October 2014

We are back in Ethiopia after a busy but short two months in the States. Duane thinks he only
slept in his own bed three weeks. We love visiting friends and relatives in so many states, but
we do get tired with all the travel.
I am going to share a blog post that so aptly expresses our feelings about saying goodbye
again. I couldnt write it any better, so I hope our readers will enjoy. I too felt the weight of
those goodbyes more this time. I am trusting God will pour out strength and grace as we
begin our mission again. Pray for us both to focus on the relationships God has given us.

The Cost is Real
By Patty Stallings on Aug 06, 2014 06:00
The endless goodbyes. The missed birthdays and holidays. The wedding vows said outside
our hearing. The eulogies spoken without us in the pew. The fellowship and friendship circles
that go on without us.
The cost is so very real.
In this week of focusing on goodbyes at Velvet Ashes, we want you to know that we get that
you have said goodbye to a lot. Goodbye to family, friends, co-workers, and yes, even pets.
We say goodbye to a lifestyle, to routines and rhythms, to familiarity.
We say goodbye to favorite places that evoke memories and a sense of belonging and
comfort, fun, and togetherness.
We say goodbye to shared experiences, those everyday moments when inside jokes are born,
secret smiles are shared, knowing looks are passed between sisters and friends.
We miss out on those little conversations mostly about nothing that create a whole lot of
something between two people.
We get that. The cost is real.
Somewhere in the midst of your goodbyes is a sacrifice that you and God have wrestled over.
You laid your Isaac on the altar and there was no ram in the thicket to rescue and return your
sacrifice. Your yes stands. Your sacrifice accepted. And not just accepted, but rejoiced in,
delighted over, honored by Jesus.
So, as you tearfully separate from your support system, as you walk to the car hand in hand
with your loved one, as you hug your nieces and nephews a little tighter,
YOU ARE DECLARING THE WORTH OF THE ONE WHO CALLS YOU.
My goodbyes this month include leaving my three all-grown-up kids on this side of the ocean
as I return to the foreign land where they did all that growing up.
Im saying goodbye to my heartbroken Dad still grieving the loss of my Mom.
Im again waving goodbye to daily interactions with family by returning to a place where
time zones interfere with a funny/cool/weird/amazing thing just happened calls and texts.
Im saying goodbye to fresh air and blue skies and the freedom of driving.
The weight of those goodbyes seems a little heavier this time around. So, I am trusting
our Father to step in with heavier doses of His grace and peace and comfort. And Im
remembering He delights in my willingness to pay the very real cost of following Him to
faraway places.
The sacrifices we make do not go unnoticed. God is not unjust; He will not forget your
work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help
them. Hebrews 6:10
Did you catch that? We show God our love for Him as we serve others. Our willingness to
lay all else aside for His names sake is taken very seriously by God. He takes note and
makes crazy promises to those who obey His call.
This week I am at our organizations training with dozens of new co-laborers as they prepare
for cross cultural service. And Im so touched by their stories of commitment. Im inspired
by their surrendered love for Jesus. And Im so humbled by the cost they are willing to pay to
see His name made great among the nations. Their Yes boldly and emphatically declares
His worth.
Your Yes courageously and beautifully declares His worth.
In every goodbye you and I whisper, we loudly and clearly declare His worth.

Duane and Jackie Anderson
Soddo Christian Hospital, Ethiopia