Before marriage, I have often, so often travelled alone- to Mozambique, to India, to hard, hard places.
After marriage, I had never travelled alone- until now.
After seven long, hard days, I stare into your faces on screen and try to smile as tears well up my eyes realizing-
-one week down, we still have six more to go.
Yet the Lord has been good:
He has blessed me with new friends, the way Sarah-Faith said I would if I introduced myself. The locals here- my team and all at the lodge have named me “Sibusissiwe”, meaning “we are blessed.”
“Because of you, we are blessed, Dr Tam. So this is your name. Your last name shall be ‘Hlope’ (pronounced “Shlope” with a throaty sound) because it represents a clean heart.”
He has blessed me with the ability to speak the local language.
He has blessed me with public health work that I find meaningful, fruitful and rewarding.
He has blessed me with a few local friends at the lodge who look after me.
He has blessed us with friends back home who opened their home to our family, to celebrate Sarah-Faith’s fifth birthday over a rainbow-sprinkle-cupcake-making-session while I was away.
He has blessed me with Cliff who pursues me twice a day, every day, to chat.
And while the weekends might be long and lonely, I trust that God is always there.
If you’re lonely and struggling this lunar new year amidst the festivities, know this- God knows and sits with us.
No matter how alone we might feel, you and I- we, can count our blessings, from a big God.
