Quick update; life has been 'interesting' lately!

Sorry it's been so long; rather predictably my life got super crazy. Things are a little quieter now, but I don't expect the interesting to end for a few months yet. Here is the highlights reel of what I've been up to.

* I survived the end of the 2018 school year, which included report cards, playing for the program, prize giving, interviews, and lots of teary children saying goodbye. God gave strength, and I stayed healthy. I'm so grateful for his help in ending well!

* With the help of the incredibly generous and helpful Ruthie and Anna I spent an intense afternoon and evening working on packing up my house and leaving it ready for some much needed maintenance. I did not get as far as I would have liked, but without those two wonderful ladies helping me I would have been in much worse shape.

* While I was packing up, I found that I had been robbed and among other things, my laptop and all my cash had been stolen. The thing that makes me really sad, is that it had to have been one of the school's employees, and they would have had to watch all afternoon for a chance to get into the house when no one was there. On the plus side, they left my cards and documents, and I had just backed up my files the day before. So, while it is pretty inconvenient to have lost a tool I can ill afford to replace just now, things could have been so much worse. Not that this is likely to leak out the rural community I just left, but if you want more details please communicate with me directly, in respect for the person handling this at the school's request.

* I spent an afternoon and a day in Lusaka with some longtime friends before heading out on a whirlwind tour of Germany! I have an uncle and aunt, and several cousins living there, so I got to see the Frankfurt area, the Black Forest, and Bavaria. I had so much fun reconnecting with my family, and it was a very healing time to talk through some things and bounce some plans off wise people. I'm so thankful for belonging to a family of wanderers and Christ followers that makes time for each other and supports each other in the Lord.

Now I'm back in the States, and will be heading to Colorado for my brother's wedding tomorrow. Some prayer points for me at this moment include,
* Wisdom in replacing my laptop and beginning to restart my life Stateside
* Health as I've done a great deal of traveling during cold season, and I feel one starting to take a grip. I'd rather be well for Christmas!
* Finances--an unexpected electronic need as well as the need for a car so I can find a job quickly has left things a little stretched.
* Traveling safety as my family and I head to Colorado and back. There are no guarantees in this life!

Thanks so much for all your prayers and encouragement, and I look forward to a new chapter in my life and a new adventure with the Lord. While there are a lot of things for me to work through, I am so excited to see what will come next!

The Lord Goes Before

I am now safely back at school in the bush after an uneventful trip back. I am so, so thankful for how the Lord smoothed my way as I traveled back to Zambia; I had been a little nervous about traveling with the walking boot. I had to stand for a long stretch waiting to check in, but my dad scouted out a less busy security station for me so that went quickly and without any hassle despite all the extra hardware. On my long flight, about 14 hours, I had not only an isle seat that I could physically get the boot into (I had been worried about that), but no seatmates! So, I was able to curl up on the seat a bit, and had plenty of room to maneuver.

In Dubai I was able to get some good sleep and spend some time just resting after all the activities of the last month. I was able to get an isle seat again on the shorter flight down to Lusaka, and ended up almost at the front of the immigration line so I didn’t have to stand very long. All my bags came through without issue, and nothing broke. Four of us had a smooth flight up to Solwezi on Friday, were able to get some groceries, and then had an uneventful drive up to the school. I was quite thankful for all my practice with the boot over the last few weeks, as my ability to maneuver and perform certain challenging feats was tested in the form of a long drop and a pit stop in the bush—God has been so good!

Since I’ve been back at school, I’ve been cleaning my house, unpacking, sorting some, working on some professional development, and resting. Today I went over to my classroom and did some big jobs like clearing out papers and other things that are no longer needed, and doing a bit of work on my boards. The students start arriving on Friday, and I need to get my room sorted out and finish my curriculum revision so I can leave things well organized for my replacement to take over next year. There is much to do, and this term we are down both the cook and a secretary/support teacher, so things will be stretched pretty thin. Prayers for help as we redistribute duties this term, and for grace for ourselves and others would be much appreciated!

