The Prayers of the Multitudes

So this is what it feels like to have hundreds upon hundreds of people praying for you at the same time.  I was laying in bed, still awake because of lingering jetlag, and basking in the peace that continued to surround our family.  We'd been in Kenya less than a week and the smooth transition was continuing to amaze us.  Eli and I joked about how surprised we were that things were going so smoothly.  It could only be explained by God's goodness, favor, and grace in response to the outpouring of prayer.

People were praying over our travels and transition to Kenya for weeks before we boarded the plane.  The day before we left, Easter Sunday, entire churches were lifting us up.  Literally hundreds of people were praying for us throughout the week that we ventured to Kenya, and it was palpable.  I can't explain it any other way.  We could simply feel the prayers of the saints being lifted up on our behalf, and the Lord was gracious to hear and to answer.

Our first flight, from Detroit to Amsterdam, was flawless.  We have flown a lot with our kids, and suffice it to say that anything goes when you board a plane with little kids.  We have been the parents who've had a screaming baby for 30 minutes straight, and we have been the parents whose child was wailing while trying to climb over the seat in front of him in an attempt to get a window view, and we have been the parents who've had to forcibly keep our crying child in his seat because he's required to wear a seat belt during landing.  For the record, we've had more good flights than bad, but flying with children is simply a gamble.  We took the gamble and boarded the plane in Detroit, armed with new books and toys and lots and lots of treats to pacify potentially cranky kids, but we barely needed them.  The flight was at bedtime, and after the initial excitement of being on a plane, our boys slept.  All three of our boys slept for the majority of the flight!  We could scarcely believe it.  And when they woke up not having slept enough, they were happy.  The flight to Amsterdam was flawless and we felt the prayers of the multitudes, praying specifically for our boys to do well.

The flight to Nairobi was not flawless, but it was not terrible.  Caleb did amazing and truly couldn't have done better, but poor Kai was dealing with some constipation issues that required a lot of attention and patience, and Asa was completely off schedule by that point and couldn't stay asleep very long whenever he did fall asleep.  Despite these minor setbacks, the flight went okay overall and, even more importantly, Eli and I maintained patience and peace in the midst of sleep deprivation.  We felt the prayers of the multitudes, praying specifically that we'd maintain our sanity regardless of what happened.

Getting off the plane in Nairobi was a bit of a challenge, but because we took so long and had so much to carry we were blessed to discover that we were candidates for a free ride in a special bus that went directly from the airplane right to customs.  (The bus was there to help a woman in a wheelchair, but they let us catch a ride also and we know it was God's mercy to us after such a long trip!)  Even though we were literally the last people to make it through customs, the pictures of animals on the walls kept Caleb entertained, and fruit snacks kept Kai mostly content.  And getting through customs was as smooth as could be.  All of our luggage arrived in one piece, then we arrived at our guesthouse for the night to discover that Caleb and Kai's room was the exact same layout as the room they just left in Michigan (with a bunk bed on the left and a twin bed on the right), and so it was familiar and easy for them to settle in.  We breathed a sigh of thankfulness and felt the prayers of the multitudes, praying specifically for our initial transition into the country.

The next day we spent shopping for supplies in Nairobi, which went smoothly.  The day after that we made the drive from Nairobi to the hospital, which was nearly 4 hours in the car with our kids, and the trip was flawless.  We even saw baboons on the way, and our animal-obsessed 3-year old was over the moon with excitement!  We continued to bask in the provision of peace as we felt the prayers of the multitudes, praying specifically for smooth and safe travels all the way to the hospital.

And then we were here, at Tenwek Hospital.  We arrived safely and sanely with all of our kids and all of our luggage, which can only be accredited to the grace and mercy of God and the prayers of the multitudes, praying specifically for our family the entire way here.  The peace was palpable for days, which is why I laid in bed a couple nights after getting here and thought, So this is what it feels like to have hundreds upon hundreds of people praying for you at the same time.  The peace and presence of God were close at hand, not just for a moment or an afternoon or a day, but for days on end.  And we never cease to be humbled by His grace and provision.

