Before that happens, I wanted to throw a bunch of photos from the past month onto the blog. We've seriously traveled a ton and seen some amazing things. We feel blessed and exhausted and ready to slow down, but we've also made some amazing memories.
Greece
First, we spent two weeks in Greece for a medical missions conference hosted by the CMDA. We had heard about this conference from many people and it lived up to the high expectations we set! It caters to medical missionaries and offers CME credits for physicians and even has a childcare program and non-medical spouse program. It offered distinctly medical sessions but also sessions that deal specifically with issues that medical missionaries working in developing countries are confronted with. Eli loved the sessions and went into "nerdy Eli mode" and loved the intellectual stimulation the conference provided. I enjoyed some time away from the kids and talking with other wives from around the world, and resting a bit because my parents were there to help with the kids too! It was wonderful to have Mom and Dad there, because we hadn't seen them in over a year and because it really was helpful to have extra hands with the kids. Here are some highlights:
the boys did shockingly well on both flights to Athens
it helped that they could watch Paw Patrol for hours on end...
lots of reading time with Grandma and Grandpa
the Aegean Sea!
Acropolis Museum
the boys actually liked the museum, especially statues of animals
the Acropolis and Parthenon behind us
three little boys and the Parthenon
we love history!
they were much more interested in making rock piles
than in the ancient structures all around them :)
so many rock piles...
Bubba completely fell asleep at the Parthenon
atop Mars Hill (Areopagus), where Paul preached
to a group of philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:16-34)
the best gyro I've ever had, from a restaurant in the Plaka
Eli stayed with the kiddos one day so M&D and I
could go on a biblical tour of Corinth -
one of the most valuable experiences of my life!
On the way to Corinth we stopped at Cenchrea,
where Paul had his hair cut (Acts 18:18),
and where Phoebe was from (Romans 16:1).
An earthquake basically covered the ruins with water.
An earthquake basically covered the ruins with water.
our tour guide explains this archeological find -
a marker that identifies Erastus as the treasurer of Corinth
(Acts 19:22, Romans 16:23)
a view of the acropolis of ancient Corinth,
where the temple to Aphrodite used to stand
the agora of ancient Corinth
the bema of Gallio, proconsul of Achaia (Acts 18:12),
where judgements were made, announcements were given,
speeches were delivered, etc, and where Paul was brought
by a group of Jews hoping to charge him (Acts 18:12-16)
ancient fortress walls on the Acrocorinth
Tenwek
After our adventures in Greece we returned to Kenya and to Tenwek for Easter celebrations and one final week to pack up our home there. We had a sweet reunion with our dear friends the Parkers who returned to Tenwek from their own HMA while we were in Greece, and the boys enjoyed the annual Easter egg hunt for MKs.
the older kids hide the eggs for the little kids to find
there was even American candy in the eggs!
counting up the goodies
reading with Madison, one of the boys' favorite pasttimes
Horns and Parkers for Easter lunch
The Kenyan Coast
After packing up our entire house and saying more goodbyes than we could count, we left Tenwek and headed to the Kenyan coast for the annual WGM Kenya retreat. We were thankful to have extra time to see friends and colleagues right before we leave for HMA. And the boys loved swimming in the pool and exploring the beach. It was crazy hot and humid there, so we also spent the whole week sweating ourselves silly, but overall it was a good time. Our speaker was wonderful and someone even found a worship leader from the States to come and provide amazing worship. Truly, it was a highlight for so many people, and for me it felt like the first time I'd truly worshipped in two years. I can't express how much I've missed familiar and excellent corporate worship. It was an incredible gift for us!
drinking from a coconut
pool time
Eli was a devoted dad in the water while I was with
a napping Bubba in the room every day
they loved the beach!
I spent one morning by myself on the beach,
watching the sun's stunning display over the water
helping Uncle Dean build a sand castle
Kai and Eli took a camel ride on the beach!
Asa and Madison feeding weaver birds
weaver birds busily working on their nests
America
And now we're closing this chapter in our lives - two years of living and serving at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. We're excited to be back in the States again soon and see our family and friends. Even though there's a winter storm warning in Michigan this weekend and my mom has to find winter coats for our T-shirt wearing boys to have once we get there, we are grateful for the chance to be back again so soon. And we're already looking forward to coming back to Kenya again next year for yet another chapter in our lives. Knowing that we're coming back has made the goodbyes easier on this end. We're grateful for that. We're able to say "see ya later" instead of final goodbyes.
So, see ya soon, or see ya later!