Parting shot: It was amazing to see how much things have dried out in just the month and a half that I've been away! We are going into our spring, which is also the hottest time of the year. The new tree leaves are sometimes scarlet, and laundry dries on the line in no time flat!

Bonus: How do you deal with a hole in a cement wall that has become too large for its plug? White glue and matches! Learn something new every day...

Last bonus: No meat should EVER be that color!

Back in Texas for a few weeks

After four days of traveling, I’m safely back in Texas once again! It was a good trip; just really long. I had a bit more hassle than usual in Dubai; I guess new travel regulations have been coming down the pipeline. I got to sleep, shower, and swim at the hotel there before getting on my longest flight. I stayed awake till a decent hour Monday night before collapsing into bed. I’m a bit tired this afternoon, but hopefully I’ll be fully on schedule in a day or so more. Plus, I got waaaay too little sleep the last week at school.

I’ll be picking up my leased car this week and having a podiatrist appointment next week. I need a massage as well, but I’ll have to see if I can fit that in before the wedding. All the stress and lack of sleep the last week and half have made both my shoulder and my tendonitis flare up more than normal. I’m also going to try to start scouting out some things like apartment and car prices for next spring.

The Wednesday before I left was our camping/outdoors themed birthday party.

Most of that day was a whirl of getting my substitute prepared and working in my classroom, but I did get to enjoy the pig that slow roasted for about 24 hours in this clever pit,

and sit outside for a bit enjoying the bonfire.

Prayers for my podiatrist’s appointment, for my students and substitute as they finish up the last two weeks of term, and for all the details of my sister’s wedding and accompanying festivities appreciated would be appreciated. It’s going to be busy, but boy is it good to be home!

Copper Belt Tour 2018

Sorry I didn't write last week; if you were following my Facebook updates then you'll know I was helping chaperone the annual Copper Belt Tour for deserving 7-9th grade students, where they go down to Amano Christian School to play sport against Copper Belt Schools, as well as enjoy some treats and experiences along the way. We left on Thursday and came back on Monday, and I had all I could do to get myself turned around for Tuesday, which is one of my very busiest days. So, here are some of the highlights of our trip.

Thursday--The "Green Machine," the R's Land Cruiser breaks down just as we reach Solwezi. Pam, the 7 girls and I go ahead, while a rescue is launched for Phil and the 6 boys. After grabbing some supper Pam headed back to pick up the boys while Phil and his brother continue to tow the Green Machine in. The boys were feed late at night, and got to bed just as Phil made it to Chingola. All very tired, but thankful for being safely in!

Friday--Slow morning, but a busy afternoon with 6 games in a row for both our boys and girls teams. There were 4 games--2 volleyball and 2 basketball going on at all times, I went back and forth between our two teams taking video, encouraging, and picking up water bottles.

In the evening, we went over to have a sing and fire night with some other missionaries--what a treat!

Saturday--Another slow morning with swimming and some volleyball on the grass at Phil's sister's place. Then on to an afternoon of field hockey. I had never seen it played before; an interesting game! I can see why you'd need mouth guards though...

Sunday--I took very few pictures because I was too busy enjoying an English church service, the music both at church and at the orphanage that evening, visiting with some Amano staff memebers, and watching the kids play ultimate Frisbee. Sometimes memories and people are more important than pictures!

Monday--We had back to Sakeji; the Green Machine was still being worked on, so Phil's brother drove the boys up close to Mwinilunga, where we were met by Gwen in another car. Until Solwezi things were pretty quiet--

But once they had spent the rest of their K30 allowance on junk food, the ride back got pretty interesting...and loud. We arrived back to find the Nchila gate locked, so the sugar-high kids started walking back while we waited for the key. Then it was getting the kids fed with REAL food, staggering home and preparing for the week.

Last week was pretty rough; I was tired and waaaaay behind after being away and not marking for 5 days, and the students did not come back from half-term well. Here's hoping that this week, midterm week will be better, and that I'll get caught up enough to actually enjoy my first weekend off in three weeks!

