A Story of "R's"...

Well, it's time our family tries to put to words what has been mulling in our minds for quite some time now. 

First stop? Tim Hortons!
Quintessentially Canadian

It wasn't a lot but he was out there to collect it!
(And stored his snow collection in the freezer...)

As some of you know, and many have since picked up on, our family came back to Canada at the end of November. We were terrible at communicating this, and the many surprised faces upon our return reminded us that we had not adequately articulated our plans. 

Honestly, we couldn't. We were weary. All we could do was just get back, which, to be fair, is no small logistical feat in and of itself.  

Christmas at a home made available to us
in Kingston, ON

So upon landing, our goal was simple. REST. RECUPERATE. RECHARGE. Take some time as a family to step away from the constant pull for our time, attention, and energy. 

Sounds pretty dreamy, right? Who wouldn't love to step out of the day-in-day-out busyness of life to pause and rest like that? 

And yet, it proved a challenge because resting was not the only thing we needed to do. Once back, we had to get ourselves some wheels, ready ourselves for winter, sort out where we would stay...all the while getting over jet lag. 

So rest is hard to come by. It's more like "RECOVERY".

And it turns out the recovery is not just from this most recent trip. 

Over 6 1/2 years ago, our family transitioned from the intense season of Jesh's General Surgery Residency to a life of global missions. Partnering with Samaritan's Purse Post-Residency Program, we first spent a year in France, then one in Burundi, and another in Togo. From there, COVID hit, and we spent a period of time back in Canada while we sorted out moving to Madagascar, where we have been for the last few years. 

These years have been filled to the brim with incredible stories of opportunities to spend ourselves on behalf of the community there. If you don't know of those stories, search back on the blog and you'll get a glimpse. From helping start a surgical residency program, to spear-heading electrical projects and new wells, to overseeing the guesthouse, we've never found ourselves short of things to do. 

Turns out that comes with a cost. One we were willing to pay, because we really believed that we needed to be all-in if we wanted to see change and growth come to our little spot on the globe. 

And, no suprise, we became tired. Last year was full on, and while the highs were high, the lows were low. We wouldn't change it. We don't regret it. 

But man, we needed a break.  

As we have considered what it might look like to come back for some RESPITE, we also began pondering the future. We always said we would continue living overseas as long as it worked for our family, and we were beginning to question the sustainability. Our older children have a great online school, but they are without others their age around the compound. We sought to integrate with nationals, but language, school system, and culture have made that really challenging to bring into our daily life.

School travels with us!

Reconnecting with friends -
something the whole family get to enjoy!

Meanwhile, I have been questioning more and more how Jesh and I can possibly be all the things our kids need - parent, teacher, friend, youth leader, spiritual guide, extra curricular creator and coordinator...it's a lot of hats. Because of our remote setting, we have to create the exposure for any skills or experiences they might need for life, whether in Africa or back in Canada. 

Even entertaining the idea of a shift from life full-time overseas has been impossibly challenging. Jesh has thrived in his work as an African surgeon, and after more then 5 years, he's learned a lot about how to meet the surgical needs, and teach the residents. It's easy to tell he is loved and appreciated by national friends and colleagues, and rarely a day would go by where someone didn't mention something about the blessing of electricity and water, largely funded by those of you reading this now.  

How do we consider leaving a place where there is constant need, and we're the ones with the resources to do something about it? 

How do we find "balance" in our life when there is nothing balanced about the poverty and limitations we have been surrounded by daily? 

And how do we ensure we prioritize the primary ministry of raising the children God has entrusted to us?

"Assessing" the activity of squirrels

It is in this tension we have found ourselves in recent months. And it is in this tension we returned. 

So while we like the idea of "resting", it feels a bit more complicated. REEVALUATING and REVISITING everything is not exactly a vacation on the beach! 

But we know it'll take time to REIMAGINE how to move forward with global surgery. 

We have some ideas, and we hope to share details in due time. 

Meanwhile, we are using this "Home Assignment" time to all of the things above, in addition to RECALIBRATING and REASSESSING. Turns out there's a lot of "r" words that can be used in this season we find ourselves! But we have the next few months set aside to sort out what's coming up for our family and for our ministry in Africa. 

The work, however, has not stopped. Thiessens2Africa and our supporters continue to bring hope and healing even as we are back in Canada. The PAACS surgical residency program continues, with the hospital having welcomed the 4th surgical trainee. While our largest projects were finished while we were on the ground, there are ongoing pieces we continue to fund, like bringing electricity beyond the hospital into the immediate community, and supporting patients who cannot afford their medical care. 

Our colleagues in Madagascar with the newest 
surgery resident and his family.

Please join us in praying for clarity and renewed vision as we seek where to go from here. It is impossible to ignore the immense need in places such as those we have lived in in Africa over the last 6+ years. Canada - or the "Land of Plenty", as we have lovingly referred to it - has much to offer in terms of resources, support and encouragement. We plan to continue to see surgery and hope brought to those in need. 

Feel free to reach out to us should you have any questions or concerns at this time, and we promise to keep you updated as plans progress and things take shape. 

Bless you as you begin this new year,

Julie, on behalf of our family