Continuing the Journey

Leaving Africa

I've been wanting to write this for sometime, but couldn't seem to get started. It seems like a good idea to explain to friends what is happening in our lives, especially since we are going through a major transition.

We've basically lived outside the United States since we left for language study in France on New Year's Eve 1988. After a year in France, 16 years in Djibouti and 3 years in Kenya (plus some time in the US on home leave), we are returning to live in the United States for an indefinite period of time.

We left Djibouti in 2005 for a variety of reasons, including some difficulties in the educational situation for our children, a general fatigue from the way in which teachers are treated in Djibouti (The Ministry of Education tries to squeeze as much out of teachers as possible, then replace them when they burnout.), and a desire for further education.

We spent a year in Bird-in-Hand, PA then moved to Kenya in 2006. I taught at a theological school there. My desire was to teach about Islam, using my extensive reading in the area, the PhD I'd begun and my experience in Djibouti. While I did teach a course in Islam, I wasn't able to do as much as I'd hoped. I also found it difficult to work on my PhD - whether it was the situation, or a lack of self-discipline - I don't know.

Just a few months ago, in discussion with our boss from the mission, we decided to complete our service with Eastern Mennonite Missions and return to the US. While we were growing to like our work in Kenya, we never felt quite as called to it as we'd always felt in Djibouti. Cindy ended up doing a lot of administration work, and found herself in an awkward position of having lots of responsibilities without having any authority in them. We also found ourselves relating to other mission workers quite a bit, which was very different for me. My strengths had always been developing relationships with local people and learning languages and cultures. I've actually been pretty poor at relating to other workers, and I always found it more stressful being with Americans than Africans. I never was a very supportive co-worker. But in Kenya we found ourselves being with Americans more than Africans. Also, Jordan graduated from high school and now we have 2 children living in the US, so it seemed like the time to return here - for at least a few years. While this is all rather confused, it's been a part of our decision process. I'm still not completely convinced that we made the correct decision, but it has been made, and we must move on.

Our plans (if they can be called that) are to stay in the US for 3-5 years. We may buy a house, but we are still working through all the financial aspects of doing so. Jordan will go to Hesston in the fall. Cindy will go back to school to get her BSN (bachelor degree in nursing). She is already an RN. She will probably go on to study for a masters in nursing, or a nurse practitioner, or physicians assistant. Cindy will also work full-time and support us. I'll continue to work on my PhD from the University of Birmingham (UK) in Muslim-Christian Relations. I'll be spending a lot of time in libraries reading, researching, taking notes and writing. I hope to get a part-time teaching job at a local college.

Once Cindy and I finish our degrees, we may go back to Africa (or maybe elsewhere) to work and teach. We really don't know where we might go: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya are places we know. We could go with Eastern Mennonite Missions again, or maybe with Mennonite Central Committee, or with who knows?? After a few years here, we may decide that we'd like to remain in the US. Then I'd search for a full-time teaching position at a university - and we'd move wherever I might get a job. As a nurse, Cindy can find a job almost everywhere.

Who knows! We may end up enjoying life in America, but for now we often think we'd like to return home to Africa.

posted by Brislen Family @ 1:59 AM