But it is our desire to feel the need to live where we are; because God has called us here.  Quite often we are not even the ones making the sacrifices.  It is our families, friends, and churches that had no choice but to see us go.  So what do we do with the hardships we face here?  Honestly, we complain, sulk, and get annoyed.  In our marriage we take turns being crabby and temperamental.  Knowing that you all are probably doing a little bit of those things as well, we consider them normal, and try to use this space to share about what is actually taking place in our lives.

At the moment, however, the events in our life and difficult emotions seem to coincide.  Moving is tiring.  Transition is hard.  Knowing that in one year we can settle into a home and make close friends is bittersweet; mostly because it makes it less enjoyable to leave.   Yet, in God’s grace, the difficulties are far outweighed by the benefits.  We take solace in knowing dear friends can be made in places where transient living is common.  The friends we leave in Nairobi are eager to welcome us back for visits.  We have gotten to live in one of the largest and most interesting cities in East Africa!

And then there is the anticipation of what God has in store for us.  It is mind boggling.  Big picture – we will live in a rural Ugandan village, be a part of a new expat and national community, fly an airplane into the DRC, CAR, and South Sudan, and probably have to go camping in some new and exciting places.  Let’s not forget that Uganda has gorillas!  And white water rafting.  Oh my.

So, as you read our blogs, and we seem to be missing some of the harsh realities, we give you permission to fill in the blank with tiredness, annoyed feelings regarding neighbors and friends,  traffic and customer service complaints, inconvenient weather, strange foods and animals, etc.  And so we sit, in the two chairs that remain in our house, while the rest of our belongings await us in Uganda.  Grateful that we have a home awaiting us and really excited for our first vacation to the coast next week.  Refreshed by the rains that come every evening and cool down the weather.  Kept on our toes by this strange thing called humidity.  And resting in the fact that we can dwell on the good things we have going for us.  Because right now, this is where we need to be; and that’s good enough for us.

You know you’re loved when:

Even when the gate is closed and locked there are taps on your screen door just wanting to say “hi”.

The littlest member of the Uncle Mike fan club asks at least twice a day, “Where is Uncle Mike?”

They want to show you they have taught their dog how to sit (even though it clearly just wants to eat it’s leash).

There is an audience when Uncle Mike is working on the truck – along with a panel for questioning.

Your bucket of sand is the coolest sandbox in the cul de sac.

Everyone knows that you take off your shoes and have to say please and thank you in the house.

Washing the car is a neighborhood affair.

You start with one or two kids in your living room and the next thing you know there are 15.

You meet parents who appear to know all about you from their child.

After vacation you get a full report of everyone that stopped at your house while you were away.

Sometimes they stop by after school just to see you.

On holiday (school vacay) they will ask to schedule xbox playing time days ahead.

Your gate has been proven to be the best soccer goal.

The drum you put outside because it smelled like a cow is now as popular as your bucket of sand.

If you’re gone for more than 24 hours there is a courtroom of kids inquiring of your whereabouts upon return.

While playing the game of Life with you they want to be a mechanic like Uncle Mike.

They want to make you earrings, bracelets, and necklaces before you go.

You’ve already heard, “When are you leaving?” 20 million times since telling them last week.

What a wonderful way to be blessed than through the hearts of those who can care the most.  We’re truly grateful for our neighbors under the age of 15 and what joy they have brought to us.

And now begins one of those blogs that contains more information than you’ll likely read through (or remember) and if you do make it to the end without skimming you are probably an immediate family member.  Either way, we thank you.

In January AIM leadership asked us to go and visit AIM AIR’s program in Lokichoggio, Northern Kenya.  We spent a week with the AIM AIR family there and enjoyed every moment of our time.  It was hot.  It was new.  It was an option for our future ministry.  But, God had a different plan and upon our return we were then asked to accept a position with AIM AIR in Arua, Uganda for the remainder of our term.  We will be joining two other families newly stationed in Arua along with a Cessna 206 and Caravan (those are airplanes).

Arua.  It is a town of about 60,000 in northwestern Uganda.  We are excited at the opportunity to serve there.  In fact, our transition to Arua has already begun.  We visited again a week ago (after an initial visit in November) and secured a house to rent.  Half of our furniture and belongings made the trip with us and are being stored in a container.  Our lease will begin in April and at that time we will load up the AIM AIR Caravan and fly the remainder of our belongings to the house.  A three hour flight proves to be more friendly to our belongings than a three day drive in a lorry and we are grateful that AIM allows us a Caravan load to assist in the move.

