Evan's celebration #2

For his special birthday meal what do you think Evan requested? Not tacos and not pizza like most kids! He wanted Ramen, so we had Ramen!

Ice cream cones with toppings were for dessert - another request of Evan's

His friends were so thoughtful and bought presents that would be perfect to keep him busy on the airplane ride back to Africa!

For Evan's birthday he really wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese with his best friends next door. Since they were out of town camping until Saturday, we planned a Saturday party. As you can guess, Chuck E Cheese was FULL that day but we all had such a great time - well I came home with a headache but all the kids were sure happy!!!

We also wanted to wait until Saturday because Evan wanted his very special Aunt Jess or "Chachi" as he calls her to be there!

Evan's 5th Birthday

We started off Evan's birthday this morning with a dozen doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts.

After breakfast Evan went on a treasure hunt to find his gifts.

These gifts came all the way from his Nana and Opa in Central Asia!

After a morning of packing and projects around the house, we headed to Dreher island on Lake Murray to join our friends for an afternoon of fishing and grilling on the campfire. It was just the right way to celebrate.

We caught a few great Kodak moments

7 trunks packed...

Today I got 7 trunks packed and this is what the chaos looked like. The hard part is going through the house trying to figure out what needs to go to Sudan with us. The harder part is figuring out how to fit it in trunks that won't weigh over 50 pounds each. I keep a list of items that are in each trunk. I'm glad I wrote in pencil today because after weighing them and finding them heavy every time (thanks to 3 years worth of homeschooling books for the boys!!!), I had to keep taking things out, moving stuff around, and re-weighing and re-writing my packing list. It's not that bad, but boy is it exhausting.

Something that kind of surprised me today is that packing is emotional for me. It started sinking in today, that yes, we really are moving overseas again. Yes, we are going back to Sudan. Yes, we will be there for 3 whole years. Phew...and as I pack away the things that are staying behind in storage, I feel like I'm packing away precious memories. I'm closing a chapter of our lives. A chapter that's been so good, I almost don't want to see it end. And yet I'm eager to see what happens next...in the story unfolding in the next chapter.

This is a crazy ride but a ride I know we're meant to be on!

These are a few of my favorite things...

With less than 3 weeks until we get on a plane and switch continents, we are taking time to enjoy some of our favorite things before we go and don't have them again for 3 years:

- bike rides through the neighborhood

- a fire in our fire place

- Starbucks coffee and vanilla Coffeemate creamer

- frozen pizza

- choc chip cookie dough ice cream

- dishwasher, washer and dryer

- our favorite Christian music radio station

- Walmart excursions

...the list goes on...

Just for fun today I made rice and beans for lunch - a staple for us when we're in Sudan. When the boys came in for lunch and asked what we were having, they were all very excited when I told them we were going to pretend we were back in Sudan. I guess they've missed it enough that they cheered for rice and beans. That is a good sign and we hope it continues!

Home assignment 2010

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A Change in my Spirit (written by Bethany)

I need to testify about what God has been doing in my heart this past week. When we returned to South Carolina after 10 weeks of traveling and the task of packing up our house and planning for three more years in Sudan loomed large ahead of me, I felt completely overwhelmed and unable to handle the emotions and stress. But in God's amazing love, He showed me something life -changing in my devotions one morning. I was reading about the Hebrews' grumbling in the book of Numbers because they were tired of eating manna and wanted the tasty fish and vegetables they'd enjoyed in Egypt. They wanted good food more than what God was providing for them.
Something struck me. I realized that I have a god in my life too - something I want more than anything else! That god is stability and comfort. Through all the changes and transitions in the past decade of my life - transferring colleges, getting married, moving for seminary, heading overseas and going back and forth between Uganda, Sudan, and Kenya over a period of 3 years and then recently, the weeks of traveling across the United States, living out of our suitcase and staying in many different homes - I've developed a deep craving for stability.
Once I recognized this "god" in my life, I realized 2 things:
1. Life in Sudan is the opposite of comfort and stability.
2. If I want to experience the fullness of all God has for me, I must make a tough decision. Will I let go of comfort and stability in order to follow the Holy Spirit to spiritual abundance?
3. Rest assured, God's plan will be better suited to my desires than anything I can dream up for myself.
That morning, I prayed a simple prayer. I asked the Lord to forgive me for getting hung up on myself and my desire for something more than Him. I asked Him to help me let go and handle my life which is brimming with change lately with calm and peace.
Do you know what? God has answered beyond what I could have asked! The peace and security I've felt in the midst of long to-do lists, packing, and planning, has seemed almost too good to be true. This is a beautiful work of the Holy Spirit in my life and I'm so thankful that I wanted to share it with all of you who follow what's happening in our lives and pray for us on a regular basis.
Please do continue to pray for us during these next 5 weeks as we have much to do and have been battling with sickness going around in our family.

