Thank You!

Thank you to all you wonderful family and friends who sent goodies to help make Christmas magical! 

 It was truly a delight to watch the girls' faces as they opened their presents. 

Thank you for remembering us even while we are so far away...it makes such a difference to be loved from afar!

Happy New Year!

Step Two

Well we finished up the six weeks at language school and headed for the coast. A quick stop at the embassy to renew passports and then over to the big island to settle into our next stop. We will stay here for a time to practice language and build relationships with the team members here.

It has been really hard re-entering life here, compounded by my anxiousness to get "home". But I know our time here is important and am yet again being taught to let go of my plans and let God work His...cheerfully.  That last word is the kicker for sure.

Homeschool continues to go well, thank you for those prayers! Please keep it up and continue to pray for our language growth and purposeful living in every stage. Thanks!

Pictures: Happy ninth birthday Hunter! And some pics of my new kitchen. Lots of cereal going on these days...

Hoping for hippos

The other day Justin took the girls to town after school and let my grumpy self stay behind. After a quick nap I headed upriver to find a hidden spot to sit and read. The view over my toes brought a smile to my face as I imagined the famed yet elusive hippo rising up. He didn't. Oh well, maybe next time.

This morning we set off to conquer a nearby mountain and it was incredible...Africa as far as the eye can see...beautiful.

And we finally wrestled another tooth out of Hunter's head. Maybe those big teeth will move forward now!

Language learning and homeschoolbare going surprisingly awesome. Thank you for all your love and prayers!

Finally

After almost six years in Africa, we finally got to go on a real Safari, which incidentally means journey in Swahili. So the crack of dawn found us climbing into a Defender 130, open back truck and off we went. We spied impalas, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes close enough to spit on (though we did not) water buffaloes, kudu, baboons, warthogs, zebras, herds of elephants protecting lots of babies(that was my favorite) and a male lion not ten yards away. Awesome! Until someone's husband growled at said lion. Did I mention the Rover was wide open? God is so creative and His creations are truly magnificent!

Rugged Fun

After school we head out into the Tanzanian wilderness to tame the wild...children. There is a lovely river that flows by here but farther up past a coffee plantation there are huge boulders where God built an adventure wonderland for children of all ages. Rhino fish tempt the grown up ones and clamoring around entertains the youngers. Just getting us ready for our first SAFARI!

Our new temporary life

Welcome to our classroom, we finally started school! It is going really well so far. And thanks to Miss Jill, the extracurricular hours can be whiled away in various fantastical lands like Narnia!  Please continue to pray as Justin tackles Swahili again, the girls tackle homeschool, and I try to be a peaceful, cheerful, encouraging presence in their lives.

Home Sweet Home

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.  Those who go out weeping carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Yesterday as I reflected on our last weeks in America and the hardest good-byes yet, I found comfort in these words and lodged my hope in them being true for us.

Today as I sailed down towards Little Island, I was pleasantly surprised to have my eyes fill with tears of joy!  It did feel a little like coming home; like we were created for this one place, this one mission, this one assignment.  Sow, be it with tears or with joy, sow!

Thank you so much for your prayers for us as we traveled.  It was a long trip smattered with tears of exhaustion, a little puke, toilet-paper-less bathrooms and odd meals at odd times.  But we made it safe and sound.  All the bags made it and we have rested comfortably here on Big Island preparing to head to the mainland and language school in the morning.

We will hopefully have better internet on mainland and in fact, we will try to get my phone connected so I can pass on pictures more often.  Thanks so much for your love and prayers and support!!!!!

Enjoying our old favorite restaurant on Thursday night on Big Island.

Puzzle night on Friday.

 

REUNITED!!!  Missed my Fatma so much.  And I missed her home-birth. = (

Meet Samya!  Isn't she beautiful???  Please pray for this precious family.  Saidi and Fatma, their children Samir and Samya.  And Saidi's 5 other children.