After transporting all of our stuff to Arua we will head back east at the end of April and enjoy our first all-out African vacation to the coast with some friends!  We’ve booked a rental house (which we plan to fill with 6 adults and 9 kids) in Malindi, Kenya and hope to soak in some sun, snorkel, and eat fresh seafood.  Following our fun-fest the plan is to return to Nairobi and pick up our vehicle and make the great three day drive to our new home in Arua.

Meanwhile, we are functioning on all cylinders here in Nairobi.  Mike’s still working at the hangar and we have just experienced Kenya’s 5th presidential election from the safety of our own living room.  We are extremely grateful that since the voting on the 4th, and the announcement of the new president five days later, that the city has been handling the news well.  Uhuru Kenyatta stands as president elect and is expected to be sworn into office on March 26th.  Please pray for this nation as the next few weeks unfold.  It seems that the runner up, having lost by only about 4,000 votes, plans to take the results to court and this could lead to a repeat election.  If his plea is dismissed then the new president will be sworn in, but it remains complicated.  Uhuru Kenyatta and his vice president elect are on trial with the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity during the previous election.  His case will be tried sometime in May.  A vivid reminder that this country is a mere 50 years old.

Our toughest hurdles in the next few months will be saying goodbyes (didn’t we JUST do that?) and packing (again, really?).  And, if you know how to tell a herd of twenty amazing neighbor kids that you (and your xbox) are moving far away we are also accepting advice on such things.  We like to remind ourselves that we should appreciate the fact we’re sad to leave – it means that God’s been faithful and supplied all our needs.

Unloading in Arua

The New Place

Lots of Lemons

And now to address the top 10 questions people have asked about our move to Arua:

1. Are you there yet?  Nope, not yet.  If you skimmed and missed that part (it’s ok, we forgive you), we’re in Nairobi until April.  Then we move some stuff.  Then we come back to Nairobi.  Then we pack our car and drive over in May.  All done-deedle-dee.
2. How long will you be there?  We have agreed to stay until the end of our term (end of 2014) and will plan to return there after our home assignment unless we’re asked to go somewhere else!
3. What will you do?  There are currently two airplanes and one pilot stationed in Arua .  Mike will be the captain for the Cessna 206 (6 seater) while the other captain flies the Caravan (14 seater).  Most of the flying is into CAR, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.  Since the program in Arua is brand new there is also another family there helping with admin and logistics as the program gets on it’s feet.  Ana will be overseeing home improvements (adding a kitchen into the room that is supposed to be the kitchen, etc.) and then investigating how she might be involved in ministry there.
4. Where is Arua?  Arua is in northwestern Uganda.  It’s about 10km away from The DRC and 45km from South Sudan.
5. What’s Arua like?  It’s rural.  You will see more pikis (motorcycles) and boda-bodas (bicycle taxis) than you will vehicles with four wheels.  You can shop downtown at any of the four grocery stores, but only expect to find the basics (sorry Mike, no Haribo Gummies).  The food and fabric markets are always bustling and nile perch is easier to find than beef, pork, or chicken.  The majority of things being carried can be found on people’s heads and the public futbol field is always bustling.  Power is now “reliable”; meaning it’s on at least for a while every day, compared to the 3 months straight it was not available last year.  The people speak a tribal language called Lugbara – similar to Mandarin Chinese, but not yet a written language.  We plan on having decent internet – nearly as reliable as what we had in Nairobi (African standards, people, not US).
6. Are there other expats?  There are!  There are people from at least three other mission organizations, the US Peace Corps, a german radio ministry called Daguna, a Catholic radio ministry called Radio Pacis, Doctors Without Borders, a Dutch couple, and the mayor happens to be married to a British lady.
   
