Big News....Our Journey Begins

Berg Family in Rwanda ~ Our Journey Begins……

10 months til the move!

From Kerrville, Texas, USA…..to Kibogora, Rwanda, Africa

The Bergs: L-R: Ruthie (12), Tim, Stephen (15), Sam (11), Linda & Hannah (17)

Rwanda? Really?


Yes. Rwanda!

WHY?

Since 1982, way before we knew each other, when Tim was about 24 years old and in medical school, and since 1989 when Linda was 24 and working for a youth outreach ministry called Young Life http://www.younglife.org/us, we separately thought we sensed God tugging us and offering us a chance to see Him at work in a whole other part of His world. As weird and unlikely as it felt at the time, it seemed He might be cultivating in our hearts a desire to live in a place that needed services we could provide in His name for people who needed them. We felt we weren't nearly together enough, holy enough or strong enough to do it, so we doubted our thoughts were from God. Tim thought perhaps it was just because he liked adventure, and Linda thought it was just some crazy "save the world" idea she had, slightly akin to her propensity to take in every stray animal and whatever else. Still, we wondered if perhaps, just maybe, it was God, and not ourselves, putting these crazy ideas in our heads.

Isaiah 43:19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.


As the years flew by, we met, married, had four children, lived in SC and TX, battled some medical issues and lived through various struggles -- some pretty huge, at least to us! -- but the soft, gentle pressure to go and share some of the gifts He's given has not left us. In fact, it's grown.

.....being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

We thought maybe the itch to do something could be scratched by going on some short term mission trips. What do I mean by "itch"? Well, from time to time, it would bother us that we've been given so much, when most of the world goes without the basic human necessities. We've been given Jesus, love, food, health care, clothing and shelter -- in fact, we've enjoyed way more than that! Yet, for many in the world, it is almost impossible to imagine having all those things. That bothers us, and we feel almost haunted by Jesus' words, "To whom much is given, much is required". We've been challenged by verses like 1 John 3:17:

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" Also, James 2:16. "If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?"


Anyway, our life here, so busy with teenagers' schedules, school, work and other things, while rich and full, has increasingly felt sort of hollow for us  - like we're doing really good stuff, but it isn't exactly where we are supposed to be. We keep feeling like we ought to pitch our lives into the effort to follow Jesus to a place that needs His love, where we can share what He's given us.


When we were first married, we went to India to work at Bangalore Baptist Hospital for a couple months. Tim worked in many hospitals overseas when he was still single. In the last few years, we've traveled to Haiti and worked in orphanages and a medical clinic there.



Instead of scratching the itch, this only made the itch bigger! It has seemed to us that we were made for this sort of thing, and so were our children. They worked so hard with us in Haiti. We couldn't be more proud of them. Somehow, amidst all the pain of these places, we found such joy and felt we saw and experienced God so closely. We want more of that!



This past Spring, after going and talking with our pastor, we felt like it was time to listen a little closer to that tug, or that gentle pressure we felt, to see if it was from God, or was just some crazy idea we'd dreamed up. After a lot of prayer, counsel, etc., we feel it has been God all along who has been working in our hearts. Although inadequate and hilariously wimpy for this task, we are gonna go ahead and venture out.


I need to include one joke on us that is too funny not to share here, regarding the question, "Why Rwanda?!". Way back, ten years ago, during a weekend away for our 10th wedding anniversary, Tim and I watched the movie, Hotel Rwanda, in our hotel room. After it ended, I turned to Tim and said, "Well, that's one place I could NEVER go and do mission work." Tim laughed and said, "Oh, I wish you hadn't said that!" Is it any doubt that God has a sense of humor that World Medical Mission asked us if we'd consider Rwanda when we told them we'd go wherever they most needed us? Ha! Not that God is a kill-joy ~ Rwanda is a beautiful country and we are actually excited about this assignment, and want to go -- I just never dreamed I would want to go there a decade ago! Since deciding, we've been amazed to learn about all the work God has been doing there for years, and is still doing. It feels exciting!  The Rwandan people have moved so far forward since that time.  The country is developing rapidly and expanding further into the technological and tourist fields.  We look forward to partnering with the Rwandans as they seek to provide health care in the southwest region.

Of course, we're not all that full of faith: we are only committing to one year. We're asking God to do something with what we're giving. Kind of like the old 5 loaves and 2 fish miracle. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+6%3A35-44&version=NIV


Do we feel excited and gung-ho about this ALL the time? Uh, no! Some days we look at each other and we feel scared to death and don't want to do this at all. How can we leave such a comfortable community, Linda's awesome parents who live nearby, both of our dear families, such a great house, such good friends, such a wonderful job situation? And aren't we a little old to be doing this? What about our kids' education - and health? Are we strong enough, spiritually and physically?

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Somehow, God's kept us on the path so far, even through the emotional ups and downs we've had since making our final decision to go this past June. Usually when we feel like this, we remember the story of Peter walking out to Jesus on the waves. When he was looking at Jesus, he didn't think about what he couldn't do, nor how ill equipped he was nor how impossible it was. But when he took his eyes off Jesus, he remembered all those impossibilities - and started to sink. We need prayer that we'll put our faith in God and not in ourselves.

^{Lamentations 3:19-26}

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.


So, that's why we are going to Rwanda. We are hoping to find a group of people who will pray for us. If you'd like to be in that group, please comment to this post and let us know!