Home Sweet Home

Well, I’ve been home for a couple weeks now and have a couple more before I go back for another four months. This past semester has been a joy and blessing, so much more than I could ever have expected. I met amazing people and and learned many things. I fell in love with Africa in a way that I don’t think will ever leave me. It’s been so good to be home to see my family and faith family but I miss Africa and my kids there so I’m looking forward to going back.

My trip home was fairly smooth. I learned that sleeping on marble floors in airports really isn’t as bad as it sounds and as long as good movies are playing it doesn’t really matter how long the flight is. Being home has been restful but somethings seem a little off. For instance, in America everyone seemed to be driving on the wrong side of the road and wrong side of the car. Money is all the same color here so it is really hard to find the bill I’m looking for in my wallet. Kids are always with their parents and aren’t that interested in playing with me. We drive everywhere we go. I’m excepted to shower everyday and wear clothes that are clean and match. And I never realized how many cereal options there are at the local grocery store – I wanted to buy them all. I have slowly adjusted again to  American life. I sure that by the time I go back I will be comfortable and have to adjust to Swazi culture again. Ah, the life of a missionary.

I am looking forward to next semester. I leave again on January 14th for Swaziland. Our team has broken into two groups and while one group is going to Kenya, my team and I will (about 15 of us) be serving in Swaziland. I will miss my friends that are going to Kenya but I am excited about getting closer to my team. I’m also excited about staying in one place. Traveling was a lot of fun last semester but staying in one location will make it possible to build relationships and set up more in depth ministries. My friend Kristin and I will be working in the squatter camp with the children that I have fallen in love with.

Well, I have finally uploaded some of pictures. It takes forever to load them in the internet cafe in Africa which is why I only had pictures one time while there. To see them just click on the link “Browse My Photos” to the left under my picture. Then, to see any one of them closer up just click on the picture for a bigger version. I hope they give you a better since of what it’s been like.

Since I’ve been home I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people telling me that they have been praying for me. I felt these prayers last semester and appreciate them more than words can describe. It gives me so much confidence and peace to know that the body of Christ in Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Texas, just to name a few are participating in this trip along side of me. It truly takes everyone in the body to make missions possible. I told Treasure, a woman working in the squatter camp in Swaziland, “One of the best things about me being here is that many of our brothers and sister in America are now praying for you and the rest of the country. Before they didn’t know much about this place just I didn’t know much about it before I came. Now I can tell them and you have lots of people praying.” Thank you so much and I humbly ask that you continue to pray.