7. Can we come visit?  Yes!  Please!  We are eager to put our first home with a guest room into use!
8. Why go to Arua?  Arua is perfectly located near the border crossings for South Sudan and The Democratic Republic of Congo.  Not only that, but they have immigration located at the airport – which means our planes can leave the country directly from there.
9. What’s the weather like?  Arua seems to be a bit warmer than Nairobi.  The elevation is lower, located at around 3,850 feet.  It cycles through two rainy seasons and has more of a tropical look to it with many trees, palms, and grassy areas.  Stay tuned for live coverage on the weather and seasons…
10. What do you need to live there?  Unfortunately we’ll be selling our Subaru and taking a Land Rover Defender (stay tuned for more info on that).  As much as we love that car, the traveling between Arua and Nairobi, and on Ugandan roads, would put too much stress on the car (and us) so we’re updating to a classic missionary mobile.  We hope to install some sort of solar system to help keep our food fresh and batteries charged.  At the moment we’re researching what that will mean for us and will let you know as soon as possible.  Our appliances and furniture will make the trip with us, as well as our clothes.  Yes, everyone there wears clothes.

There, you made it.  Hopefully you learned something new and are feeling accomplished in having read the entire post.  We’re really excited about all the ways God is stretching us and making us grow and we hope you are too.  Please join us as we begin year number two on this amazing continent.  Chapter Two: AIM AIR Uganda.  Here we go!

It’s hysterical to think how un-graceful we have been this past year.  It really doesn’t take long before the workings of your digestive system end up in casual conversation.  You count it gain to have brushed your teeth with the water out of the faucet without any repercussions.  Eventually you even start recognizing Kenyans out of context (but that really doesn’t happen for many months, let’s be honest).  We no longer have panic attacks about driving in public – though from time to time the windshield wipers remarkably go on when the blinker is supposed to.  And it’s always a good idea to walk a circle around your car when clearly you know which side you get in on for driving.

We have found quite a bit of joy in learning to live in Nairobi this past year.  Who knew we would be so bad at remembering to pre-pay for our electricity, yet enjoy candle light dinners?  Or that we would become Auntie and Uncle to a gazillion (yes, that’s a real number when you live in a  cul-de-sac) Kenyan kids who love Xbox and cookies a little bit more than they love you?  And then there’s the adventures.  Watching your husband sit uncomfortably next to the largest elephant with tusks you have ever seen in your life while his window is rolled down and foot is on the gas pedal; yet you tell him to wait until you get a picture.  Or, taking your wife to the game park to spend an entire day teaching her how to drive a manual transmission to minimize the chances of her hitting any other vehicles.  We have found a joy in camping and discovering new (to us) animals.  Such a change of pace from the deer, raccoons, and turkeys of rural Michigan!

Our holiday times were special.  It seemed more like we were celebrating firsts rather than mourning our first “withouts”.  We celebrated Christmas with a fabulous fake tree from the grocery store.  Bought four strings of LED lights that had 8 functions that restarted at random whenever plugged in and were run vertically up the tree because they refused to be daisy chained together.  Thankfully no seizures were induced from periodic flashing.  We splurged on fun presents for each other.  Apparently that meant: candy bars, gummies, and Reese’s Puffs cereal (literally there were two of each of those things under our tree).  For the first time we embraced Boxing Day to it’s fullest and soaked up a whole week off of work.

January was here before we knew it and now we’re staring at a year ahead that is sure to be as full of aforementioned fine print as the last one was.  We will have the opportunity to venture to a new ministry location where gummies and Reeses’ cereal need to be introduced!  By all means we will attempt to communicate more often and with faster reply (sorry if we just responded to your September email).  Our resolutions are more along the lines of stay alive, laugh a lot, and don’t get malaria.  We can’t wait to see what stories we will have to tell of how God was faithful this year.

Thanks for sticking it out with us!  Here’s to a new year filled with unexpected and uncomfortable transitions, hellos and goodbyes, language faux pas, TMI conversations, and Skype dates.  God is good.

Enjoy a brief recap of the year through our newsletter below.

Rosemary and her husband personally operate two orphanages.  The smaller one we visited has 20 children between the ages of 5 and 14.  It is located out in the middle of the bush; a 3 hour drive from Nairobi heading towards Narok.  The other home is a 10 hour drive north with around 100 kids.  Rosemary lives and works full time in Nairobi as AIM AIR’s receptionist.  The homes are managed on a day to day basis by volunteer caretakers.  Without having a car the couple alternates visits to each home on weekends via bus or matatu.  It is hard to imagine the sacrifices they make on a daily basis on behalf of these children.

