Word and Deed

Book of the Month: Children's Books

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

It's been some time since we reviewed a book on our blog, not for lack of good and appropriate literature to comment on. But to re-kick off the BOTM posts, I thought I'd post something for our younger readers. And when I say "readers," I use that term loosely (most will likely need this blog read TO them). Here goes, Maggie's favorite African books. There are many good ones, so we just chose two for the time being.

1. Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears.
This book is a classic that I still remember from my own childhood days. It's about the story of a mosquito who annoys an iguana and sets off a series of events that ultimately results in the death of an owl baby. The animals of the jungle must then get together and decide who is to blame. The book is beautifully illustrated, and won a Caldecott medal for its efforts. The story is fast paced and has lots of fun onamonapia phrases that are associated with each animal. Finally, on the last page of the book, the mosquito meets with its appropriate end. Maggie likes to demonstrate on the last page with a great smack and a "kapow!"

2. We All Went on Safari
This book was a gift to Maggie when she was born, from Aunt Alyssa. It's technically a "journey" through Tanzania, not Kenya, but close enough. Also beautifully illustrated, this book features a group of Maasai children as they go on safari and encounter various animals. The pages have the numbers 1-10 in both English and Swahili, and there is an additional section at the back that talks about the Maasai people and gives the names of the animals in the book in both English and Swahili. Eric and I spent more time on those pages than Maggie!

We'll try to post some more recommended kids' books in the month to come, but if you can't wait and need more good African children's books NOW, check out: Jambo Means Hello, Moja Means One, and Elisabeti's Doll.

The Eve of US Medicine...

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:53:00 +0000

(from Eric McLaughlin)

Tomorrow morning, I will start providing patient care at a regional hospital in Western Michigan. I will only take care of hospitalized patients. No ICU. No procedures. Lots of colleagues and specialists to confer with. Good documentation. Low patient-to-nurse ratios. Only 15 patients to round on. In fact, I could probably order a CT scan for every last one of my patients, and no one would balk. You know, for kicks.

So, no reason to be nervous, right?

All of the McCropder docs except Rachel (who is 150% mom all the time) will be doing some US medicine this year, and in fact, I'm the last to start. People have been curious to know how we feel about that, after having been in such a different environment for 2 years. Most days in Kenya, probably 2/3 of what I did, I hadn't known how to do before I moved there, just to give a scale to the difference in environments.

I had orientation today. It's so different. "Reverse culture shock" has been finished for months now (if it was ever there). But the difference is medical cultures is so much greater than the difference is everyday cultures. Computers are everywhere. Patients are in individual rooms (I barely saw any of them) watching flat-screen TVs. Everyone is documenting incessantly. Attention to detail is meticulous. Planning a single discharge takes a whole team of people There are a ton of narcs on the medication sheets.

The expectations of patients and their families are so different. The 78 year old guy with metastatic liver cancer wants everything done to prolong his life. The son says he just doesn't think he can care for his mother at home anymore.

And yet...

And yet the primary determinant of how well (or poorly) they feel treated will probably still be the care and kindness that they feel comes (or doesn't come) from their doctors and their nurses. And yet the medical world around them is still terrifying foreign, full of concepts and information that they don't understand, and yet they know affects them gravely. And yet, with all of the money, and the staff, and the easy access to UpToDate, I still can't save the world (though I might be more tempted to delude myself that I can).

I remain a man with a bundle of skills that can, at times, be quite handy for bringing some healing into the middle of disease, and by God's limitless grace, some hope into the middle of fear or despair. I still have to strive to love and care for my patients in the way that God calls me to. I remain a sheep with a good Shepherd, who restores my soul. And not just mine.

He has led us here. Let us trust his goodness. May he be glorified.

Pray for your doctors.

Family Weddings

noreply@blogger.com (John and Jessica Cropsey) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:11:00 +0000

By Jessica Cropsey

For me personally, one of the biggest challenges of being a missionary in Kenya was being away from family. Yes, when we lived in Philadelphia, we did miss some holidays and birthdays. But we never missed 2 years straight of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, weddings, graduations, funerals, birthday parties, etc. Even with the luxuries of e-mail, Skype, and telephones, it's easy to lose touch on the little details and changes in people's lives.

So, this year back in the States we are appreciating every opportunity we have to celebrate (or grieve) with family and friends. I was so thankful to be a part of my sister's wedding this weekend. I got to be there for dress fittings, the bachelorette party, the bridal shower, the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, and reception. I didn't miss out on anything! It was really special.

The McLaughlins also had the joy of being a part of Rachel's brother's wedding a few weeks ago. Alyssa is looking forward to her sister's wedding in a few months. What a fun year for the McCropders to celebrate these special times with loved ones.

