Dear partners, I thought I’d give you a picture from my perspective of what it is like to be married to a guy who travels around the globe for a living. It is a remarkable journey we are, and have been on, together as a ministry team! We are so thankful for the privilege of serving God in this way.
Before each trip: For months beforehand, we spend time praying and planning together. We try to make sure our schedules coincide and that we are guarding healthy family rhythms and priorities. Then the day before departure is a busy time of finishing many details. I help Eric with simple things like doing laundry, packing snacks, or finding a small gift for the hosts that he will stay with. Then, to wrap the day up, usually around 9:00 p.m., we start the suitcase routine. He has his standard packing list. Allie usually reads the list, Holly looks up weather in the different countries and then we all begin collecting. Eric has his closet all organized with different trip outfits: some for hot and humid weather, some for medium, some for cold, and then since he works in Africa, some for hot, hot! After we have finished packing, the suitcase is weighed to make sure that that the luggage is not over the specific international airline requirements (yes, they can be different for different airlines!)
The sad/happy cycle: “Guard your heart, for it is a well spring of life.” -Prov. 4:23. So usually the day before a trip and for a few hours after Eric leaves my heart is a little sad. Soon we adjust and get busy with life. The routine changes and we get into a different rhythm. It’s just our family’s “normal” to be together and to be apart. Honestly, it is hard to keep up with all that Eric does. There are many times that the kids can’t even remember what country he is in or when he is coming back or even when he left. It is just our normal. I also alert various prayer teams about potential challenges and opportunities that might pop up on this trip and mobilize our prayer warriors. What a blessing to be part of a team!
Staying in touch: Eric and I have made communication a huge priority over the years. Some years ago, friends made it possible for us to all have good phones so that we, as a family, can stay in contact no matter what continent we are each on. I believe this has been one of our best support methods. Those of you who know Eric know that he will work to no end to make contact with us, whether he is on the top of some mountain in the middle of the jungle holding his phone in the air to get cell reception, or trying to get a hotspot set up in a remote airport. Some of my favorite talks are while he’s walking through some remote, peaceful village in the pitch dark with his head lamp. I can hear all the tropical creatures making their night noises in the background. He’s telling me about all the interesting bugs he is seeing and some that are feeding on him! I’m always concerned that there might be lions, but he reassures me there are not lions in that area!
On the ground overseas: Oftentimes Eric will need me to take care of things on this end that he can’t do overseas due to difficult internet connections or time zone differences, such as administrative details or alerting prayer teams. Recently when the pandemic hit, Eric was in Zambia and needed to get out asap! It was late at night for me and his early morning when we got the call that he needed to find a way home now! So I got to work and started calling airlines trying to find ways to cancel or reroute his flights and get him tickets through countries that would let him come home and not stay in an airport for two weeks doing quarantine. Many hours later he was all set and began the journey home.
Reunion: The happy part usually starts the day before Eric returns, and then continues as the car comes up the driveway and he is home! We usually have a family debriefing time and little treasures are handed out: sometimes it’s a French newspaper from the Paris lounge for Allie (who’s enamored with all that is Paris) or little pastries that he’s carefully wrapped in napkins so we can all taste their unique flavors. We get to sample a lot of different chocolate creations usually from the complimentary baskets on the airplanes. Oftentimes the people Eric has been working with send back gifts for us. It’s always so fun and very humbling to see the care and love they have given Eric and us through these presents.
All in all, it is quite an adventure we are on together. But I am so thankful that Eric and I have the privilege of sharing the Word of God with the nations!
Walking by faith, Holly