We've been in Kenya for a week now, and we are doing well.  There've been some bumps and bruises since we arrived (quite literally, including Kai escaping right after we got here and falling down a gully into some brambles before we found him, plus a slip on wet cement for Caleb that left a small gash in his chin that required superglue to avoid stitches), but we are somehow getting settled and beginning to feel at home.  The rainy season has begun since we've been here, and the temperatures are absolutely perfect - warm enough for short sleeves and shorts during the day but cool enough for a light jacket in he evening.  The boys can't be outside enough.  They're getting mud and dirt on every inch of their bodies while making new friends and playing with chameleons.  It is truly a little boy's paradise here!

And Eli and I are doing well despite the constant sorting of details for life here.  (How do we buy eggs?  Where do we pick up mail?  Can you find butter in town?  How do we hire a househelper?  etc etc etc)  We are busy and sleep-deprived, but the Lord is sustaining us and we are getting things figured out.  And we cannot say THANK YOU enough for the prayers of the multitudes on our behalf during this time of transition.  Thank you for praying, for caring enough to pray, for telling us you were praying, and for continuing to pray.  We have felt God's response to your prayers, and we are blessed beyond measure.  May He be glorified!

Sustaining Us

We will be moving to Kenya in two weeks, which makes us excited and nervous...and busy.  There is a lot to do, and three little boys who need a lot of attention are not conducive to getting things done.  But somehow the packing, the visas, the international drivers licenses, the will, the prescriptions, the mailings, the phone calls, the taxes, and countless other things still need to get done.  We've successfully gotten the vaccines, the physicals, the bills, the shopping, the newsletter, and countless other things in order.  It's incredible how much needs to get done.  We don't just need to pull things together for Kenya; we need to pull things together for life.  For instance, we need to make decisions about our computers: fix them or replace them?  We also need our files organized in case we need someone to access them while we're gone.  And then there's the paperwork for Eli's loans and my scholarship from grad school (which is directly related to our service on the mission field).  Everything takes time, time, and more time.  And usually emails and phone calls.  None of which is easy to do with three little boys running and rolling around.

But God is gracious and He is sustaining us.  This past fall, when we had a newborn and were training for missions and constantly on the move, we clung to Psalm 55:22, which says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."  We are clinging to that verse now too, grateful for the promise of a Father who cares for us and sustains us.

In the midst of the busyness right now we are also trying to keep with up relationships and say goodbyes along the way.  It's not easy, emotionally or logistically.  We had to say goodbye to Eli's parents last week, which pained us more than we can express.  Even while they were here for a final visit we were fielding emails and phone calls from people wanting to connect with us before we go.  It means the world to us that so many people care about us so deeply and care about what we're doing, and we love connecting with people, but man oh man it's really hard right now.  Emailing and calling and getting together takes time and we simply don't have much of that in these final days before departure.  We have to be very selective in how to connect with people (or not) as we try to pull everything together before we leave.  So let us simply say this: thank you for reaching out to us, and please be patient with us if it takes us too long to get back with you during this time.  We're trusting the Lord to sustain us as we continually cultivate relationships in this season of busyness and final preparations.

I thank my God every time I remember you.  

In all my prayers for all of you, 

I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel 

from the first day until now, being confident of this, 

that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion 

until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-6

Thank you for partnering in the gospel with us, for encouraging us, and for cheering us on.  We truly pray with joy when we remember the immense support we have.  May the Lord continue His good work in you, as well as in us, and hopefully we'll have the chance to connect soon and encourage one another with the work He is doing.

Headed to Kenya!

It's official!  We're headed to Kenya!  We bought our tickets this past week and will be flying on Monday, March 28 - just over three weeks away!  Our boys are excited and have been talking about Kenya all week.

Now that we have tickets, the reality is sinking in.  We're excited to go, we're nervous to go, and we're wondering how we'll get everything done that still needs to get done before departure!  Now that we have tickets, we're also being reminded of why we're doing what we're doing: there is hope and healing in Jesus, and we have the honor of sharing that Good News with the sick and vulnerable in Kenya.  The kingdom of Jesus looks like this: "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor" (Luke 7:22).  On March 28 we'll have the privilege of officially joining the work God is doing to further build the kingdom in Kenya, and we are delighted!