Thanks from the kids

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

We (the McCropders) have spent a lot of time these past few months sharing our story with whoever will listen to us. Churches, small groups, friends, parents, parents' friends, medical conferences, radio stations, waitresses, you name it. We have a presentation prepared for any occasion (if you'd like to book us...). One of the more fun types of presentations we give is to kids. We (Rachel and Eric) have done a number of chapel services and Sunday schools over the past few months--due in large part to the fact that Rachel's entire family is composed of Lutheran school teachers. Last week we spoke at my aunt's school in Burbank, CA. The kids made us a bunch of thank you cards, which we absolutely loved. We wanted to share some of the highlights with you.

One of the favorite parts of our presentation seems to be our retelling of the Maggie vs. baboon story--the kids absolutely love that part. Hence, many of the thank you cards dealt with that topic.

"Thank you for showing the pictures of Kenya and the baboons. I think baboons are funny. I think your kids are so Adorable!"

"No eat my food!" (presumably, this is Maggie talking to the baboon)

"I'm sorry I accidentally did this card upside down"

(the inside of the card)

And our personal favorite, "Thank you Dr. Eric and Dr. Rachel McLaughlin for showing us what you did in Africa. It made us want to put in a offering. To bad I forgot to bring my money but at least I'll pray for them."

Awesome. We hope to get more in the weeks to come.

The Legend of Gustav

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

It was September of 2010. Eric and I had just arrived in Bujumbura for the first time. We were waiting for our luggage with our hostess, L'Charitie, and making small talk. We wondered aloud about things to do in Burundi, unique features of the country, etc.

"Well," she said, "We do have Gustav." Her voice was hushed, almost reverent, shocked when we stared back with blank looks. "You have not heard of Gustav?"

She unfolded a tale of epic proportions, a tale where the lines between fact and fiction blur, a tale of a legend. Gustav, it seems, is a crocodile. Not just any crocodile, mind you, but a massive crocodile that has hunted along the shores of Burundi and DR Congo for over 60 years. His size (according to the wikipedia article) is over one ton. He hunts not just normal crocodile prey, but humans as well...a "man eater," like the lions of Tsavo. And, adding greatly to the legendary status, he has eluded death at the hands of hunters many times--he has four bullet scars on his body, has escaped traps and cages, and has disappeared for years at a time, only to resurface later on a different shore.

It's a difficult story to swallow. It sounds like a "dark and stormy night" tale, or a campfire ghost story, and Eric and I were left wondering if this was just a Loch Ness sort of thing. But no. No, indeed. Gustav is real, and apparently no longer even at large. Check out this youtube video below from September:

Incredible. Mind boggling. And it does put our hearts at rest for the years in Burundi to come. I have no idea what they will do with Gustav now that he is in captivity. Tourist trap, anyone? Perhaps there is still a chance for escape...

DMV vs. Busia

noreply@blogger.com (Jason and Heather Fader) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:59:00 +0000

I had a truly delightful experience at two DMV offices this last month. Heather and I decided that we would need a second vehicle due to my work schedule, and shortly thereafter I found my dream truck: a mid-90's Toyota Pickup with a lot of miles on it, in need of a little care. I bought it that afternoon, added the vehicle onto our insurance with a 3 minute phone call and spent just 20 minutes the following day at the DMV in Wisconsin getting a temporary plate so I could drive it to its new home in Michigan. The following week in Michigan I spent 30 minutes at the DMV getting registration, title, and plates. Done. Anna has affectionately named the truck Blueberry Pie.
In contrast... two years ago I bought a motorcycle from my brother. He was leaving Uganda after a couple years with the Peace Corps there, and I was living in Kenya. He inquired about the necessary proceedings to transfer the motorcycle into my name in Kenya, and the process seemed doable. So he packed nearly all his earthly belongings on the bike and proceeded to the Uganda-Kenya border. The border officials appropriately cancelled the registration on exiting Uganda, and then my brother went 100ft to register the bike in Kenya and enter in through the Kenyan border at Busia. He was hoping to get to our house that afternoon, stay with us a few days, and then leave for the US. He was told that he had received some incorrect information about transferring the motorcycle, but he was assured that it could be corrected and he could be on his way.

3 DAYS later my brother was still stuck at the border, unable to acquire the appropriate paperwork. He had a plane to catch, so he left the motorcycle in storage (a closet somewhere on the Kenyan border) and took a night bus to our house. He gave me a synopsis of what had happened and what needed to happen to get the bike out, drawing maps detailing where the various people are that I need to talk to, and then he went on that same day to Nairobi to catch his plane. It was a week before I had a day off work to go back to the border and (hopefully) get the bike. I took the seats out of our van and headed for the border one early morning.

