REACHBACK
That’s the theme for this season of connection and travel as we are back in the U.S.! What does it mean? Great question!
I remember sitting in our apartment late one night in Cairo, Egypt. The wedding hall across the street blared the theme from James Bond and it made me chuckle. I listened for a bit and imagined how one dances to that particular selection before I returned to my current task…finding an education solution for our daughters, Emileigh and Aria, who were 17 and 15.
As a family, we agreed that moving from Springfield, MO to Cairo, Egypt was the right thing to do. We sensed the Lord’s leading in all of it.
Now as I sat in the glow of my computer late into the night, I began to question all of it. How are we going to live this life if we can’t even sort their education? Are we being bad parents? Did we miss the Lord’s leading?
I can say that living cross-culturally (such as in Egypt) doesn’t leave a lot of margin for making big decisions…because EVERYTHING FEELS BIG. And when it involves your children? Well…HUGER than HUGE.
We wanted to stay in place–to remain “on the line,” but we needed support in making good educational decisions for our girls. In the military, this group of soldiers who provide support for those on the frontline are called, “The Reachback” because they reach back from the front lines to those waiting to assist.
We have served in frontier locations (Egypt, Sudan, Israel) for the last 15+ years. We have made it this far by the grace of the Lord and your continued prayers, friendship, and giving.
Our next assignment shifts us from the focus of one country to those currently serving in 24 countries. We are now in a Reachback position to strategically lead a fully-accredited distance education school for Third-Culture Kids (TCKs)–providing options for families who may find themselves up late at night wondering how this whole thing is going to work.
Think of us as air support for those calling for help on the frontline. We aren’t on the ground with them, but the support provided will allow them to remain in place and continue to bring Jesus to some of the least-lit places in the world.
We are taking this year to connect, raise awareness, prayer, and support for our next 4 years of ministry. (See the chart below for current status.) This support will allow us to provide an excellent education option for TCKS and to visit them and their families in context.
If you’d like to be a part of Team Reachback, you can help in 3 ways:
1. Invite us to your church, business, or small group.
2. Give a one-time gift and/or become a monthly partner.
s1.ag.org/morton3. Advocate for us. Do you know someone who loves TCK ministry and has a heart for global work? Send them our info!
And as always, THANK YOU for being a part of our journey. We love sharing life with you!
Our Journey
We learn much from our desert friends and always from Jesus. We write about those lessons here.
13 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Travel Internationally
1. Is my passport valid for at least 6 more months after the ending date of my travel? (Some countries require this.) 2. Are there enough clean pages for all the stamps I will receive as I enter and exit countries? 3. Have I checked which vaccinations certifications...
Oimbeeyatha, Part 2
Last time I left you, I had just had coffee with my new Cypriot neighbor, Oimbeeyatha (Oh-im-bee-YAH-thuh). Through the power of Google Translate, I received an invitation to return later in the week to meet her daughter who would be visiting from the city. I nodded...
Oimbeeyatha, Part 1
The mountain village on Cyprus we currently call home is charming, welcoming, and interesting. For the few months we've been here, we've made it a practice to eat in different restaurants and visit the different business found here in this tourist destination. ...
Some Highlights
Journey with us to some of the places and meet some of the people we’ve worked with over the years doing professional development for educators (EduCAN Development Corporation).