Facing Life

I thought today would just be a normal day of packing and cleaning to get ready to drive home to Columbia, SC tomorrow. But instead I've found myself very contemplative. Yes, I'm doing laundry and packing, but I've also been deep in thought about our future. What lies ahead for our family?
We head back to Columbia for about 6 weeks - one week at our home church's missions conference, the next weekend at another missions conference, and then hopefully some rest and more packing - but this time for Sudan! That's right, our new tickets leave Charlotte, NC on March 30 giving our family one extra month in the States to recuperate from 78 straight days of travel and prepare for our next 3 years in Sudan.
As I, Bethany, begin to think of going back to Sudan, my mind is full of questions:
Will we be able to get visas to study Arabic in N. Sudan?
Will Sudan remain peaceful enough for us to return?
If we can't go north, will we move back to Yabus where we spent the last 3 years?
If we can't go to Yabus, where will we relocate our ministry and family?
How will Eli and I and our boys handle all of this change?
Will we be able to find renters for our new house in Columbia, SC?
*By the way, each question is a prayer request if you'd like to write them down... (hint, hint)

I came across a beautiful quote by Helen Keller the other day. As many of you know, her story is one of overcoming major challenges in life. She writes, "Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight. When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or in the life of another."
When I look at the life God has called my family to, sometimes I get very overwhelmed, knowing full well my many weaknesses and deficiencies. But looking back over the past few years in Sudan, I know God has made me stronger for what I've been through. He doesn't want me to be able to handle life's circumstances on my own. He wants me to lean on Him, my Rock.
As each of you live the life God has called you to, even when it's harder than you think you can bear, remember: "we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or in the life of another."

Sudan News

For trusted news straight from Sudan visit: www.sudantribune.com to keep up with the results of referendum voting. And please keep praying! It's been much more peaceful than expected.

First Term in Sudan

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A Month in the Midwest

We have enjoyed a wonderful week in Muskegon, MI with Eli's side of the family. Family time, snow, and good food have been a recharge for us in the midst of all the travel we've been doing. On Sunday we'll begin our time in the Chicago area. God provided so faithfully for us yet again by opening up a 2 bedroom apartment in a Chicago suburb for us to live in as a base while we travel to other churches and visit supporters in the area.
If any of you live in the Chicago area and would like to meet up, please give us a call at (803)466-4302. We will be driving back to Columbia, SC on February 8th to pack and prepare to head back to Africa. Our flight out of North Carolina is on February 28th.
We would also like to beg each of you readers to pray for Sudan as a nation as they face their referendum on January 9th and pray that the aftermath will be peaceful. Thank you.

Next Leg of our Journey

On New Year's Eve we fly to Chicago for the next month of visiting supporters and speaking at our churches in the midwest. Our trip will start off in Milwaukee this weekend to attend the wedding of 2 of our SIM Sudan teammates who are getting married. Then from Jan.3-8 we're gathering Eli's siblings in Muskegon MI to enjoy a few days together. From Muskegon, we'll drive to Naperville IL and hopefully set up "camp" there as it is a central location. Please pray for all our travel, for good health, and for our boys to endure all the change well. Thank you!

Christmas in Washington

Christmas Eve lasagne dinner at our cabin in Auburn, WA

On Christmas morning Bethany's parents and brother, Stan, came over to open stockings and presents and have fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Josh was very interested in the bubbles in his stocking.

Isaac got new socks

Josh is super excited Aunt Audrey bought him just the trucks he wanted!

After we opened all the presents, Isaac had fun burying himself in all the wrapping paper.

Visiting Gramie after 4 years

Gramie turned 86!

Mom helped Gramie blow her candles out.

This afternoon was a precious memory I will always remember and hold dear. I hadn't seen Gramie in four years and while we were away my grandma was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She has moved into a lovely home with several other elderly women and caretakers. It was so neat to hear how well they take care of her - they paint her fingernails, do her makeup and hair every day, and the home is beautiful.

I was prepared for the worst, that Gramie might not recognize me and even ignore me. Instead, when we arrived she recognized my mom and dad right away and you could see in her face that she knew who they were. And each time we told her we loved her, she replied with, "I love you too."

My dad's sister and brother and their spouses came too. We ate birthday cake, drank sparkling cider, and helped Gramie open a few simple gifts. I was immensely thankful that Gramie had such a good day that she could recognize us and enjoy the company. I'm realizing that things change while we're away and life speeds along, but it makes those moments when we're together, so happy and unforgettable.

