Midwest Tour: The Farm and St. Paul

After our trip to Duluth, the next stop was the Farm. This is a beloved place to us because it first holds a lot of memories and meaning for Eli because of all the time spent there during his childhood, but it's also where he proposed to me, and also where we lived a couple different times when we were in between places. The Horn family farm holds a special place in our hearts!

We took a walk along the adjacent fields and through the woods - places where a lot of memories were made with the Horn cousins growing up. I can easily imagine all the mischief that took place there!

A highlight of any trip to the Farm is the go-kart. This thing was acquired when Eli was a kid and it still runs like a dream. Our boys were first introduced to it the last time we were in the States, and they have fond memories of it and were eager to try it again. Kai and Asa had no hesitation whatsoever and were quickly flying around the Farm in that go-kart. Caleb needed a little time to build up his courage, but eventually took a turn and immediately fell in love. His speed was timid compared to his brothers, but he spent a long time on that thing and had an enormous smile on his face throughout. There's just something about a go-kart that brings an easy joy!

Across the road from the Farm is a county park with walking trails and we enjoyed being there too. We've been trying to get outside and walk more than we usually do in Chogoria. It's easy to find places to walk in America where no one stares at us, which is peaceful.

After our brief stay at the Farm, we headed down to St. Paul for time connecting with folks at our supporting church there (Eli's parents' church), and with other family and friends.

We had the great joy of sharing a meal with these dear friends - the former provost and president of Bethel and his wife, whom we connected with during our college years and who did our pre-marital counseling almost 19 years ago now. They have been to Kenya many times and we spent hours talking and laughing and sharing stories about our shared love for Kenya. It's always a treat to hang out with people who have been to our country of service because they have a unique insight to what our life is like there. We were incredibly filled up after spending time with the Barnes!

For the first time, we decided to have an open house one afternoon where anyone in the area could stop in and see us. Usually we run around seeing as many people individually as we can, but we simply didn't have the time for that this HMA. The only problem was that we felt like we didn't have enough time with everyone who came, but that's because there were so many people who came to see us! We were so blessed. The open house was held at the church and many people from the congregation showed up, plus some college friends and still others. It's so encouraging when people take the time to swing by and see you briefly in the middle of a Saturday!

We spoke during the service the next morning and had a great turnout. Not only were we given the chance to speak during the normal sermon time, but we were also given time for a Q&A after the service, which was well attended and went on for over an hour. Central Baptist Church is incredibly mission-minded and they have supported us so well over the years. They care deeply about us - Eli did grow up in this church, after all - and they always show up! Their literal presence to listen to us talk about Kenya and to ask insightful questions always makes us feel seen and loved.

To top everything off, the Dahlmans surprised us by coming!  Bruce and Kate were medical missionaries in Kenya for a couple decades (we overlapped with them for a short time) and Bruce was instrumental in starting the Family Medicine Residency program that Eli is on faculty with. It took years to get the program off the ground and running, but Bruce's determination and dedication saw the creation of this program realized, and it has been such a pride and joy of ours to be a part of its ongoing success. In fact, part of what we talked about at churches is the privilege of witnessing this point of the residency's history. Several graduating classes have gone out into the world and are bearing fruit for the kingdom and it's so exciting!

After church we had an afternoon with the Horn cousins, including meeting the newest little dude in the tribe, and it was so good to catch up with these wonderful folks. Many of the people in this photo were all in college at Bethel together at the same time. It's wonderful when family are friends and vice versa!

The timing of this trip was perfect because we were in town for Eli's mom's birthday. Sandi wanted to spend the morning with her children and grandchildren at the Como Conservatory, which is such a lovely place to visit. I hadn't been there in ages, and especially loved the Japanese gardens.

The kids enjoyed some game time back at the house, and we were blessed with a perfect April evening conducive for a cookout. It was a wonderful day celebrating Sandi together!

I love coming back to Minnesota. The first big move of my life was to St. Paul (to attend Bethel), it's where I met Eli, it's where we were married, and it's where all of our babies were born. We love this state and all the people here. God has really blessed us with connections we have in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Midwest Tour: Duluth

As we drove back to Minnesota this week, I realized I never posted about our last trip here (or any of the many adventures we've had since then). Time to catch up! Adventures abound on Home Ministry Assignment!

In April we undertook a 3-week "Midwest Tour" to visit and speak at our supporting churches, as well as see family and friends we haven't seen in a few years.

Our first stop: Duluth!

We love Duluth.  And I mean LOVE Duluth! We've said many times that if we had any reason to put down roots there, we'd seriously consider it. It's really the perfect city (as long as you can handle the winters). It's on Lake Superior and is the start of the North Shore, which means it has rocky shorelines and more majestic views than I can begin to name. There are rivers and waterfalls everywhere because everything is flowing down the hill into the Great Lake, and there are hiking trails throughout the city, not to mention all the hiking and camping options along the North Shore. Duluth has all the great things about being in an urban area (shopping, dining, zoo, aquarium, parks, etc.) but it's such a small city that it doesn't overwhelm you. Even a city-loathing girl like me could love it there!

