Back in the US, Update #1
/We’re baaaaack!
Here’s some prayer requests up front:
Rest for our family- as many of you know, our first term on the field was tiring in a lot of ways. We’re asking the Lord to provide us with physical, emotional and spiritual rest in these months back.
Transition- this is the story of our lives! Please pray especially for the boys as they are getting used to (another!) new environment.
House- we bought a house! We’re praying that the Lord would provide the perfect renters for when we head back to Africa at the end of the year, and that we can get all the update projects done.
We left Kigoma at the end of July. Traveling in and out is never simple- this time we made it to Omaha with just under 48 hours of travel time, including a 12 hour layover in Dar es Salaam, a 4am international departure, and a weird 2 hour tarmac wait in Denver because there wasn’t a gate for us to deplane!
We were welcomed by our friends and hosts the Padillas and ferried back to their house to start some rest and recovery from jet lag.
We spent just over 2 weeks in Omaha, and connected with our church and many friends. We landed just as the Olympics was starting, so we watched our fair share of coverage as we go over jet lag and some viral bugs we picked up in transit.
We were able to have some lovely meals at our friend’s houses, and paid the famous Omaha Zoo a visit.
We had to stop in Gothenburg, NE to pick up some things we had stored in a cargo trailer. Mice got in and made a lovely little colony amongst our stuff, leading us to throw away/burn a lot of it. Below is a picture of me trying to contain the mattress fire. We went from there to Cheyenne where we stayed with some old friends and then down to Grand Junction.
We came into Grand Junction and saw our new house for the first time! We had to stay a little longer with Mom and Dad than we planned thanks to a plumbing issue, but then we were in! We got to float the river before it got too cold/low, and hike on the Colorado National Monument.
A couple weeks after we arrived we travelled up to Laramie and Denver to visit family, churches and friends. We got to see Rebekah’s sister and her family, spend time with a couple of Rebekah’s friends from way back, climb Vedawoo, swim in the Saratoga Hot Springs, connect with my sister Amy, and visit Mary’s memorial bench in Idaho Springs. We also took the boys out to eat at Bernie’s, the local restaurant where Bek and I dated(and ate the night I proposed!).
We’ve gotten some sweet outdoor time enjoying creation and praising God for what He has made! We hiked the Craig’s Crest trail on the Mesa, floated the Colorado River, and hiked up in Wyoming. One thing we wanted to do while we’re back is go camping- we did that just this last weekend in the Uncompahgre National Forest. We rented a camper and spent 3 wonderful days in the mountains, where the aspens were in the middle of some amazing color change. (Joel and I have decided together we could be perfectly happy never ever EVER leaving the mountains with their glorious high altitude pine aromas. This trip was good for our hearts and so good for our family to get some time away together, just the 7 of us.) The boys learned the time-tested fact that camp food is the best food (but two of them also commented on how ironic it is that we eat junk food in an environment where people lived for centuries foraging off the land).
We’re slowly getting settled into a rhythm in Grand Junction. Joel, Luke and Zeke are all going to school at a small private school, and getting a taste of the routine and expectations of “real” school. They aren’t sure they like it!
We were privileged to get some time with Bill, Mary’s husband, and it was really sweet for Rebekah and the boys to reconnect with him after only seeing him briefly for the celebration of life last summer. We also got to see Josh’s grandma Storey (she’s 91!), as she and her husband drove down from Ennis, Montana to visit us and spend time here for Rob’s birthday. (It was so good to see them. It’s been 4 long years since we hugged their necks last!)
The older boys are going to youth group consistently and enjoying those times(90’s game night pic below), and we’re working on getting the house fixed up to rent when we head back to Africa at the end of the year.
That’s the end of this long (you call that long?! This has been a whirl of two months and he cut it down to just a sentence or two about each big thing. Psht!) update! We’re glad to be back in the US (all the while realizing we don’t quite feel at home here either. Pretty sure we’ve officially entered the 3rd culture category where we just kinda feel a little out of place in any country). If you’ll be in the Grand Junction area, come and see us!!
We continue to pray for a volunteer to help us with homeschooling in Kigoma. We have had some very promising interest, and we are asking the Lord to give us wisdom and discernment! (please pray with us for Him to open and close doors as he sees fit!)
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