This Year's Christmas

We've been "on the road" for almost a month now. Our travels have reunited us with many special people and we have been so encouraged every time we get to share about what God is doing in Sudan. We are currently in Auburn, WA living in a lovely cabin on a lake. Bethany's parents, Skip and Ruth Sorensen, and her brother Stan, are only a 10 minute drive away and we get to spend Christmas with them this year.
Though we're not home, we've been doing little things to enjoy the good ol' American Christmas traditions. The boys did a great job decorating our tree and picking out their Christmas stockings - which we will take back to Sudan with us.
My joy this Christmas season is the fact that no matter where we are or how we will celebrate our Christmas, the REASON never changes and we're rejoicing in the same fact: that on Christmas day long, long ago God sent the Savior of the World, MY Savior, to earth. What love! And what hope we now have.

As many of you gather with family and friends this Christmas, our prayer is that Christ's love and hope will be central in your hearts and families. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yellow Ferrari

We have just come from enjoying the very meaningful wedding of Audrey (Bethany's sister) and David Milburn. We spent a week being blessed with food, drink and fellowship. I especially enjoyed the ceremony of the wedding which was rich with love and committment. But I digress.

We were in John Wayne Airport which serves the Laguna Beach area and heading up to Seattle, Washington. Laguna Beach is a beautiful and expensive place to live and so the airport serves many well-to-do individuals. The boys and I had come through security and then headed to the bathrooms for the last important pitstop before boarding the plane.

The loudspeaker came on and said, "Would the person who left their yellow ferrari at the security point please come immediately".

This message repeated itself a couple times and I thought, "Man, only in this airport would a person leave their yellow ferrari unattended". The boys and I finished in the bathroom and as we walked out, there was a security lady waiting there for me.

She said, "Sir, can you please come with me?"

"Uh, what is this about?" I asked

"Its about your car. Did you hear the announcements?" She replied.

"Uh, yea. But I don't have a yellow Ferrari." I said, thinking of the many other things I would spend money on besides that.

""Sir, please just come with me." The security lady was quite insistent.

I followed her to the security desk where she then leaned over the counter and picked up a small toy...yes, it was a yellow Ferrari. She laughed and handed it to me and explained that Evan had dropped it as we had come through the screening procedures and we had slipped into the men's bathroom before she could call us back to pick it up. She decided to use the PA system to lighten our day a little and get our Ferrari back to us. Thank you TSA.

David and Audrey's Wedding

To see more pictures of the wedding and our time in Laguna Beach, CA check out our picture albums on Facebook on Bethany's page.

Yesterday was my little sister's wedding. It was the day I've been praying for and dreaming about for years. I am so so thankful that Audrey and her new husband David get to experience the joy of being married. Everything about this week leading up to the wedding was perfect. We've enjoyed getting to know the Milburn family and helping Audrey get ready for her wedding. The wedding ceremony was beautiful and meaningful with no mistakes and the reception following was a fun joyful occasion.
Dad walked Audrey down the aisle.

Isaac, Evan and Joshua were the ringbearers. As you can see they were all very shy but they did a great job and looked so adorable in their outfits. They sure had the whole crowd charmed.

Eli and I both later commented that we felt like we had renewed our wedding vows as we witnessed David and Audrey say their vows to each other. 8 years of marriage and it just keeps getting better!

Mr. and Mrs. Milburn share their first dance.

Cutting the cake

Now the couple is off on their honeymoon. We're going to stick around Laguna Beach and enjoy the ocean for a few more days and go to Disneyland on Monday. Then on Tuesday we're off to Seattle for the rest of the month.

Thanksgiving feasts at the boys' school

Today Joshua and I had a wonderful time at Ben Lippen school celebrating Thanksgiving in Isaac and Evan's classrooms. First we ate lunch with Evan and his classmates and their parents, then we moved to Isaac's class and had more to eat! In this picture, Evan and his class are singing a song called "I'm a Little Turkey".

At noon we moved to Isaac's class where we found all the kids dressed in their Native American attire. Isaac's name: Brave Blue Eyes

They recited a poem and sang a song for us.

Isaac made fun turkey cookies for Joshua and me.

Isaac's friends know he only has a few days left with them, so many of them wanted their picture taken with him.

This is Benjamin, one of Isaac's best friends in his class. The neat thing is that Isaac and Benjamin used to crawl around on the floor together. We went to seminary with Benjamin's parents and are good friends, so it's so special that our boys were classmates this year.

Isaac's first try at American Football

Isaac joined the elementary football team this semester and is really improving. Today I stayed to watch the practice and I was so proud as I watched him give it his all, even in tackling.

He sure is growing up!

Our house - the kid magnet

We moved into our new house about three weeks ago and one of the best parts so far is having other kids living nearby. Isaac, Evan, and Joshua are thrilled to have so many new friends in the neighborhood.