Celebrating....

... a new nephew!

Jeff's brother Scott and his wife Lisa (and their three girls) welcomed Seth Gregory into their family last week Thursday! After a high risk pregnancy, involving weeks of bedrest, it was a huge relief to hear the good news!

We can't wait to snuggle this bundle of joy in a few months!

What have we been up to?

• A dear friend of mine visited for 10 days! She works in a CAN (Creative Access Nation) country, so for security purposes, I shouldn't mention her name. It was wonderful to catch up with her and hear how she is ministering in a creative way to a very dark country. God is at work! 
• We are in the middle of a drought. We have been put on water restrictions to conserve the water we do have. Pray for rain! 
• My hockey season is wrapping up. We have one more week (with 3 games!) until we are done. My girls are improving each game and very cheerful, sweet, and fun to work with.
• We had our annual AIM Ladies retreat last month and it was a huge success! I had a small part in planning it this year so it was fun to see the details come together. Praise the Lord  that nearly 100 ladies attended and it was a weekend of refreshment.
• We are experiencing the 4th year itch. Whatever that is. But we feel it. 4 years out with no furlough. We are ready to come back! However, the other night. we heard a great devotional in our Bible Study (thanks, Ryan!) that encouraged us to stay the course and finish strong. I am thankful for God's Word in times of drought (physically and spiritually).

Thanks for following our life here! I will post pictures next time!

Tough News

This past month we received tough news from back "home" in the US. Jeff's mom has been diagnosed with cancer. The first few days we were just reeling from shock. No one ever expects news like that and when it does come, how do you receive it? Especially when you are 10, 000 miles away? We wished we were closer, able to attend to physical needs, like bringing meals, visiting in the hospital, etc. but instead we phoned and emailed. Thankfully technology does minimize the distance.

During times like this, I am thankful for the solid teaching we have received and the theology of suffering we have. We know that God is at work and He is sovereign and we can rest in His goodness at this time. And I don't say those words lightly. Living in a Christian community, it is easy to spit out the "Christianese" words but when you walk into a valley of suffering, all of a sudden those words ring true. For instance, Romans 8:28 is so precious right now, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."

Jeff's mom's spirits are good and her chemo treatments are already underway (with minimal side effects so far, Praise the Lord!) She has started a blog to update people on her journey. You may follow it too at http://lhazard1.blogspot.com/

Thanks for praying!

Step Aside Rachel Ray....

....that is right, STEP ASIDE you cool celebrity chef. Because guess who is teaching Advanced Cooking class at RVA? Oh yeah....that is me! I definitely don't feel like the most gourmet chef in the world, but I do enjoy perusing my fair share of cookbooks and cooking sites on the web....so I guess that is qualification enough. Not to mention, all that separates us from Regular old cooking class and ADVANCED cooking class is a garnish. Yes, just a sprig of parsley on top and it is automatically delectable piece of art.

In all truth, this has been a fun class to teach. I have 12 juniors and seniors. They are sweet, humorous, adventurous and willing to learn new things, so that is great.

That is one thing that is fun about RVA.

You never know WHAT you are going to do around here! 

Thoughts on Transition

I am a missionary. So I guess that means Transition is my middle name. Yet, no matter how many airplanes I have been on, how many countries I have lived in or traveled to, and how many times I have packed that suitcase and said good-bye, it doesn't get any easier. In fact, as I get older, it gets messier and more complicated. Now I am factoring in my husband and children into the transition chaos. Will my kids adjust? Where will we live? What school will they go to? etc. etc.

We were in the US for a whole year (July 2007 - July 2008) and while it was hard to uproot the family and pack up our house in Kenya, we ended up having a fabulous year in Michigan. I loved plugging in to our church - Ladies Bible Study, Couples' small group, Jeff working at the church and being mentored there, and of course the great teaching and worship each Sunday. And we loved being close to family - having grandparents close by for family dinners and to babysit and allow us a date, being there for holidays (instead of sending the lame email), etc. We LOVED our year in the US.

Then we had to pack up again. We knew God was calling us back to serve at R.V.A. yet it was still hard to say good-bye. Honestly, the first year back (maybe even two) were especially hard for  me. It wasn't that I didn't love our ministry but I really missed our family. Our church. America. 

We have not been back in 4 years. Slowly I have adjusted back to life in Kenya. I realize how much I really do love working and living here. There are still days where I miss America, but I truly feel settled and at peace. 

And now we are packing our suitcases again. (Okay, in 6 months we will be....) We have to pack up our entire house for someone else to live in next year while we are gone. We don't know if we will get to come back to the same house or have to move to a different house on campus. Our kids will say good-bye to their friends and teachers. We will say good-bye to our Bible Study group and friends and family on this side of the ocean. We will not only say farewell to the seniors who are graduating this July, but also to the juniors who will be gone by the time we return next year. 

It's not that I am dreading going to America. Like I said, we loved our year home. But that was four years ago. Time has marched on. Our friends have lived 4 years of life without us being a part of it. We have lived 4 years of life here that they were not a part of. How do we pick up where we left off? How do we truly engage for one year, knowing we have to do it all over again?

Sometimes when we think of the sacrifice missionaries make, we imagine it is giving up McDonald's, Target or a dishwasher. Or it is saying good-bye to family. But I am realizing it is living in a constant state of transition. Wanting to dig in your roots, but being afraid to at the same time.

I'm not here to complain, but I'm simply trying to process this crazy life we lead and trying to make sense of it all. I think two things I have learned from all this transition is to try to be content in the moment and to savor the here and now. To not wish this time away and long for a time past or a time in the future. To enjoy this moment. And I have also learned that Kenya is not my home. America is not my home. Heaven is my home and I long for the day when I can stop unpacking suitcases and truly settle down for eternity!