Dodgy's Last Ride

Today we said goodbye to Dodgy, the 2003 Dodge Status we've been driving for the past twelve years.  I first started driving her in January of 2004, after I returned from studying abroad and needed a car to get to my off-campus job.  My parents blessed me with this car and she faithfully got me through college, through Eli's med school years, through residency and beyond.  For many years Dodgy was our only car, and my 6'5" husband willingly squeezed into that small car time and time again because it was our only way to get from Point A to Point B.  Despite all the bumps and bruises she acquired along the way, Dodgy served us well...all the way to Africa.

During the grad school years, we started praying that Dodgy would last us until we returned to Africa.  Our eyes were set on Africa even then, and we wanted to live in such a way that was financially responsible (to minimize debt in the years before eventually heading back overseas) as well as being content with what God had already provided (instead of expecting and asking for something else).  In light of that, we thanked God repeatedly for our car - which was the only car we drove during those four years - and prayed repeatedly that Dodgy would last until we could return to Africa.

God did not disappoint!

Time and time again, He provided the means for us to repair Dodgy when she needed it.  We were living on loans during grad school and couldn't afford a new car without taking out more loans, so in His goodness the Lord was repeatedly faithful to provide the money to repair Dodgy instead of replace her.  And break down she did!  But we offered our willingness to keep driving her as long as He allowed us to, and He kept offering to help her get fixed.

Even though she wasn't a perfect car, we were content.  Despite the many times people asked, "You're still driving that thing?" we laughed and said yes, we're satisfied.  We don't mind getting around in a car that's too small for Eli, or whose driver door lock hasn't worked for approximately six years, or whose exterior has been rusting and falling off from years of driving in Midwestern winters.  In other words, the condition of a car is not what matters to us, and we hope that value will serve us well no matter where in the world we are.

Dodgy took us many places, and on many road trips, and built up many miles, and she never left us stranded on the side of the road, thanks be to God.  We've been praying for at least eight years that Dodgy would last us until we returned to Africa, and ultimately the Lord let us drive her until last month, when she had her last ride just two months shy of our departure for Kenya.  Eli was driving Dodgy home from work at the urgent care when the driver-side wheel started acting up enough that he put the hazards on and made it slowly back to the house.  We knew it wasn't safe to drive her again in that condition, and it was finally not worth putting money into repairing her anymore.  For the first time since I began driving her twelve years ago, God officially put the brakes on.  In essence, He said, "I've heard your prayers and I've seen your content hearts.  I've provided for you with this car.  Dodgy has seen you to Minnesota to Chicago back to Minnesota and then to Michigan.  And now her job is done because I'm sending you to Africa."  We cannot thank God enough for His faithfulness to us, for literally providing for us with this car as well as further preparing our hearts for what lies ahead.

We donated Dodgy to an organization called Mother Waddles, which will use the car in whatever fashion they see fit to help the poor in Detroit and Southeast Michigan.  Our final prayer as the tow truck hauled Dodgy away this morning was that He would still use her to bless someone else, however He sees fit.  To God be the glory.

Work In Us

Let me be the first to dispel the notion that being a missionary necessitates a high level of faith.  Or righteousness.  Or Scripture knowledge.  Or evangelistic talents.  These will certainly help.  But more than the aforementioned attributes, being a missionary necessitates obedience.  And maybe some bravery.  And definitely the willingness to be stretched and chiseled repeatedly, often at the same time.  Being a missionary, therefore, is not only about proclaiming the transforming power of the Good News.  Being a missionary is also about being transformed yourself.  It's about letting God do a work in you just as much as He does a work through you.

The fact is, this is true of the Christian life regardless of your calling.  Interestingly, though, people who work in ministry have a tendency to be placed on a pedestal, often not of their own doing, and expectations are placed upon them to be more fruitful for the Kingdom than their not-involved-in-ministry Christian neighbors.  If people in ministry bear more fruit for the Kingdom, it's often because they are in closer proximity to the front lines, not because they are more righteous or more faithful or more prayerful than their counterparts.  The privilege of a missionary is the privilege of every Christ-follower: to follow His leading and allow our character to be transformed in the process.

To be sure, there are unique challenges to the missionary life.  Culture shock and language acquisition alone would be enough for some people to call it quits, but add in loneliness, lack of resources, differing cultural values, and spiritual warfare, and it's enough to sound like something only a crazy person would do.  All of these challenges, however, offer the opportunity to grow.  To grow in faith, obedience, humility, love, service...and the list goes on.

