I'm Still Here

Well, first I need to apologize, I'm sorry that it has been so long since I've updated everyone on life here. This month has been really interesting, there have been a lot of ups and down for me, emotionally that is, so everytime I would go to write something, I never knew what to say. So now it is January 27 and I am going to force myself to say something! This month started out with a team from America here. They came in like a tornato and left a tornato behind them when they went home. They were here for nine days and had about a million things on a to do list that they brought with them. We enjoyed their company and the goodies they brought with them(thanks mom) but were anxious for the rest when they left. The rest of this month we've been at school, doing battle with the teachers to raise the standard of education for our beautiful childern that we seem to be falling more in love with everyday. Sarah has been struggling to get her immune system in working order again and so has been resting a lot. I have been thankful to benefit from that as well, she needs a nurse doesn't she! This month also began with the news that my best friend is getting married! I was not shocked by this news and am thankful that this wonderful occasion is not occuring until I get home in July. But while I am so excited for this to take place, I am feeling very homesick. I just want to be there to experience this time in her life and wish there was a way to be in both places at once. But since there isn't I am really trying to make sure that my thoughts are only those that are healthy and pleasing to God. I will be home in about five months and now that that time will fly by. So here I am in Freetown, Sierra Leone and praying that my mind will stay with me here instead of trying to go to Spokane! I also think that I have entered another stage of transitioning into a culture, I am now in that place where all newness has worn off and I really just want the comforts of home. So please pray for me as I continue to strive for the right attitude and heart to serve. Also pray for Sarah's health and our relationships with the teachers. And thank you for your patience with my updates. God Bless!

What it's the year 2007!

Wow! I can hardly believe. Time just keeps going faster and faster! Sarah and I both enjoyed the holiday season, although I have to admit I think she enjoyed it more than I did. It just never really felt like Christmas, I don't know if it was the weather, or the fact that I wasn't home, or what I don't know. But it was a really nice day and I did enjoy it! There was only about an hour on Christmas Eve night that I was feeling a bit homesick, but I got over it and was able to enjoy the day! The churches don't have a Christmas Eve service so we had our own. We read the the Christmas story to the boys in Krio and put them to bed. Then we read it in English and the Night Before Christmas for ourselves and sang a couple of carols by candlelight(because the generator wasn't working). It was really nice. Then we went to bed ourselves.
On Christmas morning I woke up to the sound of our cell phone, it was my mother! What a great way to start the day! I talked to my family while Sarah made pancakes! We ate breakfast and opened presents! It was so fun to watch David and Brima open their gifts. David just tore them all open and scattered them, Brima opened them one at a time and before he opened his gifts he packed his things from his stocking away. It was really interesting watching the difference between the two boys! After gifts we had to rush over to the home to pass out the children's gift and take pictures! They all looked to sweet in their new cloths!!But don't let them fool you! We had Christmas dinner with our Sierra Leonean mother, Mama Angie! She takes good care of us! The day really flew by, but it was really enjoyable and I know that I will always look back on this Christmas and treasure my time here!
Last night we attended a Watchnight Service at church where we prayed in the new year. It was a bit different, but afterwards we had some sparklers left over from Christmas, so we had a little celebration to ring in the new year! But no sparkling cider, a bit disappointing! I thought of all of you at 8 o'clock this morning, for those of you on Pacific time! Happy New Year! As they say here, Happy New Year, mi no dio! Thanking the Lord for bringing them through another year.
So that's our holiday's in a nut shell, sorry it's so random! Enjoy the pictures!

*Just a side note, on January 3rd we celebrate our 6 month anniversary!

Christmas in Pictures

I'm sorry I"m a little technologically challenged, so I can figure out how to put a caption under each picture, so I"ll just explain them now(top to bottom).

1. Christmas morning with our boys before we went to church!
2. Our beautiful Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, yes it's fake.
3. Brima with his stocking that we made, we were trying to introduce the stocking tradition to Sierra Leone.
4. David with his stocking
5. Brima playing outside, having an opportunity to be a child!
6. Aminata(one of the sweetest community children, she mimicks us a lot so we have a chance to see what we look like and sound like!) at our church service for the community kids where we passed out presents and breakfast.
7. Alice in her shades! At Christmas all the kids get these sunglasses, watches and a new outfit! Alice tends to suck her tongue, can you tell!
8. Spengy, Abdu, and Momoh receiving their Christmas presents, wearing their new cloths that make them look like gangsters!
9. Theresa and Isata in their frilly dresses! Yes, we had a home full of princesses and gangsters on Christmas morning!
10. On Boxing Day, Dec. 26, we were feeling a bit brave and took all the children to the beach(one of the busiest beach days of the year, oh and did I mention that there were 90 children?) Being brave really wasn't enough, lets just say I prayed the whole time we were there! Life guards aren't really a priority and the children don't know how to swim. Only by the grace of God!