What will you be doing?

I have had the conversation a lot lately and I appreciate it each time I do.  People are genuinely interested in our trip to Sierra Leone.  And so they ask if we're 'ready to go'.  They are curious about our flight plans.  Some are intrigued by our living arrangements.  Others make a point of marvelling how much things are about to change for us.  But most of the conversations get around to the question eventually, "So, ummm, like, what exactly will you be doing in Sierra Leone, anyways?"
It is a good question.  But I'm afraid I often give pretty poor, incomplete answers.  Here are some of the answers we have given:

• I (Joel) will be doing some work with Christian Reformed World Missions.  Primarily, it will be leadership training and development of local church leaders.  For more details, see the sidebar (right).  [Hover over the picture of the Ringmas and click.]  Also, you can take a look at the youtube video at the bottom of the blog, which also summarizes the work.
• Maria (11), Jacob (9) and Naomi (7) will be attending the CRC Primary School in Kabala. 
• Ella (I won't include her age) will not have a neat and tidy 'job' description, but will hopefully help us hold things together under new conditions (food, shelter, clothing, language, etc.). 

         We're accustomed to setting goals, like climbing mountains and checking off to-do lists.

But the question ("What will you be doing?") also prompts us to wonder:

• How much will we measure our time in Sierra Leone by 'doing' and how much will we measure it be relational 'being'? 
• Will our Calvinistic work ethic get in the way of what God is already doing?
• "What will YOU be doing?" Maybe the short answer is "not much", at least not until the bigger question of the primary agency of God is settled. 
• The engagement of CRWM with the local church in defining the what of what we will be doing has been very encouraging.  They are listening intently to the initiative of the local church in determining what they want and need.  Who will we look to when we wonder 'what' we should be doing?  (Within ourselves?  To the church in NA?  To the local church?)

So, with one question comes a few more.  I suspect there will be exponentially more questions than answers six months from now.