For whatever reason, God has chosen to send us to Africa in order to do some of His work in us.  He intends to work through us also, but the work He will do in us is equally important.  God is continually crafting and writing our story, and part of that story will be set in Africa, and we will have the joy of letting Him continue His good work while we serve Him there.  He's already been hard at work for the past eleven years, molding and shaping and crafting us into more Christ-like people as He's been preparing us to go.  But He has much more work to do.  And we're glad to let Him do it.  The scenery will change, and the circumstances will change, and perhaps the intensity will change too, and His work will continue on.  Our prayer is that we will be forever changed because of our time as missionaries in Africa - changed in ways we never could have been had we not been called there.  We pray that our hearts will be drawn to him in ways that couldn't be possible had we stayed in the States.  We pray that our minds will be renewed in ways that couldn't be feasible if we hadn't followed this call.  We pray that our souls will be filled in ways that couldn't be imagined if we'd maintained our status quo.

And this is our prayer for you too: that whatever He's called you to and wherever He's asked you to go (or stay), that you would grow in Him, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), as you do the work He's prepared in advance for you to do (Ephesians 2:10).

So when we return from living and serving in Africa, we hope you'll ask about the work we're doing at the hospital, but we also hope that you'll ask about the work the Lord is doing in us.  And we'll be able to ask you the same, because He is at work in all of us wherever He's called us to be and however He's asked us to serve Him.

May the Refiner's Fire do its work, on the mission field and off.

"May the God of peace, who through the blood 

of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead 

our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 

equip you with everything good for doing his will, 

and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, 

through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.  

Amen." 

(Hebrews 13:20-21)

Christmas Reflections

[This is a re-post from the entry I put on our family blog tonight.  Eli specifically requested that I post it on the mission blog as well, even though it's not missions-themed.]



The most momentous point in history was a time of great joy and great sorrow - a great paradox, as most of life tends to be.

An angel told Mary she had found favor with God and would give birth to a son, and "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32).  But being favored by God doesn't mean being favored by people, and her "disgrace" nearly made Joseph divorce her till an angel intervened (Matthew 1:18-25) and it most certainly ostracized her from her own community.

The Savior of the world came as an infant, small and weak and dependent.  But that baby became a child, and "the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40), and that child would eventually "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).

The shepherds witnessed a heavenly host of angels who sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:13-14).  But tidings of peace did not last long in Bethlehem, as Herod "gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under" which led to "weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are no more" (Matthew 2:16-18).

Mary, the mother of Jesus, had a front-row seat to all of these paradoxes.  She was a woman in favor at the same time she was a woman in dishonor.  She placed her newborn in a manger at the same time she knew the Lord would give Him the throne of His father David.  She rejoiced in the coming of her son at the same time her neighbors wept over the loss of their sons because He came.

So much joy, so much sorrow, so much paradox.  No wonder "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).

I can scarcely imagine how much Mary had to absorb and process within the span of a few years.  That's a lot to take in, a lot to treasure and ponder.  This year, the way I've attempted to reflect on the Christmas story is to ponder the heart of the mother of Jesus from my own mother's perspective.  Our son Asa is still an infant and he is small (relatively), and utterly dependent on us.  His head bobbles, his mouth drools and his hands are barely able to grasp onto things.  And he is marvelous in our eyes.  It is incredible to consider that this is how our Savior came.  The Wonderful Counselor drank his mother's milk, the Mighty God couldn't hold his own head up, the Everlasting Father drooled down his shirt, and the Prince of Peace didn't sleep through the night.  But oh, what good news!  The answer to the plight of the world came in the form of a helpless babe, and an angel declared this to be good news that would bring great joy to the world.

