Year 27

 Today is my (Theresa's) birthday. We are currently on vacation in Ft. Myers with Will's parents. We are thoroughly enjoying some much needed R&R. I am feeling quite reflective today and thought it would be a good time for a blog post. As we are laying on the beach, this scene feels worlds away from everywhere we have been this year. The whole year feels like a blur- to the point when I have to look back at pictures to see if it all really did happen within the past 12 months. Below are my random reflections of this past year and pictures of snip bits of the happenings. While looking through the pictures, I'm reminded that pictures often remind us of the good, happy times and we often need our memories to fill in the gaps for us of the reality life events.

The 27th year of my life was an eventful one. It consisted of adjusting to new cultures, learning new languages (or hearing new languages and butchering attempts to replicate the sounds I heard). We made a lot of new friendships and laughed more than we cried. There were real seasons of sadness and loss, and times of overwhelming disappointment. We were blessed with new friendships that have gone deep in short periods of time. We have dealt with many goodbyes and felt the heartache of being far away from loved ones during joyful and sorrowful times. We have laughed until we cried with friends in three different east Africa countries and on two continents. We experiences new joys such as walking with giraffes and seeing lions within touching distance. I laughed at sweet Kindergarten jokes and sang/ danced my way through many Kindergarten days. We have prayed, worried and cried for our friends in Mundri who have suffered much difficulty this year. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of many friends (old and new) who offered their homes, food, prayers and listening ears during our time of displacement. We have learned to navigate new cities and learned how to be culturally appropriate in multiple new places. We welcomed a new niece into the family (from afar) and held her in person months after her birth. We've celebrated new engagements and mourned many losses with friends. In all of it, we've seen God's grace over and over again in the good, bad and ugly of the year. We've learned more than ever about His sovereignty and unconditional love- even in the midst of tragedy. And for all of it in this 27th year, I am grateful.

Will and I dressed up for Anna's "Gods and Goddesses" birthday party in Mundri last October

Sweet kids that made my day in Mundri one day when I desperately needed to hear laughter from children

My Moru language helper, Mary and I at her shop in the Mundri market last October

Our Mundri South Sudan team on Thanksgiving

Will and Shawn gave Heather and I a "date room" on the compound in Mundri so we would have a place to "go to" for date nights each week

Our South Sudan Team on Christmas

Ralie and I with her daughter, Rebecca at our house in Mundri in December

Learning to make lenya at Ralie's house 

Meeting Esther (Reed's Compassion International daughter) and her family for the first time last January

Our team on a break in Uganda in January

Exploring a shop that was located IN the Nile River

We endured many HOT days in Mundri! 

Overlooking the Rift Valley where we spent 4 months this year

On safari in the Massai Mara

We went snorkeling in the Indian Ocean during a Serge East Africa Retreat

Visiting with Bishop Bismark and Paul in Kijabe, Kenya

My sweet Kindergarten class at RVA showing off their goofy sides

Angie and I at Crescent Island in Kenya

Just chilling with our new giraffe friend

Meeting with with Vivian on route to Arua, Uganda. She was at a refugee camp after leavine Mundri due to the fighting in May

Our new friend, Mama Penina. She helps lead the Moru church in Arua, Uganda