I found my brother's contact there in some back alley, and we proceeded together to various offices. To make a long story short, I eventually got the motorcycle out of the closet by that evening, heaved it into the back of the van, found a place to stay in this border town of Busia, and drove back the following morning. Soon thereafter I started in on the process of getting it registered in my name. This necessitated multiple trips to Nairobi, and eventually I gave up and paid someone to do it for me.

We discovered many things in the process, including that this was actually a stolen bike from Japan, that I did not have the right paperwork to own a motorbike in Kenya (so we put it in John's name), and that there are serious rules about parking in downtown Nairobi (I got a hefty parking ticket on one trip). Overall, the experience made me so grateful for the efficiency and order of the DMV... and yet somehow from this vantage point, it now seems like it was quite a fun adventure!

Support-Raising Update

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Our (roughly) monthly support update. As of the end of December (yes, I realize it's not really the end of December anymore), the McCropders as a team have recieved (or pledged):

53% of our needed ongoing monthly support
44% of our one-time start-up cost

Here is last month for comparison. Thanks so much to all of you who have been a part of this. Donation info link is here.

Being Homeless (Like Jesus?)

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:30:00 +0000

When you are a missionary, the question "Where are you from?" or "Where do you live?" gets very complex. This year, it's even more difficult for us. In 11 months in the US, we will "live" in Tennessee 3 months (but gone half the time), Arizona 2 months, Michigan 2 months, Colorado 6 weeks, and Baltimore 4 weeks.

After arriving home, we bought ourselves a sturdy little car to get ourselves around this year. I called up the insurance company to get all my ducks in a row, and explained that we had just returned from living abroad. The agent asked if I would be needing homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance. My reply: "Well, you know that CR-V you just insured? That's our home for this year." His response: "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, sir, and I do hope that things improve quickly for you." Serious and tactful to the point of funny.

We are functionally homeless. We depend on the generous hospitality of others. We have bedrooms and maybe a bathroom, but not a home. One day (on the road), Maggie asked, "Where is our home?" Silence ensued. We will not have our own home this year, other than our car, pictured below, packed to the hilt.

This can definitely be challenging. When you lose something, it is gone. We unpack and pack a lot. We are always a guest.

Jesus once said that "foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." (Matthew 8) In fact, for a long time, various segments of the church have chosen to describe Jesus as "homeless". The Franciscans in particular, for a very long time, engaged in long dialogues about whether Jesus even owned the cloak on his back (the idea of his being homeless being a foregone conclusion). Anyone would agree that he traveled light. ("take no bag for the journey or extra shirt" he told his disciples.)

And yes, since Jesus emulated this, there is a virtue to be found in this. I thought that is what I was feeling all of those times when I would go off with a single backpack, containing everything I needed for the next two months. And maybe it was, sort of. But I still had a home to go back to, at the end of the journey.

At one point in our journey, Rachel and I concluded that:

Yes, we are living "like Jesus" in our homelessness, BUT
No, Jesus did not carry all these loads of stuff around with him everywhere he went

And thus the joys of "traveling light" are not ours. We wonder about this. Should we just trust that, wherever we show up will have a place for Ben to sleep, and thus the pack-n-play is unnecessary? Should we just trust that Maggie will have clothes waiting for her when we get there? Or maybe we'll just show up under-dressed to every quasi-formal event for the next year on the grounds that we will only travel with 3 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 1 sweater, and 1 coat?

It's funny, because our lives in Africa have led us to reduce our possessions pretty dramatically. And it continues to do so, as we know that we are not in a position to be acquiring much of anything. I mean, there's no room in the car.

And yet, "the stuff" still has an element of burden to it. We still feel how it creates a gap between us and the life of Jesus. That doesn't mean that it doesn't also serve as a benefit in other ways, but the benefit is not without burden.

And so, oddly enough, we look back to our apartment in Kenya, full of hand-me-down furniture and borrowed kitchen utensils, as well as looking forward to a student dorm apartment in France, for a sense of home. Not in the "home culture" or "friends and family" sense. But in the "place to rest your family in their own space" sense. And in the meantime, we will keep moving across this beloved homeland of ours, pursuing what we believe God has called us towards, incredibly grateful for the homes of others, opened to us as we sojourn on.

(Below: Ben jumps into the sneaker-car at a McDonald's in Gallup, New Mexico, during a pit stop, showing that he can never get enough of the open road.)