This was our second visit to SOCH.  The first being in March delivering Christmas boxes from Samaritan’s Purse.  There wasn’t a doubt in our minds that these kids were grateful and deserving recipients of the 10 quilts we had received from church and were sitting in our trunk.  We arrived mid morning with a car full of vegetables, flour, and treats from a local market.  The children were thrilled to see Mama Rosemary and curious about who we were.  The goods were unloaded (by the kids) and before lunch they serenaded us with songs, poems, and recited scripture.  Each one then accounted for their class ranking in school.  We shared greetings from our church and some encouraging words; words that seem hardly comparable to the hope already in their eyes.  We sat together and ate lunch prepared over a charcoal fire.  Even if they could afford it the home doesn’t have access to electricity.

It is at this point in the day where our hearts would be twisted and tugged.  If you remember, we brought 10 quilts.  There are 20 children at this home.  We had talked with Rosemary prior to the trip and she thought that the older children would receive the quilts and the young ones would wait until December when the church would finish and ship 10 more.  All gathered in a small room we pulled the quilts out and the children sat in patient silence.  We showed them how each quilt could fold into a pillow and that every square on the quilt had a knot tied in it – a knot tied with prayer.  These kids know a thing or two about prayer and it is hard to convey how meaningful these quilts were to them.  At this point it is hard to say what happened – but a discussion ensued about who might receive the quilts.  And, before I knew it the children had proposed that there were two options: Option 1 was that 5 boys and 5 girls receive quilts.  Option 2 was that they keep them safe until the rest arrived in December and at that time all of them would receive a quilt.  Think about that for a minute.

What ever happened to adult authority?  Hadn’t we already decided who would get the quilts?  It went quickly.  They took a vote.  Even the youngest was counted.  19 to 1 they favored storing the quilts for another few months until all could have one.  These kids don’t have blankets…  At some point Rosemary turned to us (I cringe remembering the confusion that must have been written on my face) asking if we would give our permission and accept their choice.  We said yes, and if I remember correctly we had to say yes two or three times.  I’m not sure whether she didn’t believe us, or whether we didn’t believe ourselves.

These gifts weren’t being wasted.  They were being valued more than we could understand.  The choice was never ours, it was theirs.  But if all of this is true, then what is wrong with my heart?  Where was the instant joy associated with seeing God’s love manifested in these children?  It was probably stuck somewhere behind my selfish and righteous attitude.  Smothered by the fact I have never wanted for something as simple as a blanket in my entire life.  But, resurrected by the simple choice these children made and the thought that we will humbly go back with the remaining quilts at the end of this year and be blessed by their example of community and love.

• I feel weird washing my car with a hose and not merely two buckets of water.
• I assume that my hands will literally be black with dirtiness after shopping.
• I secretly love that no one has voicemail…
• I’d rather sleep with a lizard in my bedroom than a mosquito.
• It’s funny how often children touch my arms in public and it makes me smile.
• When I’m asked, “How are you?” I respond, “I am fine.” not, “good”.
• You turn off the water while taking a shower to preserve hot water (the heater is only on for an hour a day).
• I kind of like the dish washing paste?
• I’m not sure why I brought a pair of shorts…
• Cooking with gas is lovely and a luxury.
• Church means dancing and clapping for all.
• Everyone wears dangly earings… YES! (By now you should know the author.)
• Umbrellas make more sense here than anywhere else (for sun and rain).
• Hoarding small bills and change is second nature.
• If I leave both the gate and door open there are children searching for me in my house.
• Every once in a while you think, “When was the last time we de-wormed?”
• I feel self conscious when I forget to bring my bible to church.
• We assume it will take us 45 minutes to get a few miles away and then get in the car anyways.
• If you are a female your toes are painted – usually pink (for me – blue,  silver,  red,  purple, or pink..)
• When driving, blinkers, arms, and hands can be used to mean many things.
• If there is a hill you can bet there is an overloaded truck stuck on it, get ready to weave.
• As a pedestrian I never have the right of way.  Even on the sidewalk.
• Children here are mature beyond their years and responsible beyond their ability.
• We love mangoes, avocados, bananas, and carrots. They are awesome here.
• I have seen Corollas drive places they shouldn’t and now understand the meaning of 4×4.
• I would drive a Land Rover Defender over a dinky minivan.  Any. Day.
• I organize my trash in a way that is less gross to go through (because it will be gone through).