On the Road Again

This summer is one long road trip for us!  In the month of July alone, we will be driving 3,377 miles (for a total of 54 hours of drive time).  With this much traveling, I'm glad that we are on summer break from school!  It is a big blessing to be able to see churches, friends and family that we don't often get to see.

              Even though we aren't doing "school", the kids have been learning alot.  We visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and learned a lot about Lincoln and the Civil war.  We visited the St. Louis Botanical Gardens and learned about different species of flower and plants.  We visited the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and learned about fish and oceans.  We have gone to see the Dunes in Indiana.  The kids have worked in the garden, fished, read a lot and swam.  Heather is at horse camp this week.

 Sometimes I joke with the kids and say, "Uh-oh! You're learning something and it's not even a school day!!"  Katrina rolls her eyes and says, "Mooooom!  You don't just learn in school."   :-)

Summer begins

School's out for the summer!

                   
                                   We have officially finished our homeschool year.

For Katrina, she has finished homeschooling, and is preparing to go to boarding school in Kenya at the end of August.

         But, for now, we are enjoying summer.  We are doing a LOT of traveling this summer, visiting many churches, as well as family and friends.  This month alone we will be in four states, visiting four supporting churches, doing one VBS and presenting to a potential supporting church.
                         
             Let summer begin!

       

Katrina prepares for boarding school

 
         Katrina is preparing to go to boarding school, for 9th grade.

  Her school is in Kenya.  We live and work in Tanzania.  She will be 366 miles away from us, and at least 7 hours away, if we fly or a two day drive (stopping over in Arusha).

                        She is thrilled!

No, really.

                 Mostly, because she has very little social interaction in Tanga, the town we live in.  The only other family with kids is moving to another city. (What high school girl would want that?) 

                             Of course, there is also academic reasons.  The main reason we want to send her, is so that she will graduate with an American accredited high school diploma.  She will be able to go to any college she wants to.

     She will be able to be in choir or band, soccer or girls' volleyball.  She will have roommates, and study hall, and lunch in the cafeteria and dorm devotions each night.

Katrina's sheets, blankets, towels, and all of her clothes will have to be labeled with her name.

             She will have dorm parents that will make sure she is studying during study time, and not staying up past lights out.  

Bill went to this same boarding school, Rift Valley Academy, from 7th-12th grade.  We are happy that Bill's classmate, Kristy Faber, will be Katrina's 9th grade English teacher.

          Of course, as with everything else in our lives, we are doing this on FAITH!  We don't yet have the support raised to pay for her tuition, room and board.  

                                         So, if you feel led to give towards Katrina's school fees, please let us know.

Thanks and God bless.

Home Assignment Starts: March-April in photos

Riding the bus on March 1, on our way out of Tanzania

March 4, walking across the Tanzania/Kenyan border during our bus ride to Nairobi, Kenya

March 14th, Arrive in the US after a week-long conference in Kenya.  Cold enough to bundle up.  Thank you Valley of Bacca for the van!  We're going to put a lot of miles on it!

We got to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens with my dad and brother.

Jonathan's 7th birthday, March 24th

Catching up with friends Jody Shaffer, Angela Schultz and their kids

Easter 2016

Leah's brother, Ben and parents- Chris and Norb Fischer (our forwarding agent)

Bill with his mom, Carolyn

Homeschool continues on the road, while we are visiting churches in Iowa "library school"

Katrina's 14th birthday in Indiana

Katrina's 14th birthday in Missouri

Hanging with second cousins, Star and Aiyanna

What we leave behind when we leave Africa

The lion we saw about 500 ft from us at Mkumi Game Park.

"What do you miss when we leave Africa?"

           -Everything.  Friends. Food. Everything. The lifestyle. (Katrina)

           -Nothing. Actually, the ice cream. (Jonathan)

           -I guess the thing I'll miss the most is the trees, the wilderness. Even in the city, there are trees everywhere. And, the culture.  People walking everywhere. (Heather)

            -The consistency of temperature, people who greet you and will talk to you (Bill)

For me, I will miss the people, the fresh tropical fruits, the consistent 12 hour day and nights (we are near the equator), the consistent weather year round, living near a beach, and the relaxed lifestyle here.           

          There are also things that I miss about America while we are gone.

"What do you miss about America the most (besides family)?"

            -McDonalds (Jonathan)

            -Convenience. You can go anywhere and buy anything. (Heather)

            -Food. (Katrina)

            -The food. (Bill)

My answer, after family, is food.  Convenience is also a big one.  24 hour stores, multiple brands of basically anything, so many choices, mail delivery on your doorstep!

    Truly, we are never "home" in this world.  This world is not our home.  Our home is in heaven, and I can't wait until we get there! 

Only 23 days until we say good bye to this continent for a few months! 

Good bye to Grandma

Carolyn and the kids on the boardwalk

    I can't believe three months have gone by already!  Bill's mom, Carolyn (also known as Mimi D), arrived here at the end of October.  We have been able to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's together.  She was kind enough to watch the kids for 5 days for us so Bill and I could have an extended 16th wedding anniversary get-away.  Because she was here to help with the kids, I was able to help Bill with a Community Health Education seminar last weekend.  She has handed out tracks to shop-keepers, and been involved in the Ladies' fellowship every Thursday. 
     We have been blessed to go to Amboni caves together, have one night at a beach resort, and walk in the mangrove forest.
    We are leaving tomorrow for one last adventure together before sending her on her way home.  We are going to go on a game drive through Mikumi National Park the day before she will be flying out.  We haven't been on a game drive as a family since 2012, so we are all looking forward to it!
               It's been fun!
          

What do we Focus on?

 

I've been taking pictures around town, to be able to show people what it's like to live here.

 

 

 

 

The thing is, what do you take pictures of?  What represents this town?

Is it the picture of mud house crumbling down or the picture of the mansion?

 

 

The picture of the sailboat on the ocean, or the picture of the beach littered with trash?

 

 

Should I tell you about the 90 degree weather, when the power goes out and trying to do school with no fans as the children are sweltering at their desks?  Or should I tell you about being able to watch a troop of monkeys play in our yard everyday?

 

Because both is true.  So, which do you focus on?

 

Should I tell you about the agreements, pleading my children to do school and trying to get them to focus, or should I tell you about the days when they studying independently, and retain what they read? 

 

Living here has many challenges: the heat, the feeling of oppression, power cuts.

But, there are many blessings: friendships formed, ministry opportunities, and living in a tropical paradise!

 

There are many reasons for focusing on the negative-- complaining spirit, or negative attitude. 

 

However, I think there can be other reasons.

 



As homeschool moms we don't want to see "better" than others, or lording it over other people when we are having a good day, or things are working well in school.  So, when we speak to other moms we tend to downplay the good and talk about the negative.  It can be a way to even out the playing field, so we all feel we are in this together.  

 

I have done it myself many times.

 

Another reason, is that we can feel that leaving out the challenges and negative aspects can be untruthful.  We feel it is only honest to "tell it like it is".  To be brutally honest.

 

A few verses

 

Galatians 6:4, "Each one should test their own actions.  Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load."

    (Don't compare yourself or your homeschool to others, but only do the best you can do for your family.)

Another verse a little later in the chapter-

 

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

    I just like this verse, and think it's very encouraging.

 

Also, Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

 

  That's not to say that we can't be honest about the struggles we are having in homeschool or with our children.  It means that we should not  focus on them.  We can focus on the positives, without thinking we are bragging.  (As long as you aren't bragging!)  Give all of the glory to God!  He's the only reason that our children learn anything, and it is to Him we pray when we need help.