Transitions

noreply@blogger.com (Jason and Heather Fader) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

One of the topics that we studied at the Mission Training course last month was the subject of making major transitions between continents and cultures.

While the adult class learned all about transitioning, the children learned an age-appropriate version in their classrooms. Anna, our six-year-old, can now tell you about the five stages of transition:
The blue sticks at the beginning of Anna's bridge (transition) show the Settled stage. Leaving the solid ground of home, the bridge begins to feel a little unsteady in the Unsettled stage. The red sticks in the middle, where the sway of the bridge can feel most turbulent is called the Chaos stage. Note that during the unstable Chaos stage, we know that the love of God holds us up. Beginning to settle into new ground is the Resettling stage. And finally we should establish a New Settled in Burundi.

Anna got the concept. When the three week course was over, she was tearfully saying goodbye to her new best friend Cordelia (pictured next to Anna below). As Cordelia drove away after the course ended, Anna wailed with sadness. After a moment she found words to explain, "I'm in CHAOS!"

Abi also had a new good friend at the course, but these little kids do not verbally process the impact of transition as much.

Our family's current transition is underway as we are settling back into our home in Ann Arbor for the next six months. We are so excited to be here in this community again! Having gratefully received help from friends through this transition, I encourage all of you to reach out to help someone near you who is transitioning.

More transitions next week: Anna transitions from homeschooling with me to attending first grade in a local school, and Jason begins working in the USA. We appreciate prayers for these upcoming changes and also for the whole McCropder team as we continue to make preparations for transitioning to Burundi.

Motigo at Sunrise

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 02:00:00 +0000

On the morning of our departure from Tenwek Hospital, I managed to squeeze in something that I had wanted to experience for quite a while. Believe it or not, it was definitively not to take a "pikipiki" (or motorcycle) ride with Jason. Rather, it was to see the sunrise from the top of "Mount Motigo", which is the nearby hilltop, and the nearest peak around.

Right on the equator, the sun always starts to rise around 6:15 AM, and the walk is about 45 minutes. But on the back of Jason's bike, we made the trip in under 15 minutes. We got to the top just in time.

The lights of the Tenwek Community and Hospital down the hill.

This is what I had really wanted to see, which is the clouds settled into the valleys over the hills.

As I write this, 9 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time, the New Year is fast approaching Motigo Hill and Tenwek Hospital. A small village full of people we love. An hour later, Burundi will welcome the new year. May the Lord bless 2012.

Happy New Year.

State Race

noreply@blogger.com (Jason and Heather Fader) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:28:00 +0000

I have been accused of creating competitions with others that they did not even know they were a part of. This may be a case in point. In any case, since I am winning I thought I would share it!

The McCropders have done a fair amount of travel in the past few months and we have covered well over half of the states in the US through those travels. Most of the travel is related to seeing family and friends, raising awareness about Burundi, speaking and attending conferences, and speaking in churches. As it stands, the Faders have been to the most states as seen in the graph below.

In full disclosure, I must admit that when we were visiting my cousin and her family in New Hampshire, we travelled an extra few miles off the necessary path since we were literally 1 mile from Maine and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Combining all of our states shows that we have just a few more to go. The states in red below are the ones that at least one of the McCropders has been to since September.

create your own personalized map of the USA

I may or may not post an update to this blog in the future, depending on how the Faders are doing :)

Christmas Song Video

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:00:00 +0000

I love carols. I love how some of them are really old, and connect us to generations of Christmas celebrators from years past. And I love the great lyrics. Many of them express the source of sustaining hope that keeps us going in our work. And some of them are buried somewhere in the 3rd stanza, where they don't get a lot of attention. So I wrote this song, piecing together some of my favorite Christmas lyrics.

My recording gear isn't working so well, so here's a video. If you think of a name for the song, pass it on, since it doesn't have one yet.

Merry Christmas!

(For bonus Christmas geeky points: there are 9 carols referenced in the lyrics. Can you name them? The prize is knowing that you are awesome.)

O Come, O Dayspring, come and cheer

For we all are late in time

And our world lays long in darkness here

For the hope of all the earth to shine

the hope of all the earth to shine

Silently comes a wondrous gift

Mild, he lays his glory by

Deep anthems now the earth does lift

Born that man no more may die

A half-spent night, a midnight clear

Held fast, our world in darkness bound

the silent Word is pleading here

He comes to make his blessings flow

Far as the curse is found

Look for now, glad and golden hours

and swiftly, healing in his wings

He makes the nations prove his powers

of the life and light to all he brings

the life and light to all he brings.

