May 29, 2007

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Kennedy family with Edinburgh Castle and the city in the background.    

We are in our final months in Edinburgh, with about 12 weeks remaining before we return to Cairo. A chapter in our lives is ending and a new one beginning. It’s hard to believe three years have passed since we got on a plane in the heat of a Cairo summer and landed in Scotland on a cool, rainy day in August. We’ve had a lot of cool, rainy days here in Edinburgh since then! We are blessed to look back on three peaceful, productive years of study and growth as a family. Now, as we wrap things up, we’re turning our focus back to Cairo, with all its sunshine, friendships, bustle, and activity—and most importantly, the teaching ministry we are returning to with renewed excitement and purpose.

We have a lot to process this summer. We have a myriad of items to check off our to-do list before we leave, from complex applications to the Egyptian embassy for work visas, to sorting and shipping our book collection, which has expanded considerably over the course of writing two dissertations. There is the ongoing and increasingly urgent work of dissertation writing and editing. We are supervising a contractor repairing our apartment in Cairo (damaged by a plumbing mishap), teaching Calvin the Arabic alphabet, xeroxing research sources at the library—the list goes on.

More important than getting through all the busy-work, however, is taking the time to reflect on this transition and what it means for us. Growing up as a missionary kid, I learned the value of saying good-bye well. We want to finish our time in Scotland in such a way that we can start our new life in Cairo with our hearts and minds fully present where we are. This means we will try this summer to spend time with the friends we have made in Edinburgh, acknowledging and celebrating the role they have had in our lives. We’ll visit the places that have meant a lot to our family, taking time to give thanks for the beauty of this country and the way it has blessed and uplifted us. Our goal is not to add more things to our to-do list, but to allow time and space for our hearts to let go, and to express the joy and gratitude we feel for what we have had here in Scotland. Truly, we’ve experience the goodness of the Lord in new and amazing ways during our time in this place.

We also want to take the time to prepare our hearts for what is ahead for us in Egypt. Our move back to Cairo is both an end and a beginning. It is an end, in the sense that we are coming to the close of a period of preparation in our lives. Our Ph.D. degrees are the final stage in building up the skills we need for effective teaching in Cairo. Of course we still have much to learn, but we will no longer need to take extended study time away from our ministry in order to prepare ourselves. We are eager to begin a new period of productivity, when we can contribute to the seminary without distraction or competition for our time. It’s exciting to look ahead to a long stretch of uninterrupted dedication to our students. As our colleagues on the seminary faculty also finish up periods of study leave and return to teaching, our seminary will gain momentum from the presence of a complete, well-equipped team who can give their full energy to teaching ministries. As we look at the coming decade we see potential for mature, fruitful ministry at the seminary. We’re eager to return and be a part of that.

This period will also involve some new beginnings for our family. Our boys have spent time in Egypt as babies and toddlers, but as we return they are old enough to be involved in school, church, activities, and friendships. As they look ahead to their new lives, they are both excited and nervous. We pray that we can shepherd them through these adjustments well, and that God will provide the friendships and encouragement they need as they find their way in a new environment. Calvin, in particular, will face the challenge of switching from an English curriculum in school to Arabic-language education. Please join us in praying that Arabic will come quickly and easily for him in the coming year.

Our hearts are overflowing with all sorts of emotions as the date for our move draws near. Most of all, though, we are grateful—for wonderful opportunities to grow, learn, and give; for friendships that give us courage and joy; for the faithfulness of God in providing all that we need. Thank you for standing by us and supporting us through our time in Scotland and now, as we return to Egypt. We look forward to writing you next time from our home in Cairo!

Blessings and peace,

Elisabeth, Darren, Calvin, and Sammy Kennedy

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 158