intermission

After 21 shots
59 incredible days of prayer
5 authentic cultural meals
352 new friends around the world
2 freshly deceased chickens
and lots of great memories stateside
we are done with our time in VA and have a few days to pack before boarding to head overseas.

We truly cannot say enough thanks to the staff that put on our orientation, the past two months have been a wonderfully challenging time. We have learned so much about the world in which we live, our many misconceptions about life in other cultures, and how we can really make a difference. We are at a point of readiness to go anywhere and do anything, and with a humility to know that we are indebted to the people we want to serve to learn from and live with them. We will be able to do nothing by ourselves, but great things through the help of nationals wherever we go and through the unending power of Christ. God is at work in our world, He cares about our world, and we cherish the chance to join Him in that work. More than learning about the world, we learned about the character of God. We learned about discipline. We learned to know God above all else. We have the Spirit of God within us to direct us... how cool is that? We learned to listen to what we already have. We hope and pray that we are forever changed.

Pray for endurance for us, pray for brokenness for Tanzania. Pray that God prepares some University students that will be ready to receive us and will partner with us in making a difference on their campus and in their communities. Pray also that we will find favor with our airlines in travel, with customs officials overseas, and with local businesses and government officials where we go.

Swahili word for the day is the verb -enda which means to go.

goodbye VA

We have one day left in VA, our last commissioning service. It's hard to believe that our time here is finished, next step is some final packing and then all aboard: destination Tanzania. We are enjoying a visit from Mom and Dad H and friends Jenny and Becky, it's great to see them (I, Michael, can easily say I wouldn't be here now without the 4 of them in my life).


Last week, we had the chance to cook an authentic south/east African meal. The food was simple and surprisingly good, and for the 3rd time running Michael successfully ate sans utensils and napkins. Here we are cooking chapatis, kind of a cross between a tortilla and a pita, but fried. It's good, and the closest we'll get to tortillas for a couple years.

Swahili word for the day is chapati, which means chapati (lit. “flat round bread”)

Last lunchtime brainteaser for awhile:
What is the Southernmost State, Northernmost State, Westernmost State, and Easternmost State?

until next time

We're winding down our time of preparation in VA. Don't have time to say much, but in the meantime here's another lunchtime brainteaser for you to chew on.

42% of American men do this is in their first 5 years of marriage.

2 points up for grabs!

A Week of Highs and Lows

This week we've had some interesting events! Dont worry we have pictures to illustrate. First, on Tuesday Joe Joe was walking around (minding her own business) and then all of a sudden she sat down with severe pain in her foot. Thinking it would just go away she tried to shrug it off. The next evening the bruises came, and then by Friday her foot was black and blue. She decided to see a doctor. (The trip there was adventure enough with getting lost three times, asking four people for directions, and even stopping at a gas station to call the office from a pay phone. How many people still use pay phones?!?) Anyway, the doctor said that she has a stress fracture. He said it could be caused by any number of things such as walking or exercising more and wearing new shoes.
Here is a picture of the bruise two days after it first showed up, so it doesn't do justice to the nastiness of the bruise.

Then on Thursday Michael had the great fortune of watching (and then catching) a chicken run around with its head cut off. He took a class that showed how to kill and pluck or a skin a chicken. Those with weak dispositions would not do well with the pictures or videos he took! Dont worry we will not be showing those due to the graphic nature of such images!!

Then today we went to the river with some friends we have made here and their child. It is so cool, there are large rocks that you can climb on and jump from. In between some of the rocks are small rapids. You could, theoretically, walk all around from one side of the river to the other without getting wet. I say theoretically because all except for Michael got wet. Joe Joe took the first fall. She was trying to cross from one boulder to another. She stepped on some moss and her feet slid right out from under her, and she slid into some churning water between two boulders. Admittedly, it was a little scary, but she handled it like a pro and was able to laugh it off and learn from her mistake! Our friends fell in a little later, leaving only Michael. He said he preferred to stay dry!

Here are some pictures of us at the river (or in it). We had such a fun day! Now we are getting very excited to see Kentucky and Arkansas. OOOOOOOOHHHHHH
C! A! T! S! CATS! CATS! CATS!






Swahili word for the day is mto (make an "m" sound and then say "toe") it means river.