No longer alone

Finally, Chris, Cody and my mom arrived...YAY!!!! I think the moment I saw Chris's red bandana and knew it was him coming off the plane was one of the happiest moments in my life. It's not that the first three weeks here were particularly bad, it's just so hard being in a foreign third world country by yourself. So Mick and I picked them up from the airport and headed back to the Davises, where they made us an amazing breakfast of pancakes and strawberries and bacon. Next we headed out to the orphanage to see the kids...Chris was so happy to see them, and they were even happier to see him. It was so cute to see their faces light up when they saw he was here. They got to meet my mom and Cody, too...which they really loved. The girls just took to my mom so quickly, asking her a million questions and gathering so close around her. She is amazingly kind and compassionate with them. I feel like they see her as the mom they don't get to have. I'm so glad that my mom is here spending time with them. And what can I say about Cody, he is a NATURAL. I kept thinking, where did Cody go? and then I would find him surrounded by children with their undivided attention. He and Chris are quite the pair. They can talk to anyone and make an immediate friend. It's like the cultural walls just dissolve in front of them. Anyway, the three of them make a great team here, and I think they are having a lot of fun. I love hearing about their adventures when I come home from work...work...hmmm...well, things have been REALLY busy for me at work, but I'm getting the hang of things and figuring out how to manage my time so I don't feel quite so stressed. Tomorrow night we have been invited to go eat with one my coworkers, and I am really looking forward to that. Several other coworkers have expressed interest in having me and Chris over and I have told them I plan on doing the same once we are in our new house. I'm really excited to get to know everyone in the lab better.

Oh yeah, for lunch on Saturday we had the meal I had made and it was actually really good. The second try on the beans and the banana bread were huge improvements and everything else was a success. I know you were all worried about this:)

Sunday was church in the morning, then we took three 9-year-old-boys and one of their 3-year-old sisters out to lunch. Chris took the boys to the bathroom to wash hands and said they couldn't get over the automatic hand dryer-what a thrill! The little girl's name was Diana, and I fell in love with her. She was beautiful and sweet and polite. She just sat in my lap and ate whatever I put on her plate so neatly (well, she wasn't too crazy about the kale-I guess kids are the same everywhere:) Anyway, I was in heaven holding her, but she got a little heavy for me after a while since we were walking all over the city, so I had to pass her off...to who?...to a 9-year-old-boy of course. He just put her on his back and carried her forever like it was nothing. Anyway, after lunch and walking around town we went to a Kisumu soccer match, complete with its own vuvuzella, and then we had burgers at the Davises with a mission team from Amarillo. We met a great missionary family from Kitalli (couple hours away from Kisumu) and are really excited about spending more time with them...maybe even this Christmas?

Life here is somewhat like a roller coaster. I have to admit, I am kind of ready to come home. Work has been stressful, and I still don't have a 'home' here of my own and that is getting old. But I'm growing more and more excited about our future here in Kenya. It still gives me butterflies in my stomach when I think that I am going to be LIVING here...are you sure about this?....WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?...You must be crazy!....these are all thoughts I still have daily. But the sense of adventure, the personal growth, the ministry opportunities, and the opportunity to share this special piece of the world with our friends and family are all calling me forward into my new life in Kisumu, Kenya with A LOT of excitement. The next time I come here, I will be coming home!!!!!