Beginning a New Chapter....

I have to share how God has provided for my family this summer. I am in awe of the way things have come together -- and in His timing! I confess I've been impatient, waiting for things to happen, worrying and wondering how things would work out.

For the last 4 years or so, I've been living in a small attic room, renting it from Audrey, an elderly lady from church. With no heat or air conditioning, it was cold in winter and a tad warm in summer, but overall it was ok. One of my favorite aspects of it was the skylight above my bed. Each night I was treated to an amazing view of stars, at other times my bed was bathed in moonlight and I would have to hide my face, it was so bright!

Finally however, this chapter of my life is closing and another is about to begin. I am moving into the apartment downstairs with my sister and brother. This past week, my parents and I have been working feverishly to get things ready and in order and things are coming together beautifully!

We weren't sure what was going to happen... my sister needed a job, we didn't know where we would live or what we could afford and it was a very real concern for our parents who were concerned about returning to Africa and leaving us in the lurch. I didn't want to leave Audrey alone since she had a stroke last year and needs people around. God answered each of these concerns-- my sister has just finished her third week at a job she's really enjoying, we have a beautiful new apartment we are moving into, and we're right downstairs from Audrey!

I'm in awe and really don't feel deserving of all these blessings! There are still concerns-- my brother is still looking for a job, but I am confident that things will happen, in God's timing.

As my parents get ready to return to Africa this Wednesday, it's easy to feel a little discouraged, goodbyes are always hard -- I thought it would get easier, but even at 28, it's hard to say goodbye to Mom and Dad as they travel back to Africa for two more years. At the same time though, I have no business feeling sorry for us or complaining -- I have been so blessed!

Here are some photos of the apartment in progress... it's changed daily this week - I'll be sure to add photos of the finished product, but for now, this is what it looked like:

Africa Reunion, Aug. 2nd, 2008

I am constantly amazed at how small a world we live in. I firmly believe all this was more than a series of coincidences-- I befriended a fellow missionary kid, Greg, in Indiana who in turn connected me to another MK, Pam, here in Boston. It turned out that her parents knew mine in Swaziland -- back before my parents were even married!


For almost a year now, Pam and I have been getting together almost once a month for dinner after work. We've had a delightful time just talking Africa. The waiters don't like us very much, we take for ever to get around to ordering!!


Anyway, during our get-togethers, we talked about how nice it would be to have a reunion for a bunch of us African missionaries and missionary kids here in the US. And how we thought they would enjoy reminiscing just as much as we did. Well, after months of plotting and planning, it finally happened on August 2nd! Although there were about 75 on my initial contact list (and those were just missionaries and family in the area!), we had almost 40 converge on the campus of Eastern Nazarene College. The weather was a bit questionable, but it remained nice until we were clearing things up.

We had a real feast! Our dishes included: coconut chicken, matsawu (both Mozambican dishes), mielie pap and tomato & onion sauce, samoosas, amagwinya (Zulu fried dough), KFC chicken (in honor of the one in Manzini), salads, curry and rice, boerewors (on the braai!), hamburgers, hotdogs, koeksisters, milk tarts, fudge, etc. Most of us hadn't eaten that much in long, long time!

We had a delightful time together, for some it was a chance to reconnect, for others its was a chance to meet people they knew by name only. It was wonderful to visit with folks who shared that same love of Africa. My only regret-- it was over far too quickly!

For more photos, see http://flickr.com/photos/71888644@N00/sets/72157603283728232/