Turning my Wrestling Into Waltzing…

A letter from Ingrid Reneau Walls in the UK, on leave from service in Ghana

March 2015

Since last Fall I’ve been wrestling with time, seeking both to lengthen and widen it so that I could comfortably be and do all that is required of me to continue living life to the full as a 21^st century mission co-worker. I’d returned to the UK from Ghana in October to be with Andrew, whose health had become a matter of concern. While awaiting his medical tests, we’d celebrated our first Christmas at home in Aberdeen, and then New Year’s with his children in Southampton. While still awaiting those medical tests, which we’d learn were now expected in about two months, we decided to return on Jan 7 to Akrofi-Christaller Institute (ACI) in Akropong, Ghana, for the spring semester of teaching and lecturing. It was an energizing start: teaching Academic Writing to an incoming M.A. class of 18 students, 4 of whom were women (an answered prayer to double the amount of female students on campus) and an M.Th. class of 6. There was also a three-day seminar on “An Introduction of the Life of Christian Scholarship,” facilitated by Andrew, which I co-facilitated. It was attended by most of ACI’s teaching staff and also staff from the three academic institutions that ACI is mentoring.

Rev. Genesis, ACI’s M.Th. student from the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon, presents a paper based on his research at the monthly Graduate Student presentations on campus. Its been a privilege to read and offer Rev. Genesis some feedback on his work.

This early semester at ACI proved hectic, due not only to academic demands but medical ones as well. We’d returned in the latter part of what the Ghanaians asserted was a rather severe Harmattan: the strong winds from the Sahara bringing the desert into the heartland, and within it every particle of dust in our immediate environment becomes the air you breathe.  After many queries of “How are you keeping during this Harmattan?” we finally had to acknowledge that we had developed what I call “Harmattanitis,” severe sinus allergy and upper respiratory infections, which required medical attention.  During treatment of antibiotics and rest, we continued working (there are always students’ thesis chapters and course essays to read and give feedback on!) and praying and seeking to see clearly how to best manage the year in mission service. This was especially because uncertainties about Andrew’s health continued as he sought complete recovery from Harmattanitis.

In truth, since last October, when his health became a matter for concern, I’d been in discussion with both PC(USA) World Mission and ACI about the way forward for me as a mission co-worker. Both my time and focus were becoming increasingly divided as I sought to juggle my responsibilities to ACI as a Senior Research Fellow, to the PC(USA) as a full-time mission co-worker, and to my marriage as co-laborer with my husband, who despite his maturing age and at times fragile health, continues to be actively committed to his life in mission as an academic missionary in World Christianity, ministering as a teacher and lecturer of Church History, Cross-Cultural Mission and African Christianity. Thus during Harmattanitis I’d begun to consider a leave of absence as an option that might allow the space and time for me to continue in mission and meet as many of my responsibilities as would be possible while being at home in Aberdeen at Andrew’s side full-time rather than residing most of the time, with or without Andrew, in Akropong, Ghana.

Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Palm Sunday Parade, Akropong, Ghana

Therefore, effective March 1, 2015, after discussions with ACI and discussions between ACI and PC(USA) World Mission, I’ve been granted one year’s leave of absence without any salary but with insurance benefits. This means while spending most of my time with Andrew as he completes these tests and gains some answers regarding his health, I can (and I am) continuing to read those M.Th. chapters and other ACI students’ essays while here in Aberdeen.  I am also traveling with Andrew on his now much reduced speaking engagements here in the UK and elsewhere, as well as working on completing and delivering some papers of my own. We both hope to complete some longer writing projects that have been on hold for some time now. And while completing these tasks, we also hope to return to ACI in August to teach for at least six weeks. We hope to wind up the year’s leave with some international ministry trips for Andrew as well as complete the sorting of Andrew’s study, which houses some 60-odd years of files, papers and books of his life in academic ministry and mission. This we seek to do in preparation for downsizing to a smaller home.

Clearly this is one of those working leaves, and one also in which I hope, by the rich grace of God and with all of your continued loving and generous support of prayers, well wishes and, yes, finances too—for I will still need your financial support to meet the cost of my continued medical coverage—my wrestle with time will turn to dancing. A waltz, no doubt, as I indeed slow down in movements in time to Jah’s re-orchestrations of my continued life in world mission.

As ever, I am grateful to each and all of you for continuing to uphold me and Andrew in committed prayerful, financial support that we may continue in a life of Christian ministry / mission in Africa and elsewhere, all to the utmost glory of our God, that his kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven, amen. For without you we are one-handed clappers of our God doing wonders with/in us and all over this world, amen. Wishing you all a glorious Easter, filled with the Life-given presence and promises of our Risen Christ Jesus!

In Deep Appreciation and Thanksgiving,
Ingrid

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 131