In Between

We have been out of South Sudan for 5 weeks now. During those five weeks, we have moved around 11 times. We have packed and re-packed suitcases countless times. We have cried, prayed and processed with multiple people (well, maybe the tears were just from me...). We have been hosted by many gracious, hospitable people and have had multiple delicious meals cooked for us.

We are now in Kijabe, Kenya, where we will be teaching for the next three months. Will, Justin and I will be teaching at Rift Valley Academy (RVA) for their last term of the school year. Justin will be teaching 11th grade English, Will is going to teach Elementary PE and I will be teaching Kindergarten. We have houses on the campus and are finally able to put our clothes (the little that we have with us) away in drawers and put our suitcases away for a while.

Will and I will all of our nieces and
nephews last September

Oh my, it is nice to be settled. It is nice knowing that we do not have to worry about where we will be sleeping tomorrow or if we have a place to cook dinner. It is a relief to have access to a washing machine (yes, a real washing machine... wahoo!) and a coffee pot.

What is interesting, however, is that right after getting settled in yesterday, I felt more homesick than I have felt in our entire 6th months here in Africa. My heart was longing to be with my family and hug my parents. I missed our sweet nieces and nephews and wanted to play and chat with them. I missed our siblings and the feeling of being deeply known by them and knowing that they "get me" and I don't have to explain my thought processes to them.

Will and Francis in Francis' shop before last January

At the exact same time, I felt homesick for the dirt roads in Mundri and the joy of our Moru friends. I miss the sights and smells (well, not the dry fish smell or the rotting meat smell, but maybe some of the other smells...) in the market. I miss being welcomed onto compounds with laughter and hugs and impressing my friends with my (very broken) attempts at Moru.

So here we are, in a place that I know is good and I know is of God for this season of our lives. However, I also feel stuck between my other two "homes". I am homesick for both my American and Moru families. We are feeling mixed about starting over again and meeting a new set of people. We are extremely grateful for this opportunity and overwhelmed by the beauty of this place. However, our hearts are stuck in the in between. We are tired from transition and missing so many different people while trying to create new relationships at the same time. In all of it, we know God is faithful and He has great purpose in this time. Please pray for our hearts in this transition. Please pray that we would be able to live fully here even though our hearts feel torn and divided.

A view from the RVA campus. It is beautiful here!