Safety

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:35:00 +0000

Almost without a doubt, the number one question that we get asked after finishing a presentation (of which there have been many these past few months) is, How safe is Burundi? That's a difficult question. It's difficult on many levels--we don't really know, we maybe know but don't want to put the country in a bad light, we want to reassure family and donors, and then again, why does it matter? People want to know because they are curious, because they care about us, because they've heard stories. Really, Burundi was engaged in civil war until just a few years ago. Can it possibly be a safe place to be?

The answer we give is that we think so, and the country seems to be at peace so far. Before deciding on Burundi we spent a lot of time talking to ex-pats and Burundians about the political climate, stability, danger for citizens and residents, etc. We are not knowingly taking our small children into a dangerous place to live, where there is guerilla warfare or drug trafficking or kidnappings happening every day. Will war come again, and will our lives be endangered, and will we have to be emergency airlifted out of the country to safety? I suppose these things are always a possibility. But at this point they do not seem likely. And we have weighed the risks and decided that there is always some danger no matter where you live, be it in a large US city with muggings, a high school where some random kid could come in with a gun and a temper, or a small town with a railroad crossing where people are occasionally killed in auto accidents. Is there more than average danger in Burundi? Perhaps, but not much.

We felt incredibly safe these past two years in Kenya. It's been one of the most stable countries in Africa for the past 40 years. And yet. Remember the election violence that suddenly erupted just a few years ago. Things happen. One never knows. But despite that, we never felt like our lives were in any danger at Tenwek. Our kids played in the front yard. We drove around the country with impunity. There were cautions we took, of course--no driving after dark, avoid certain roads known to be "dangerous," don't travel by yourself. So there is an element of, be smart as an American living abroad, and you will probably be fine.

The question remains, what if there is more than average danger in Burundi? Would that dissuade us from going? What about all the need in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, DRC, northern Africa? If God called us there, would we not follow His leading? Someone once said, the safest place to be is at the center of God's will. We seek His will, and step out in faith. We count the cost, but consider it a privilege to lay down our lives for Him, no matter what that looks like. I can't say right now if our team would stay in Burundi if things became unstable. It's something we will have to decide as doctors, as parents, and as missionaries. We pray that things will always be safe and peaceful, that our families will be kept from all harm and sickness. You can pray that with us, every day. And if someday that changes, we will continue to seek God's will and follow His leading.

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." --Psalm 4:8

How much do you weigh?

noreply@blogger.com (Jason and Heather Fader) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:28:00 +0000

Our family has spent the last 3 weeks at Mission Training International (MTI) outside Colorado Springs. We have learned a number of really helpful things about working cross-culturally. Our class topics included cross-cultural differences, conflict resolution, major transitions, stress management, grief and loss, cultural integration, healthy families, third culture kids, and resting in God, among other things.

We have also enjoyed a lot of time for introspection and retrospection. Most of the retrospection has been reflecting on experiences/interactions that we had at Tenwek these last two years. It is not unlike watching a recording of a football game that I just played in to identify what I did well and what I did not-so-well so that I can improve in the future. This whole process has been immensely helpful, and I am glad that all the McCropders will be going through this "missions boot camp" of sorts this year.

Some of what we have done here is identify our own expectations of cultural norms which may not be universal. For example, the instructor called up two young, healthy ladies the other day and in front of the whole group asked one of the women how much she weighs. No reply. He asked again. She flat out refused to give her weight. As did the other lady. Then the instructor asked those in the audience as well as their husbands to guess at their weight. Nobody dared, until one of the husbands suggested 95 lbs. as a good guess (the women probably weighed at least 135 lbs each, but don't tell them I said that).

How strange it is, really, that weight is such a taboo subject in the American culture. And yet there are certain situations where the ladies would divulge their weight (a doctor's office). And then there are situations where women would write their weight down, but the written number could easily be 10 lbs less than what they really weigh (on a driver's license). And the women were obviously flattered that someone under guessed their weight. But that would be an offense in many cultures where a certain amount of meat on one's bones indicates health and even wealth. In those cultures, the husband should have guessed 190 or 200 lbs, just to be safe and to compliment his wife. All that, and then there are some women who will readily give you their weight. Hmmm.

All this to say that if there are so many unwritten rules and potential for harm around such a small issue of asking a woman how much she weighs, how many other such stigmas are there on unpredictable issues in the cultures we are going to? And it is not that discussing one's weight is a moral or theological or political issue - it is just the way it is in this culture. The point, obviously, is that I will need to adapt to the cultural posture on any number of issues as we enter a new culture in France, and then Burundi.

By the way, is that your real hair color?

