The Next Generation

Last weekend, Eric and I had the privilege to travel to Boone, NC, to the Samaritan's Purse headquarters, to take part in the new Post Residency orientation.  As most of you readers know, we McCropders are Post Residency Program "graduates."  One of our first posts on the McCropder blog was about getting accepted, all the way back in 2008.  Let me just take this brief opportunity once again to thank and praise the PRP/Samaritan's Purse for their role in our lives thus far.  When the McCropders got together, we didn't know exactly where we wanted to go, what we wanted to do, what agency we wanted to work with...or even if we were really certain about spending the rest of our lives together.  The two years of the PRP allowed us to figure all those questions out, in the proper course of time, and also provided essential funding. We hope to maintain a long relationship with Samaritan's Purse through medical donations, staffing, and even someday to take on more Post Residents!

It was exciting to be able to speak to 15 new families in Boone, who are soon heading out to four continents to spread the love of Jesus through their medical gifts and abilities.  Exciting on several levels: one, to see that more people continue to be called to serve in medical missions.  Two, to see that a program that deeply impacted us is thriving.  And three, to be able to share not only our experiences and amassed knowledge of medical difficulties and life struggles in the developing world, but also to share tidbits like the best kind of canned cream available in Nairobi, and the dangers of washing white clothing, etc...to people who care! :)  Something about other post residents...we feel like we are all kindred spirits in a lot of ways.  So it was just really great to get to know these special individuals, and hope that they are all eventually called to long term medical work so we can be colleagues!  Please be praying for these families as they pack up, move out, and spend the next two years of their lives in a crazy, challenging, heartbreaking, wonderful adventure.