Isaac and Evan are so happy to be back in Sudan. They're usually very busy outside most of the day and collapse in bed at nap and bed time because they're so worn out. Here are a few pictures of some of the things they do.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
A new teammate
Meet Lori Hoffmeister from Wisconsin. She arrived last Thursday and her enthusiasm and excitement to be here is encouraging and energizing. The boys already call her "Aunt Lori" and enjoy going on quad bike rides or just going over and hanging out at her house.
Lori will teach at the Basic Education Learning Center and also hopes to do some work with the Ganza tribe - literacy and Bible teaching.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Joshua meets Yabus friends
In our first week back we've had many friends come to meet Joshua for the first time. Everyone is very interested to see what a white baby looks like so he gets prodded and poked at, but he is definitely loved.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Happy to be Home in Yabus
Hey Y'all!
Forgive us for not getting word out sooner that we've all arrived safely in Yabus with no problems. Both flights went very smoothly, and Eli's parents were a HUGE help! I truly don't know how I would have done the whole trip without them. They have already experienced many adventures since our arrival in Sudan.
The drive from the airstrip to the boat (to cross the river) was like an amusement park ride as we slid and charged through deep mud. Once we got all our cargo across the river, Eli drove the pickup carrying all our stuff while Papa, Isaac, and Evan rode the quad bike. Mom, Josh, and I walked since it's only a mile and I wanted to greet friends along the way. Everyone has been very eager to meet Joshua for the first time. He's been nicknamed "Yabus' baby." At one point, a large crowd of children came running from their village, cheering and yelling, "Joshua! Joshua!" and then they all huddled around me to see his face.
We've already taken TONS of great pictures and will post those on our blog once Internet arrives in Yabus, hopefully in the next few weeks. We're thankful that all 7 of us have been healthy during these first few days. We've had a little bit of rain, lots of mosquitoes, and about 85-90 degree weather every day, so Josh has had to adjust to the weather a bit since it was at least 20 degrees cooler in Nairobi!
God has given us many special experiences with Mom and Papa here. On Tuesday Papa and Eli went to a funeral of a church leader's grandson. Eli was notified 5 minutes before the service that they wanted him to preach and he gave an encouraging message. We've had a steady flow of visitors coming to meet Mom and Papa and of course to see Joshua. Joshua has done so well being passed around and being prodded at. And he gets so tired out during the day that he's sleeping wonderfully - 7-8 hour chunks at night!
Eli, the boys, and I are overjoyed to be home. Even though it's taken a few days to unpack and get the house back to it's homey self, we are so happy and content to be here. Please pray for us though since saying Goodbye to Eli's parents will be heartwrenching and the work here is overwhelming. Eli's taken on quite a few responsibilities, mainly the role as compound manager which includes a lot of different things. Eli's mom has been such a huge help for me, playing with the boys and holding Joshua, that I'm not sure how I'll manage without her. I mention this just so you can pray for us next week. Mom and Papa fly out of Yabus on Tuesday, Sept 16.
Forgive us for not getting word out sooner that we've all arrived safely in Yabus with no problems. Both flights went very smoothly, and Eli's parents were a HUGE help! I truly don't know how I would have done the whole trip without them. They have already experienced many adventures since our arrival in Sudan.
The drive from the airstrip to the boat (to cross the river) was like an amusement park ride as we slid and charged through deep mud. Once we got all our cargo across the river, Eli drove the pickup carrying all our stuff while Papa, Isaac, and Evan rode the quad bike. Mom, Josh, and I walked since it's only a mile and I wanted to greet friends along the way. Everyone has been very eager to meet Joshua for the first time. He's been nicknamed "Yabus' baby." At one point, a large crowd of children came running from their village, cheering and yelling, "Joshua! Joshua!" and then they all huddled around me to see his face.
We've already taken TONS of great pictures and will post those on our blog once Internet arrives in Yabus, hopefully in the next few weeks. We're thankful that all 7 of us have been healthy during these first few days. We've had a little bit of rain, lots of mosquitoes, and about 85-90 degree weather every day, so Josh has had to adjust to the weather a bit since it was at least 20 degrees cooler in Nairobi!
God has given us many special experiences with Mom and Papa here. On Tuesday Papa and Eli went to a funeral of a church leader's grandson. Eli was notified 5 minutes before the service that they wanted him to preach and he gave an encouraging message. We've had a steady flow of visitors coming to meet Mom and Papa and of course to see Joshua. Joshua has done so well being passed around and being prodded at. And he gets so tired out during the day that he's sleeping wonderfully - 7-8 hour chunks at night!
Eli, the boys, and I are overjoyed to be home. Even though it's taken a few days to unpack and get the house back to it's homey self, we are so happy and content to be here. Please pray for us though since saying Goodbye to Eli's parents will be heartwrenching and the work here is overwhelming. Eli's taken on quite a few responsibilities, mainly the role as compound manager which includes a lot of different things. Eli's mom has been such a huge help for me, playing with the boys and holding Joshua, that I'm not sure how I'll manage without her. I mention this just so you can pray for us next week. Mom and Papa fly out of Yabus on Tuesday, Sept 16.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Grandparents have arrived
Last night Eli's parents, Tim and Patti Fader, flew into the Nairobi airport and we spent our first full day together today. It didn't take long for Isaac and Evan to warm up to them and it's so nice having extra arms to hold Joshua and help with the kids. This is going to be a great two weeks!
Monday, September 01, 2008
The Final Countdown
In 6 days we'll get on a plane with Eli's parents and fly to Lokichoggio, Kenya, right on the border of Sudan and Kenya. We'll do some last shopping, spend the night, then fly into Yabus first thing Monday morning. We are so excited we can hardly contain it!
I (Bethany) have started packing. This time we're taking 3 - 100 litre barrels packed with food and supplies (we'll use the barrels to collect rain water), a trunk of baby stuff, and 2 duffels of clothes. It will be interesting getting our things from the airstrip to the compound in Yabus. It's a 3 mile walk or more in sticky mud. Monday will be a big adventure for us! Please pray that we will be able to "go with the flow" no matter what happens.
I (Bethany) have started packing. This time we're taking 3 - 100 litre barrels packed with food and supplies (we'll use the barrels to collect rain water), a trunk of baby stuff, and 2 duffels of clothes. It will be interesting getting our things from the airstrip to the compound in Yabus. It's a 3 mile walk or more in sticky mud. Monday will be a big adventure for us! Please pray that we will be able to "go with the flow" no matter what happens.
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Eli's sermon
Eli got to preach at our church a few weeks ago. Feel free to fast forward through the music and announcements to his sermon. https://vime...
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