Missionaries Are Rich

noreply@blogger.com (John and Jessica Cropsey) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:11:00 +0000

Many Americans have the impression that missionaries are poor. There may be a bit of truth in this if we are compared only to our North American friends. As missionaries in the developing world, however, we are frequently confronted with the real truth that no matter how much we have "given up" to go to Africa, we have so much more than most people in the world. I remember being very sobered when I realized that the ball of mozzarella cheese that I bought for our Friday night pizza in Kenya cost more than most Kenyans make in a day.

Someone recently brought to our attention the "Global Rich List". On this website, you can type in your annual income and it will tell you how you stack up with the rest of the world's 7 billion. According to the Department of Health & Human Services, the 2011 poverty guideline for a family of 5 is $26,170, putting such a family in the top 9.39% richest in the world. Put another way, some American poor are richer than 90% of the world. This is just a small taste of how wealthy we are as Americans.

While cruising Facebook yesterday, I came across the picture below. The "Black Friday" harried scrambling for more stuff is a stark contrast to the poverty seen around the world.

I've always considered our lives as missionaries rich in many ways, but I have come to realize that we are rich financially as well. We have all we need and a whole lot more. During this season of Advent in which we anticipate the coming of Christ as a baby, let us remember the One who left the riches of heaven and chose to live the poor and humble life of a carpenter's son.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-20 (ESV)

McCropder Support-Raising Update

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:23:00 +0000

As you, O reader, likely know, all the McCropders are currently back in the US, enjoying friends and family and cream cheese, but also raising the necessary financial support for long-term work in Burundi. We are 100% donor-supported, and these donations go through our agency World Harvest Mission. We have two goals, an ongoing monthly support goal, as well as a one-time start-up cost goal.

Many people have been wondering how we are progressing on this, so we are going to aim to update the blog monthly as we progress. The number posted will be the average of all five families/singles. We are resisting the urge to have a "red-thermometer" icon on the sidebar to track our progress.

OK, so as of the end of November, the McCropders have recieved (or pledged):

38% of their needed monthly support
36% of their needed one-time start-up support

For more donation info, you can click here.

"Africa" in Texas

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:11:00 +0000

As many of you know, I have been collecting the awesome signs of Kenya. Click here for the collection. We are in the midst of a long road-trip from Nashville to Phoenix, and day #7, we pulled into Amarillo, Texas. Now, there is not a whole lot in Amarillo, save hotels, "Free-if-you-can-eat-it" 72 oz steaks, and a flatness that is majestic, yet easily wearisome.

However, on pulling into town, we discovered the "Jesus Christ is Lord Travel Center". That's the name. And the theme carries through their decorating.

Now the merits of such forms of Christian expression are certainly a good topic for debate, but the whole thing warmed my heart for a very different reason: It reminded me of Kenya. Not just the overtly Christian business name. But the giant signs, and the generally wordy nature of everything. And thus I had an excuse to share some more signs with you. Witness the "Hossana Cosmetics and Salon":

And one of my all-time favorites, the "Jesus the Fountain of Life Church Total Transformation Centre The House of Worship". Thank you, Kenya. Thank you, Texas.

Of Solstices, the Equator, and Advent

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 01:54:00 +0000

Nashville is on the eastern edge of the time zone, and Daylight Savings is past. The upshot of this is that it is completely dark by 4:45pm.

One year ago in Kenya, I gave devotions to our medical staff on advent, and discussed the idea of the winter solstice with a bunch of Kenyan colleagues, and they were pretty shocked. When you live less than a degree from the equator, and the sun always goes down at the same time, the idea of these shortening days is strange.

Imagine moving to Michigan from the equator some year in August, and watching the extraordinarily long days slowly wither away. The sun is failing, and the darkness is encroaching. Sometime around the beginning of December, you might being to despair of ever seeing daylight again. And you wouldn't be illogical to think so. Just wrong.

Sometimes it felt like that in Kenya. There was a lot of light shining, but sometimes it felt like a long night only getting longer. Sometimes it feels like that here.

And so it went, that when the ancients were setting a date to celebrate Jesus coming into the world, they chose (what they thought was) the winter solstice: the world's longest night, and the beginning of the steady advance of the light.

And this encourages us in our weary world, because it tells us that the trajectory of society, of our failings, of the human condition itself is not without recourse. In fact, if we look at Christian faith, we find it tells of a God who is always bringing light out of darkness, love from hatred, life from the dead.

As we come into the season of advent, this odd celebration of expectation, may we know the hope that transcends even the beautiful and tragic Human Spirit. May we know the God of Resurrection and hope in the strength of his light in the darkness.

No more lets sins and sorrows grow,

or thorns infest the ground.

He comes to make his blessings flow,

far as the curse is found.

