Back from Christmas in Africa

We had a wonderful trip to Tanzania to visit Kyle's sister Cara and family, and to Kenya to visit Kyle's parents (and Cara's family joined us there too!). It was so wonderful to finally see Cara's home after years of imagining it! They live in Morogoro, Tanzania, and when she warned us that it was, "hot, hot, hot," she was putting it mildly!!! We could have roasted chestnuts over an open sidewalk! We traded in our winter coats for sleeveless shirts and shorts (though Rebekah and I had to wear skirts to fit the culture). We had a great time at Mikumi Park where the kids saw elephants, lions and crocodiles in the wild for the first time! (It was my first time to see crocs too – they're kind of spooky, the way they just watch you silently!) [Josh just commented that they weren't spooky for him!]





























After a week in Tanzania, we drove two days to Kyle's parents' home just outside of Naivasha, Kenya. We drove on December 28, which was Rebekah's 12th birthday! We celebrated in a hotel and then sent her off the next day to her very first Missionary Kids Retreat -- you had to be 12 years old to go! It was a very exciting time! She had a blast with all those African MKs and they were so sweet to welcome a European MK!

You have to drive through a small game park to get to their home – it's great because they live on a lake and many animals stroll right past their home as they head to the lake for a drink. We had the chance to watch giraffe, eland, buffalo, hippo and monkeys as we relaxed on their porch! The giraffe, eland, buffalo, hippo and monkeys all watched us too, though we weren't all that impressive! We took hikes and game drives and found more animals, like impala, hyena, zebra, Thompson's gazelles, dik-dik, springhares, and jackals nearby. It is a beautiful place and we felt blessed to be there for the view and for time with family. God is incredibly creative and he is so kind to let us enjoy his handiwork!



We saw leopard tracks but didn't get to see one. This tree is on "Leopard Hill" -- you can be sure I checked the tree well before letting the kids climb up!

We left Kenya and came back to lots of snow here in Macedonia. The house took several days to warm up, but now we're cozy! The kids started school Tuesday and they are doing well.

Tonight we had our grand opening for our ministry center. We had a GREAT turn-out. Our opening was paired with registration for English classes for adults, so many people came just for English, but at least we have the chance to meet them and we'll see where God takes it from there! Some friends just came to check out the center and one guy Kyle met said that if we are serious about starting a Bible study, he'd get some friends together to do it! God is so good! Our teammate Amy took pics so I'll post them as soon as I get them!

For now, I'll leave you with a pic of us with Kyle's family!