Transitions & replacements

We're scheduled to fly to Denver 2 weeks from today for the start of a planned 1 year U.S. Home Ministry Assignment (HMA). Yesterday I completed my 2nd fairly major home repair job, the replacement of a metal device that helps open & close the rolling curtains in a bedroom. The device itself only cost 18 euros ($25). However, had we had to pay for labor as well, it could have easily cost us 150 euros (over $200). Several weeks ago I had to do replace something in the sink in one of the water rooms. Again, the parts weren't that expensive, but it easily would have run over $200 for labor.

I'm not super mechanically enclined, nor to I especially enjoy projects like these. However, I did enjoy trying to figure out the whole process from discerning what was broken to getting what was needed to fix it to completing the repair.

Yesterday I met with D@vid. He's with another group and has a lot of experience in working with artists. He himself is a musician who has done previous min in Montreal, Brazil, etc. He will be taking over the communications responsibilities that I've been doing for a number of years now. Yesterday I passed on the passwords to a number of different accounts, as well as showed him how to do use some of these different tools.

I periodically hear adages related to the notion that no one is irreplaceable. As we plan for a year away, we're forced to bring closure to some of what we've done, as well as turn things over. It's important to always be thinking about the future & who are those that we should be preparing to turn things over to. For we are all terminal & will have to turn things over eventually, whether we want to or not. If we more intentionally plan for transitions, then they are more likely to go smoothly than if we don't plan for them.

One way to measure the effectiveness of our leadership is by how smoothly the transition goes and how well our replacement(s) do.

Last evening we had an enjoyable evening with Bill & R@chel & their 2 children. They kindly took our kids all afternoon, which helped us get more done yesterday. G*d quickly & miraculously provided an apartment for them in a part of Paris close to Radio France & the Eiffel Tower. They are in a part of Paris that I don't know well, but am glad they are living in.

We first met them in IL while we were doing grad studies 1998-2000. They've been interested in working in Paris since then & left a successful min in a growing ch&rch in order to come here. We have been blessed to track with them these past 10-12 years & now have them in Paris. We are especially excited when new families arrive.

In some ways, it feels strange to be leaving Paris at this time when things are going well & G*d is bringing people like Bill & Rachel to Paris. However, G*d has His ways of moving His personnel around the field.

It's been encouraging to us to have people actually sad that we are leaving for this next year. Several have insisted that we do come back. Actually more people in Paris know about our 1 year stateside than do in the U.S. This is due to our needing to be part of a July 28 or 29 meeting that will help give some direction about this next year stateside.

It's good we're having this season to do some goodbyes to our friends here. It doesn't feel super rushed and we're not having one super bonanza party, but rather different gatherings of friends at different times.