Life on the Highways

noreply@blogger.com (Jason and Heather Fader) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:08:00 +0000

This week at a conference, someone asked us to draw a picture of what our lives look like these days. I drew our family driving in the car.

In the last month, our family has driven over 5000 miles. Other McCropder families are traveling similar paths. We welcome your prayers for safety and sanity in the car as we traverse the country to attend conferences and courses, to speak at various events, and to see friends and family.

We are figuring out some of the tricks of handling life on the road:

We utilize free wi-fi and free refills at many a McDonalds.

We try to coordinate pit stops with friends when we travel to the same locations. This may not happen again for several months, but Maggie and Abi did enjoy playing together at this playground in Ohio a few weeks ago.

At a McDonalds in Connecticut, we learned to suggest simultaneous straw drinking so that we can get back in the car faster and keep driving.

We encourage children to entertain themselves quietly in the car, even if that means letting them practice photography skills with the digital camera. This is Anna's best photograph from New Hampshire.

You may notice that Abi is holding a bag in the picture. Perhaps you recall a disaster or two with her carsick stomach in Kenya. We are extremely thankful to report that she has only been that carsick once in the USA so far. I'll always remember central New York for last week's clean-up effort.

2000 miles later, our family is now in Colorado for a course at Mission Training International. Here we are enjoying the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and we feel very thankful for all the wonderful people we have been blessed to see all across this beautiful country.

Pacific Rim -- Take II

noreply@blogger.com (John and Jessica Cropsey) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Once again, the McCropders have been spoiled by the Tang family who graciously hosted us at their Ann Arbor restaurant, Pacific Rim. Bryan & Toanh Popp (an Ob/Gyn couple from the Ann Arbor area who worked with us at Tenwek for 9 months) joined us for the evening. We're trying to convince them to join us in Burundi. We figure they can claim the "op" portion of the McCropder name.

We enjoyed a fabulous evening of ribeye, tuna, wasabi-peppercorn tenderloin, crabcakes, chocolate-passion fruit mousse...to name only a few of the wonderful things we feasted on. While we dined, our children were well cared for by Janet Tang and a host of people from our church (Knox). They had a blast and we heard something about lions attacking damsels in distress.

Many thanks to Duc, Janet, Abby, Grace, Nicholas, Barb, & Kristin for a delightful evening!

Thanks, CHN!

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:17:00 +0000

View from our balcony

Everyone said furlough/home assignment would be busy. We believed them, sort of. But not really. After 2 1/2+ months home in the States, now we finally understand. It's been crazy! Fortunately all of us have had time to spend with family. But there are so many people to reconnect with, and the always present "support raising cloud" hanging over our head. Eric wrote about our busy-ness recently.

So after a wonderful but hectic two weeks in Michigan, we needed a break. Last year, an organization called the Christian Hospitality Network came to Brackenhurst, Kenya, and provided a free retreat for missionaries--free food and lodging, massages, hair cuts, pampering galore. Eric and I weren't able to go, but heard that part of the CHN was a bed and breakfast in eastern TN that provided free stays to missionaries. Our ears perked up, since Eric's parents live in Nashville. We made plans to spend a few nights at the Whitestone Inn, left the kids with Eric's parents, and took off.

It. Was. Awesome. Our room was on the second floor and we had a private balcony, jacuzzi tub, fireplace, amazing breakfasts, etc etc. A perfect respite (complete with 9-10 hours of sleep per NIGHT!), and just one of the perks of our "job". I write this to 2 groups of people. Missionaries, seriously, take them up on this offer (or any number of other B&Bs that offer discounts). Anyone else, the CHN is a great ministry to support...but even more than that, it has been such a blessing to be home these past several months and enjoy the gifts of the body of Christ. Whether that be a free place to stay, a meal, some new clothes, encouraging words, or watching our kids, we as the McCropders are so genuinely thankful for all of you. Thank you for helping us to do what God has called us to do. Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday McCropders!

noreply@blogger.com (John and Jessica Cropsey) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

The Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, KY has a special place in each McCropder's heart. (For the McLaughlins, it is particularly special since it is where they first met.) It was at this conference in 2007 that the McCropders first came to officially be. You can read more history about that here.

For those of you not familiar with this conference, it is one of the largest annual medical missions conferences. It's an amazing experience to rub shoulders with thousands of people who are all passionate about the same thing -- bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ through medicine.

We went into this conference with very different goals than previous years. Instead of visiting every booth trying to figure out what to do with our lives, we were able to stay primarily at the World Harvest booth and talk with people. Of course, there were still other booths to visit. The LandCruiser booth was particularly popular with the boys as were the organizations that help provide engineering expertise, water, lab equipment, etc. for mission hospitals.

