Going Back....

It has really been an incredible visit at home for these past 5 weeks.  It really doesn’t feel long enough.  Time has flown by, but we feel like we packed a lot into this short time.  It is very difficult to say goodbye again and leave behind friends and family that we love.  We wish we had more time with all of you.  This saying goodbye never really gets easier.   Being home was so special for us.

There is something I wanted to talk about with respect to us leaving back to Africa.  From conversations we have had at home I get the feeling that some people feel that it may be selfish that we are leaving friends and family behind to do what we love.  While it is true we are going to do work that we love, I struggle to see what is selfish about it.  We go on behalf of the children in Africa with no voice.  Kids that have been through more than we can fathom and are in such desperate need.  We go on behalf of the Care Workers (local African volunteers) who look after these children and need our support.  While it is true that we could do similar work here at home, I think we can all admit that the level of need is not on the same scale as what is happening in Africa.  This is where we feel called to be right now in our lives.  We are sacrificing a lot to be in Africa.  I don’t say all this as a kind of “look what we are doing”… I say it because it breaks my heart to say goodbye to everyone here and to leave with some people thinking that this is easy for us.  We have missed a lot this year, like so many friends and family members having babies.  Being away was very tough.  But the children we serve, we know them by name and we cannot just walk away from them before we feel our time is finished.

Your encouragement, prayers and financial support have been such a blessing to us in our time in Africa.  We love you guys and are so grateful for everything.   Thank you for your interest as well, we love to share about what we are doing.   As we now head back, we need to ask for your continued support.  We rely on you not only for prayers and encouragement, but very much financially as well.  So again, we are asking for help from you guys.  The money you send goes towards basic living expenses and to the children that we personally help support.  Any amount is very helpful to us and deeply appreciated.  You can click on secure giving page, http://www.canadahelps.org/gp/14876 .

We feel very humbled to be surrounded by such special people in Africa, and so blessed to be a part of this work.  We believe in this work, because I have met the children who have benefitted from it and I know their names.  We also feel blessed to have such special friends and family living in Canada, who give of themselves to help support us as we serve.  The support that you give, goes so much farther than you think or know.  You are a blessing to us and the children in Africa.

Thank you guys, we love you.

Tyler and Alicia