As our son continues to tug our hearts everyday, we can testify that if ever there was a sign of hope for the world, it is in the beauty and innocence of a newborn, and if ever there was a proclamation of joy, it is in the smile of a baby.  I am treasuring and pondering this as I'm sure Mary did when her son Jesus was born.  This is what Immanuel looks like, to have God with us:

And so I sing with Mary,

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
(Luke 1:46-47)

Beginning the Goodbyes

Our first goodbye happened back in September when we left Duluth.  A few days before we moved we had to say goodbye to Hannah, our babysitter.  She is one of the loveliest, most mature young women we've ever known, and she loved our kids well as she played with them and read books to them and prayed with them at bedtime.  Caleb and Kai absolutely adored her.  On the last day we saw Hannah, they waved to her out the window as she drove away, like they did every time she left, and innocently said, "There she goes!"  I waved goodbye too, and then started crying as I repeated our boys: "There she goes!"  She was going because we were going, to Michigan and then to Africa.  Hannah was driving away for the last time and it was incredibly hard to watch her go, and our boys had no understanding that they wouldn't see her again for a very long time.

last day with Hannah

I have no idea if Caleb and Kai will remember Hannah.  Actually, I'm sure Kai won't.  Maybe Caleb will, maybe not.  Two years is an incredibly long time in the life of a 3-year old and 2-year old, and their ability to remember isn't what it will be.  The thought that they probably won't remember Hannah very well, if at all, is perhaps that hardest thing because Hannah was like family to us while we lived in Duluth.  We had no actual family in town, but Hannah was there every week, loving our boys and teaching them and pouring into them.  She was familiar and safe and fun.  She was a lifeline to our entire family throughout residency and beyond and we could not have survived without her.  Hannah loves Jesus and loves kids and we were tempted to take her with us to Michigan!  But the time finally came when we needed to move on, literally, and leave our babysitter behind.  And I cried when she drove away.  It was our first goodbye before leaving for Kenya, and it was a hard one.

Last week we said more goodbyes.  We were in Minnesota once more, celebrating Christmas with Eli's family.  We had said goodbye to extended family before we left in October, so last week we chose to solely see immediate family, plus Josh and Jamie (Eli's cousin/best friend and his wife who happened to be one of my roommates before I got married, and they are some of our best friends in the world).  We had a fabulous week, hanging around the house and watching the kids play and eating lots of cookies and opening presents.  Then it was time to say goodbye, and it was hard.  The kids are all young and only the oldest (at age 4.5) had the slightest understanding that they wouldn't see each other for over two years.  They'll all be completely different people in two years than they are now.  They probably won't recognize each other next time and will have to start over with getting to know each other.  There's no doubt they'll pick up where they left off and still love chasing each other around the house, but it's hard to think that two years will happen in between now and then, which is half their lifetime (or most of their lifetime, in the case of the babies!).  So it was hard to say goodbye.  Our sister-in-law said it well: "It's hardest when you know how long it will be before you see each other again."  Which is true.  And in the grand scheme of things, two years is only two years.  But it's still a significant amount of time, particularly when kids are in the picture, and it will only be the beginning of many years of separation for us since our plan is to keep returning to Africa again and again.

 Horn cousins

Saying goodbye to Josh and Jamie was also hard for two particular reasons: 1) our kids didn't get to see each other to say goodbye, and 2) Jamie is due to have their fourth baby in just a few weeks, and we won't get to meet him before we go.  We had planned to eat dinner with them on our last night in Minnesota so the kids could play and say goodbyes, but that afternoon one of their kids became sick and threw up so we nixed our dinner plans in favor of not exposing our kids (especially the baby) to the flu.  These things happen, especially at this time of year, but it was a major blow because having dinner was supposed to be our goodbye.  And so I cried.  Thankfully Eli and I were able to go over later, after our kids were in bed at Grandma's house, so we had the chance to hang out and laugh with them once more before leaving.  It was much needed and we're so thankful for these friends who have loved and supported us on our entire ten-year journey to Africa.

with Josh and Jamie

Last month at Mission Training International we had a session on saying healthy goodbyes.  Something we were asked to consider is how we, personally, can say goodbye in a healthy manner.  For me, one of the biggest things is not saying all our goodbyes at once.  Having the time and space to say goodbye to different people at different times allows us to say proper goodbyes, rather than rushed or overlooked goodbyes.  Going to Minnesota last week allowed us the chance to do that with immediate family.  Moving to Michigan this fall opened the opportunity for us to do the same with my family before we leave soon.