One of the highlights this year was meeting up with friends. There were lots of people that we met at Tenwek who were at the conference as well. It was fun to catch up.

Happy 4th birthday, McCropders! During our first 4 years together, God has nearly doubled our numbers (with the addition of 5 more children, Alyssa, & Carlan), provided us with two invaluable years of experience and service at Tenwek Hospital, and guided us to a wonderful teaching opportunity in Burundi. He has been so faithful.

The McCropders (minus Elise & Micah who were in Michigan with grandparents) in front of the world map at the conference. We were excited to see several other tacks besides ours pinned in Burundi!

Reunions

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:56:00 +0000

When people ask me what I miss most about Kenya, many things come to mind, but mainly the wonderful people we got a chance to know. Sometimes people are surprised by my answer: the community (of course, had they read our "top 10" list this would be expected, right?!). These past 2 1/2 months the McCropders have been together just a handful of days, and never in complete form. We met in September for our World Harvest orientation, sans kids. We met in October for PFR, but without the Cropseys, Carlan, and Fader kids. Finally in November we were all together for the Knox Missions Weekend (except Carlan), but it was such a busy time that we barely saw each other! The year has been a whirlwind so far for all of us, with many miles on the car or a newborn in the house. It has been wonderful to reconnect with friends and family, but our kids were especially excited when they finally got a chance to see each other again. I was holding Maggie when she saw Elise for the first time in 3 months and she got rigid with excitement, then super wiggly! It was sweet. Here are a few photos of our kids reconnecting. What a blessing to have McCropders.

The "boys' club": Micah finally has some friends!

Maggie and Abi hiding behind the snack table at a speaking engagement...

The girls are all helping Ben out with some tummy time:

Kids' picnic at Danny and Abby Fahim's house: Elise, Abi, Greta Bast, and David Fahim

Maggie and Ben meeting up with an old friend from Tenwek, Liam Banks:

COTW: My toughest case

noreply@blogger.com (Jason and Heather Fader) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:24:00 +0000

As we travel around these days, one of the questions that often arises is "what is the toughest case you have done in these past two years at Tenwek?" My thoughts usually fall back to the time when a baby was born at Tenwek with respiratory distress. An x-ray confirmed that the baby had an abnormal left lung which was too big, thereby compressing the heart and the normal right lung. For those interested, the baby had Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation.

Although I had never done a pneumonectomy in a neonate, it was necessary to remove the entire left lung to save the baby's life. I was thankful to have one of my very competent residents, Agneta, operating with me on this 3-day-old baby as we removed the abnormal lung and tied off some very small, yet important blood vessels right next to the heart (see second picture if your stomach will not be queasy). One bad move and the baby’s life could have been in jeopardy. We finished the operation and closed the chest, and since there was then a big empty space in the left chest, we filled it with water (sterile, of course). The baby did quite well, and I recently heard from Agneta that she saw the baby back in clinic and the baby continues to do fine.

Although this child will likely never run with the Kenyan marathon team, it seems that God has granted her a normal life through this nervous surgeon and his resident.

Autumn and Things of Home

noreply@blogger.com (The Drs. McLaughlin) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:53:00 +0000

We arrived in Michigan last week, and the effect was immediate. All the leaves were either gold, red, or already on the ground. We had left an early autumn in Tennessee to arrive the next day in late autumn. We bundled up in sweatshirts, and stepped out into an evening of 40 degrees fahrenheit. It was the coldest weather I had experienced in two years, hands down, and it felt wonderful.

All of these external cues: the pumpkins, the raking of leaves, the football games, the Michigan cider, the winterizing of the patio furniture... All of these bring back an entire sphere of the world that I couldn't ever seem to conjure in my imagination, no matter how I tried, surrounded as I was by equatorial climate. It's a sphere filled with decades of people and places, some long gone, now rushing back. In short, it's my home.

I sympathize with people who read this and have trouble fathoming how I would rejoice at this after living 2 years with 60-80 degree weather year round. And maybe I will be taking a different tack by March. However, I'm learning that though these seasons may not be better than year round temperate weather, it is still good. It's good, and it's my home. My Kenyan friends can yearn for the dry and rainy season. I'll take spring, summer, autumn, and even winter. And this is itself a good gift and a reason for rejoicing.

Last Sunday, for the first time in two years, we pulled up to Knox Presbyterian Church. All these friends, all these acquaintances. Some elements of the church service so skillfully done. Some idiosyncracies are a little more quirky, but all of them so wonderfully ours. So wonderfully home.

A good gift.