Nine Years in the Middle East
Growing up in small towns in central Oregon and Idaho, USA, my bucket list was fairly short. That changed significantly after my internship with EMI in 1997. Civil Engineering degree in back pocket, I traveled to Tegucigalpa, Honduras with a team of 11 to design an orphanage for World Gospel Outreach. My small world expanded quickly as I attended church in another language, heard testimonies of people who had devoted their lives to God’s call, and saw poverty face-to-face. Over-arching all of this, I experienced the joy of serving others through doing what I love to do. Little did I know how far that pursuit of joy would take me.
Fast forward 13 years. I was married with three young children and in the process of adoption. Life was good. I loved my work, living in the beautiful northwest, and being near family and friends. Looking back, I’m amazed at the surprise God had in store. Though I had a secure job during an economic recession, He placed a call on our hearts. It was to uproot, leave the things we loved, and help start EMI in the Middle East. It was a process for sure, but the Lord’s leading was undeniable. So we took a step of faith.
Nine years have now passed as an EMI project leader in the Middle East. Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Togo, Madagascar, and many other countries in the Middle East and North Africa are now familiar. More than familiar, there are stories and people connected to each of these places. I have met doctors living in rural Togo, the Egyptian delta, and the highlands of Malawi who are using their skills to share about the Lord. I’ve met teachers and businessmen running schools in the jungles of Uganda, the outskirts of Beirut, and remote parts of Ethiopia. They are pouring out their lives and finances to give children and their families a brighter hope both in this life and in the one to come. The ripples of their efforts will echo through eternity. We get to be a small part of that at EMI by helping these men and women bring their God-given visions to life through planning, design, and construction. How cool is that?
Nine years after walking through the amazing door that opened at EMI, my family of six approaches another significant transition. Our hearts are being stretched again as we move back home to the USA this year. Or are we leaving home? I’m not sure. It will be bittersweet. What I can say with certainty is that we have been forever changed. God has given us hearts for those who look and believe differently than we do. We will take these hearts with us, no matter where He leads.
My prayer is that you too consider the clarion call of our Lord—to take His gospel to the ends of the earth. There are positions open in our MENA team. Who will pick up where we leave off? Let God move your heart to uproot, follow Him, and be a part of what He is doing in this region.
