Transitions

Many of you are on my "group" list and have received an email update from me. However some are not so briefly I want to update you that I am leaving Malawi on June 15. This will be the end of my time in Malawi with the 10 days after returning spent in a "re-entry" class for returning missionaries at Andrews. The last three years have been a journey - many days it has been painful but I have also fallen in love with Malawi - the people, the mission, and the land. So how do you say goodbye? It is something I'm learning as I go and am glad to have people around to help with the process.

In my last blog I wrote about "possible job options"... that has become a reality with a whirlwind trip to California to interview/meet with faculty at the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University. They offered me a job as faculty of the MBA program there. Having a lot of time over the past few months and during that week to evaluate the option and possibilities, I accepted the offer just before getting on the plane to come back to Malawi.

My replacement as CEO, Ed Martin, was here in Malawi when I returned. He is transitioning from Zambia where he has been for 6+ years. I was able to spend a little bit of jet-lagged time with him and go over some of the main things that are happening here. I am afraid by the end he was overwhelmed and starting to have a glazed look in his eyes. There is so much going on here that has become "normal" that I forget that someone new will feel like a mac truck hit them when they take over! Please pray for him through the transition. I am confident he will do wonderfully - but I am not ignoring the fact that is a hard position to fill.

Otherwise I am taking each day on its own. I am also looking for a place to live and a car to buy when I get back. I know things will work out and I'm happy that I have some time in the US before starting a new job. This last weekend Cristy, Nicole, Diane, and I had a "girls getaway" and went to Zomba plateau to go horseback riding and stay at the forest lodge. It was so lovely and important for me to do that as it was a special place for me while here.

So my blog "missionmalawi08" seems to not be applicable any more. I think when I leave Malawi I will stop writing here... I don't feel it necessary to have a personal blog when I'm living in the US (especially with Facebook now). I will probably have one more post but then it will be the end...