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| Dave and Sophia, 1993 Source of Nile River, Jinja, Uganda |
When my daughter Sophia was a toddler she would stand on our
front porch and cry as I left for work, “Don’t leave me daddy.” In my first time parent feebleness I vacillated
between reason with a toddler and discipline.
Eventually, I just closed my heart and drove away. Yet, a few times later God’s Spirit
whispered, “Make her laugh.”
Sophia was crying on the porch, “Don’t leave me daddy.”
I picked her up and said, “I won’t. You’re the one who is going to leave me.”
She had a puzzled look.
I said, “Someday you’ll marry a boy you love. You’ll leave me.”
Her puzzled look turned to a dream. I hugged and kissed her. I put her feet back on the porch. She giggled. I left and came home a few hours later.
The “Don’t leave me” routine became our missionary family
rhythm. We laughed at transitions.
Over a furlough in 2010 Sophia was a junior in high
school. We looked at different
universities as possibilities. We
traveled to Wheaton College. It was the
only university where I noticed young men who I would not mind asking my
daughter out on a date. They even
called me, “Sir.”
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| Dave, Jana, and Sophia at her Harambee in Rwanda |
I took 40 days away from Rwanda to put Sophia in
college. As I left her to return to
Rwanda she hugged me and said, “I was right.
You’re leaving me.” We
giggled. The painful transition was
easier.
A year later we arrived in Chicago. It’s been three years rebooting as
missionaries to America. We fell into
debt and poverty. Yet, two things kept
us going. First, we needed to be on the
same continent as all of our kids. Our
first task was to shepherd them.
Second, America is a Post-Christian nation. Our East African Diaspora people are in the
USA. Our Diaspora people fit the church planter
profile growing church movements look for more so than any demographic category
in the USA. Someone must shepherd them as missionaries to
America.
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| Sophia at a Traditional Wedding in Uganda |
When Sophia was about 10 we walked home from a kwanjula
(Traditional Ugandan Wedding.) She told
me, “Dad, when I get married I want to have a traditional wedding.” She meant an African Traditional Wedding.
When Matthew Cardillo asked me if he could marry Sophia my
only concern was my daughter’s wishes.
I trusted her judgment. My task
was to bless and honor.
On Friday, July 3 our East African Diaspora rallied to bless
Matthew and Sophia in a Gusaba (Rwandan) / Kwanjula (Ugandan) / Traditional
African Wedding. Over 250 people from
10 nations (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Kenya,
Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States of America) attended.
The attire was exquisite. The humor was full of joy and wisdom. The food was great. The dancing was captivating. When it came time to bless the Cardillos over
$5,000 was contributed.
On Saturday, July 4 our families had a small church wedding
for the Cardillos.
On Friday, July 10 our Chicago based missionary family drove
Matthew and Sophia Cardillo to
the O’Hare Airport. We said, “Good bye.” Sophia is returning home to serve as a
missionary teacher at Kigali International Community School (KICS.) Matthew is doing what missionaries have always
done. He’s following his best friend,
showing up, and trusting for God to use him for His glory.
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| Matthew and Sophia Cardillo at their Gusaba |
I hugged Sophia and told her, “I was right. You’re leaving me.”
We laughed. I
watched Matthew and her go through security until I could no longer see
them.
I cried a little. I
took a nap when I got home and then awoke to take a long bike ride to both
grief and celebrate.
On Saturday, July 11 I spent the evening with the South
Sudanese Community in Chicago celebrating their Independence.
On Sunday, July 12 we called Matthew and Sophia in
Rwanda. They are good. We trust their care to our community in
Africa.
Later that Sunday I went to a celebration for a Kenyan
friend, Mary Tororeiy who just completed her Ph.D. and will shortly return to
Kenya.
As I left the celebration I went to watch my son, Ethan play
soccer for the Chicago based Ugandan Cranes.
Some summarize the current season of Diaspora Missions as “from
all nations to all nations.” It is
true. We live that out.
Others remark that “All Christians are missionaries.” I disagree. When all Christians are missionaries none are
missionaries. (I’ll blog later
extensively on that matter with an open Bible.) Also, the ability to make key missions
strategic decisions is undermined when there are no priorities or philosophic
commitments.
Here are some big picture missionary sweeps. Over the last 100 years Africa has been
transformed by church planting missionaries.
There are more evangelical Christians now in Africa than in North
America. That growth ushered in great
social changes ranging from the stopping of the slave trade to the
relinquishment of colonialism. We’re
thankful that we were a small part in that historic movement. In
contemporary times that movement is about things such as education and
business. One of our missionary
mentors, Dr. Dwight Jackson says, “We can’t be for the liberation of the poor
if we’re not for the establishment of the middle class.” We concur.
Sophia returns to teach at a KICS that creates an
environment to support both missionaries and the establishment of East Africa’s
middle class.
We stay on the mission field of America helping those East
African Diaspora missionaries adapt to and transform Post-Christian America.
It’s all painful. Yet
it is God’s missionary call.
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| Jana and Sophia at Gusaba |
Let me drop Bible and missionary strategy for a moment and
be parentally concise.
You’re not a missionary if your parents don’t stand at the
airport and cry as you leave.
My parents do that when they leave Chicago, but marvel at
the character of our African missionaries here.
I do that as I watch Matt and Sophia leave from O’Hare for
Rwanda.
May God’s peace travel with all of His missionaries around
the world. May missionary parents’
hearts be comforted.
