into celebrity things, but it was a pretty big deal and I was excited for them.
The project itself is working with a large international fashion company based in NYC. Through their joint efforts over 100 women have been employed to make high end fashion products (not ones that look like African crafts) to be sold around the world. They'll publicly launch in May and I'll be happy to proudly tell you more specifics. But for now: 76% of those women weren't employed before. Consider the implications of that statement in a place where unemployment means not enough food for everybody in your family, no education for your kids, no ability to pay for medical care or emergencies should they arise. And now all those women who weren't employed have a steady job. The fashion company is quietly investing into the whole community in which they've built the co-op. There are so many individual stories of hope and redemption. And Hunter's firm has been pivotal on the ground in making it happen (so says the VP at the fashion company). Without them there isn't a chance the project works.
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| Some of the women at the graduation ceremony for their training. Graduation was a BIG day. So much excitement and dignity and honor. |
The definition of flourishing (shalom/prosperity in Jeremiah 29) I like the best comes from Cornelius Plantiga:
"… In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be." Guys we should be clapping! That's the kind of effect this project is having! natural gifts fruitfully employed. natural needs satisfied. PEOPLE!!!!!
And to top it all off, the fact that President Kagame was coming to check out the work meant we needed Lilian (who works for our family and whom I DEARLY love and respect) to work a bit of a different schedule that day to help us. The conversation went something like this:
me- "Lilian, tomorrow I'll need you to come a bit earlier than I thought. President Kagame is coming to see one of the projects Karisimbi is working on..."
Lilian (interruping and SHOUTING and jumping): HAAAAAALLELUJAH!!!! HALLELUJAH PRAISE YOU JESUS!
me (way less enthusiastic than apparently I should have been): yes! it is really exciting.
Lilian (still uncharacteristically shouting and jumping and now pumping both fists and arms over her head) HALLELUJAH! YES! PRAISE YOU JESUS. YES! EVERYday--EVERYDAY I pray for you: dear God help family Hunter. bless Karisimbi. bless family Hunter. YES! HALLELUJAH PRAISE YOU JESUS.
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Gosh words and descriptions just can't do it justice. She was overwhelmed with joy and gratefulness to God for our good news, knowing the President's visit was a good sign of our flourishing.
There were a lot of beautiful things happening in that moment related to shalom and interwoven lives. One of them is definitely the TRUTH that our shalom here in Rwanda has been tied up with Lilian. We've certainly been seeking the peace and prosperity of Rwandans in general, clients and the women in the project the President visited...and all at the same time Lilian has been faithfully working and praying for our peace and prosperity. She has been one of the biggest gifts from the LORD to our family in enabling us to flourish (not just survive) here. Praise you Jesus for the gift of Lilian. Please bless her and her family. Hallelujah.
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