Life Back in the States…

After 5 years in Kenya, we are excited to be back Stateside for a while. We have been focusing on spending time with family and friends, while also trying to adjust to life back in the U.S. We were excited to get back in time to celebrate Sophie’s birthday with family for the first time. We were also able to have Ethan’s Baby Dedication with both families….we actually had it on the beach and Jamie’s brother, Dwayne, conducted it. Since being back the kids have already had several “firsts”…1st time at the beach (Sophie has been to the Mediterranean Coast, but not the Ocean), 1st time seeing fireworks (at White Lake on July 4th), Sophie’s first trip without us (to the Lake with Grammy), and Ethan’s first movie at the theater (with Grammy). Both Ethan and Sophie have loved being with family and they have handled the transition really well.
Sophie has recently been asking about her friends in Kenya and when we will be going back. The other day she asked us, “When can we go to our house?” When we told her that we would be back home in a few minutes she said, “No, OUR house…in Kenya.” It definitely broke our hearts. We haven’t noticed any changes in her personality or behavior, but the questions show us that she is processing everything.
We have moved into the home where we will be living and have settled into a bit of a routine. We have had to get used to changes since we have been gone…mainly technological advancements. The kids have been fun to watch as they are fascinated by things that are extremely common, though foreign to them. Carpet, ceiling fans, and especially air-condition vents thrill both of them. We didn’t understand why they kept playing around the vents, until it clicked with us that they had never really seen them before. In Kenya the weather is so consistent that there is no need for air conditioning or heating systems.
The last couple of weeks we have really started pouring into our fundraising efforts. Jamie has been taking a few courses toward attaining his Minister’s License. We have spoken at a couple of churches, and we have been making connections with many others. We have also been creating and developing our support materials. We are very excited about the future of our outreach in East Africa, and sharing our vision with people here only excites us more. If you would like us to visit your church, or if you have a group you think might be interested in hearing more about our vision, please contact us.

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