It’s been…..a while (and that’s putting it mildly) since we last posted on this blog. So much has happened, it seems silly to even attempt recounting. Maybe some of you have enjoyed my (Ali) attempt at “blogging light” on Instagram and Facebook. Fast forward several months and here we are, nearing the close of our two-year term at Tenwek.
Many have reached out to get an update on our travel plans, and what lies ahead for us. As of now, we plan to return to the U.S in October. We will be moving to New Jersey, where John has been accepted to an orthopedic trauma fellowship at Rutgers University. We do not have any committed plans following fellowship, but are approaching the seasons that follow with open hands and hearts.
Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that we’ve already arrived at the two-year mark. In other ways, it feels like we’ve been here longer. So many seasons of life can be like that, can’t they? As the old adage goes, the years are short but the days are long. Over these two years, we’ve had joys and we’ve had sorrows; seasons of encouragement and seasons of grief. In the hard seasons, when the days really feel long, it’s easy to get lost. But the more I look back on those days, the more I see the joys hidden in them, and the thread of God’s faithfulness weaving through all of it to create something of which we can only see the edges.
One of the biggest sorrows we’ve come to terms with is the fact that Tenwek’s orthopedic residency training program will likely be closing at the end of this year. The reasons for the closure are multi-faceted, and while we are truly sad to see the program close, we trust that God is weaving even this into His good plan. We rejoice over the many outstanding orthopedic surgeons that have been trained here at Tenwek. John has enjoyed deep and rewarding relationships with the residents – his work with them has been a highlight of our time here. We also rejoice over the thousands of patients who’ve received much-needed care, thanks to the hard work of those involved in the program over the past 8 years. And we look forward to the ripple effect that will surely come as these orthopedic surgeons go out from Tenwek’s program to care for more patients across sub-saharan Africa.
As we continue to reflect on the “long days and short years” of our time here, more words are hard to find. We’ve included some photos below, because sometimes pictures really ARE worth a thousand words.
We want to say thank you again for the support and encouragement you have shown us over the past two years, and we look forward to seeing many of you in person soon.