All three of our boys were born in Duluth and we have a lot of fond memories of those years (despite Eli being in residency and all the stress and strain that came along with that). Caleb is the only one who remembers anything about Duluth, but all three take pride in the fact that they were "born in the north."

It was a gorgeous sunny day when we drove into town and we realized we had just enough time to make a brief stop at Canal Park before heading to our friends' house for supper. Canal Park an iconic place at the far southwest corner of Lake Superior where the ore boats (carrying iron ore that's mined in the Iron Range of Minnesota) come in and out of the canal, going under the Lift Bridge as they carry their cargo through the Great Lakes.

There's a lighthouse at the end of the canal, and plenty of rocks for active boys to scramble on and find hiding places.

We couldn't have timed it any better if we'd tried - ten minutes after we arrived, the horn blew announcing that a ship was about to leave the harbor. The bell rang as the Lift Bridge began its ascent to make room for the giant boat to pass underneath, and we watched excitedly as the Lee A. Tregurtha made its way through the canal.

Asa really wanted to watch the ship as it passed by the lighthouse, so I joined him at the end of the pier.  The wind was whipping out there but it was truly a beautiful day. That brief time in Canal Park was a gift, one of those unlooked for blessings that just plop themselves into your life when you aren't expecting either the experience or the joy it leaves behind.

There was a lot of joy waiting for us in Duluth. Reconnecting with people in the church is always an encouragement, and we felt especially tended to as we spent several days in town. I should mention that several people from the Duluth Vineyard have visited us in Kenya. During our first term a few ladies came to see us at Tenwek and organized a VBS for the missionary kids among other things. Then, last year, a group of volunteers came to oversee the kids program at our WGM Retreat so the adults could attend sessions and spend time in worship and prayer together. This church in Duluth has really blessed us, and our time in town was no different. Those same volunteers who came to Kenya last year took our boys to the aquarium so Eli and I could have a lunch meeting, then arranged a pizza and movie night for them so we wouldn't have to worry about how to entertain our kids while we spoke at a Fireside Chat in the evening. We were so well cared for!

A couple in the church opened their home to us and made several meals for us, and we laughed and cried with them as we talked about life and all its vagaries. We felt deeply loved and were given the gift to love in return. We were so thankful for our time with them.

We also enjoyed a meal with a dear friend who was our main contact and advocate in the church when we first began this missions journey. Casey's husband was also our small group leader during our last year in Duluth and we were forever impacted by that experience. (We read through The Chronicles of Narnia together and let me tell you, there was a lot of rich and meaningful conversations that came out of that year.) Casey's husband unexpectedly died shortly after we returned to Kenya last time, and it was a great grief to us. Spending time with her was good for our hearts.

We also got to visit our former babysitter, who has babies of her own now (including a son named Asa!). What a joy to marvel at their growing family and to rejoice in how God is moving in their life. Hannah helped me survive the residency years and I will be forever grateful for her kindness and generosity toward our family. They are an ongoing encouragement to all of us. Also, baby snuggles are one of life's greatest joys!

One day all of our plans for meeting with folks fell through, so we had a day to ourselves to just enjoy Duluth. We took the boys to lunch at Fitgers, one of our favorite restaurants, then walked along the lakewalk and watched from afar as another ore boat left the harbor in Canal Park. It was a cool and cloudy day and perfect for walking and scrambling on the rocks. Our boys cannot resist any opportunity to jump and scramble over rocks.

We went through Leif Erikson Park, which holds many memories for me of strolling my babies through the rose gardens or listening to concerts in the park.

We then went to the Lake Superior Zoo, a place I know like the back of my hand given all the times I took the boys there to get ourselves out of the house and maintain our sanity. It rained the whole time we were there, which meant we were the only ones crazy enough to walk around a zoo in the rain, but also, apparently, that the animals wanted to be out and about! We saw a lot of animal activity in the rain. Also, we found it interesting to see the colobus monkeys, an animal we've seen many times in the wild in Kenya.

I have many memories imprinted in my brain of Caleb and Kai playing on this statue by the entrance to the zoo. Caleb has always remembered this statue and was glad to see it's still there!

Have I mentioned how much we love Duluth???

Truly, though, greater than all the fun places to go and the adventures to be had are the people. We're so thankful for our friends in Duluth, for the community of support we have through them. We were blessed beyond measure with all the connections we made during our time in Duluth. We are deeply loved by our people there and we came away with full hearts.

The privilege of connecting with people and spending hours in conversation and prayer encouraged us and reminded us that God is at work all the time, and God's people are also at work - to remain steadfast and faithful to Him, to help each other along the hard and frustrating and beautiful paths He's established for us, and to build up His kingdom by being a light in their corner of the world. What a privilege and what a joy to be connected to God's people around the world!