Becky came at the end of October for a 3 week rotation at Kijabe Hospital. Collin and Ellen joined for a week when she finished. We managed our responsibilities and took short trips with the kids when we could. We had a great time! The kids were so appreciative of our new surroundings and managed to travel and see some of the attractions where we live. All of us went on Safari to the Mara and saw things that we had seen only in movies and pictures. It was glorious! Even Nala gorging on Pumba was awesome!
It is not well known that Jane was a contract holdout. She was all set to go anywhere she was asked to go as long as she got to see our grandkids at least a couple of times a year. Being second career people with AIM and the fact that RVA by it's nature has longish brakes between each term, it was a fairly short negotiation. So here we are, back in the USA, and enjoying our first big break. We got to spend 5 days with the kids and grandkids out in Utah and it was the best. A great time of connection and learning the bends of these beautiful children. Ari already knows that Nana can be trusted and Papa is silly. Jay has stopped crying everytime he sees us which is a big improvement. In fact, he awoke to us after a nap while we were babysitting and giving Ben and Christina a date night and, after a quick room check for Christina, he was off and playing and doing fine. Ben took two days off from work to hang out with us. So wonderful!We have been away from Grand Haven for 155 days or so our computer tells us. We backed up our computers just before we left Michigan so we've been informed by them of the last back up. We will do that again as soon as we get back home. There is that word, home. Our place in Kenya seems like home. Our niece and her son, our great nephew (and he is great) are doing a wonderful job at the house on Lakeshore. It just is so much less like home than it was back in July. As our mission at RVA grows and our affinity for the people grow, our feeling of being at home in Kenya grows too. Not sure how that will change over the next 18 months, but looking forward to reflecting on it.
These blogs have been meant to track our feelings and emotions as we navigate, for us, what is a pretty big change. Thank you so much for traveling this journey with us. We treasure your support and prayers.
We celebrate the birth of our saviour with you! Have a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!