I don't write this to play the martyr and evoke pity for all the hard goodbyes we're having to say.  I write this because it's true that it's hard, and it's a part of our story these days, and because a part of us is actually thankful for the chance to say goodbye because it means we have the chance to go.  And that is what makes our hearts glad: we get to go.  Jesus said, "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life" (Matthew 19:29).  I once heard that this is true because people who serve as missionaries will increase their family and friends on the mission field by forming new relationships and investing in the global Church.  Because we're going to Africa, we will have the joy and privilege of "receiving a hundred times as much" in terms of relationships built and formed.  But it requires leaving family and friends behind.  The thing is, though, we're not the only ones embarking on a separation.  The family and friends we're leaving behind - they're letting us go.  After we say goodbye, we'll get to say hello to new people on the other side of the ocean.  They, on the other hand, will just be saying goodbye.  And that is hard.  In many ways it's even harder than what we're doing.  So we acknowledge the other end of the spectrum in this "saying goodbye" business, and we want to say, "Thank you for letting us go."

A Season of Rest and Final Preparations

It was a cool and cloudy day last week when I said to Eli, "I feel like I'm breathing deeply for the first time in months."  I was resting in my favorite recliner, nursing our baby, and not thinking about anything else but being present in that moment.  I literally took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  My soul was at rest.

It's a bit of an understatement to say that we've had a busy year, but...we've had a busy year.  We began training and fundraising on top of visiting family we hadn't seen in too long.  We traveled by plane eight times...and those were just the times we took our children with us.  We've sent more emails and made more phone calls than any other year because it's true what people say: preparing for long-term missions is like acquiring a part-time job.  We've made new friends in the process (and have deepened existing friendships) and have let our hearts and minds expand as our circle of friends does too.  And we added a new member to our missionary team by doing this not-so-little thing called "having a baby" which made our hearts and minds expand further still.  So we've had a busy year, but God has been gracious to sustain us as we've cast our cares on Him (Psalm 55:22) and now we've entered a new season: a season of rest and final preparations.

A beautiful thing about resting is that it's part of our final preparations before heading to Kenya.  We don't want to be tapped when it's time to go and be so exhausted that we're unable to function when we get there.  We don't need to go full-speed till the day we get on the plane; life has enough things to keep us busy as it is.  Dishes need to be washed, children need to be fed, potty accidents need to be cleaned up, emails need to be answered, groceries need to be bought.  So in this season of rest and final preparations, we're acknowledging what else needs to be done: candles need to be burned, chocolate needs to be eaten, naps need to be taken, Tickle Monsters need to visit, Netflix needs to be watched.  We are doing this to refill our empty tanks and breathe deeply before going to the mission field.

We're also doing some fun things during this season of rest to further prepare ourselves for living in Kenya.  First things first: learning to drink chai.

People in Kenya drink chai, or so I'm told.  The problem?  I don't like tea.  Or coffee, for that matter.  My hot beverage of choice is hot chocolate, which isn't that popular even here in the States let alone overseas.  But I knew that virtually anywhere else in the world we ended up, I'd have to learn how to drink tea.  I put it off and put it off, but yesterday I finally began the endeavor to achieve this goal.  My best friend likes chai tea, specifically spiced cinnamon chai, and she made me a cup and doctored it with extra fixings to make it palatable.  I was surprised and thankful that it tasted alright.  I drank the whole thing and decided I could do that again.  Later I went to the store and bought my own supplies in order to experiment further, and tonight I made my first cup of chai.  The result?  Not great.  But not awful either.  I have some work to do but I'm determined to figure out how to enjoy chai so I can drink it in Kenya!

We're also using this time to learn more about Kenya because, truth be told, we don't actually know much about it.  We know that it's famous for safaris and has one of the better economies in Africa, but we know little of its history or landscape or tribal culture.  So last week we headed to the library and found three children's books to start with.  And we're making it a family activity.  I've been reading the books out loud in the car as we drive around town, and Caleb's been enjoying the pictures and maps.  He can confidently tell you that Kenya is near the Indian Ocean, but will also tell you exactly where Michigan is within the country of Kenya.  It's a start!

Something else we hope to achieve during this season of final preparations is to learn some basic Swahili by watching YouTube videos.  We will be attending language school when we arrive in Kenya, and we are now well equipped to continue language learning because of the skills we just acquired at Mission Training International, but it never hurts to have a head start if possible.  There are many online resources for learning Swahili and we plan to utilize them before heading to Kenya.

So at the end of this busy year we are continuing to prepare for the mission field by resting, drinking chai, reading children's books, and dipping our toes into language learning.  It's good to breathe this deeply.