A flood, plans change, much is accomplished, and a grueling drive

Well, I guess Zambia wanted to make sure that I would never forget my last shopping trip! Where I live upcountry there has been a lot of rain over the last month, and particularly the first week of holiday. So, it was with some trepidation that I planned a trip to Kitwe for shopping, dentist, visiting, being off station, and bringing three other people who needed a ride up. We were supposed to leave on Tuesday, but I woke up around 4am on Tuesday morning and lay awake listening to two hours of steady, heavy rain. It had been raining when I went to bed, and I was getting pretty concerned about the state the roads would be in. Remember, I live 67k down a dirt/clay/sand/undrained and poorly maintained road from where the pavement stops. So, when I loaded the car in the rain and picked up Ruthie and Anna, I wasn’t too optimistic about our chances of getting out. Sure enough, the ‘road’ was a river pretty much all the way to the main road, and I took one look at the lake on the plain and knew we wouldn’t make it. So, we turned around, made a hot breakfast, and spent a lazy day waiting to see what the weather did. We found out, that over 4 inches of rain had fallen on our already saturated ground. This is what the river just below the school looked like when we came back; I've never seen it so high!

Wednesday morning it was clear, and it hadn’t rained in the night, so we went for it. It took a about 12 hours, but we made it safely to Kitwe and to the Fernandos. Ruthie got a picture of what a good section of the road looked like:

We were welcomed with a delicious meal, cleaned up, and fell into bed. It’s almost as tiring to be a passenger on these roads as it is to drive them! During the next two days I got my dentist appoint, we did a lot of shopping, enjoyed eating out, delicious Sri Lankan food, and visiting with Fernandos. The night before we left we sang by candlelight as I did my best to play by ear on their old piano. I’m so thankful that the Lord has brought such wonderful people into my life!

Saturday morning we loaded up the car, said goodbye, and headed to Chingola to pick up the three Ronald ladies.

Once there we left a few things to come up on a truck, did a masterful job of packing everything and 6 people into the Patrol, and headed out.

However, the trip up country was rather eventful. First, we got stopped at a police checkpoint minutes down the road and were informed/realized that our car’s fitness (inspection) was out of date. Oopps… The lady had heard of our school and let us go—much to our relief! Then, once we left Solwezi, we started to hear what we thought was the back right mud flap scraping on the potholes, but quickly realized was actually the tire. And it was starting to shred a little. So, we pulled over, shifted as many heavy items onto the left side of the car as we could, and I resumed driving favoring the right side as much as possible. This significantly slowed our progress down, and it was full dark by the time we finally hit Mwinilunga where the pavement ends. I got out, locked my hubcaps, and began the worst part of the drive in the dark.

The last 67 kilometers took just under three hours and was one of the most stressful driving experiences of my life. As there are not lights by the road and very few villages would have much electricity, I was driving with just my headlights. I had a very heavy car, and it was already 8pm. Soon, the road got wet, and then it started raining, which lowered my visibility to about two feet or so. And then the mud got bad. So bad that the truck was stuck at least two times, but was able with the aid of low four wheel drive to get us out. Once we hit the last plain before Sakeji, we found more huge puddles, so Pam and Anna got out and walked some of the worst ones so I could see where the best place to drive through was. In all, it took us just under 3 hours to drive that last stretch, and I was absolutely exhausted from the mental and by then physical strain of driving. We got the car unloaded in the misting rain, and then I took a blessedly hot shower and fell into bed.

I am so thankful for the change to get supplies, that the car made it back up with only minor damage to the tire, and that I didn't get us terribly stuck in the mud. All the crazy road trips I've taken before, and especially in that vehicle, were preparation for the greatest driving feat of my life. I can't say that I'm sorry I won't have another chance for such an exciting road trip, but boy have I made some memories... I'm enjoying some quiet as I recover and keep working on things in my house!

Quickly

I am heading down to Kitwe early Tuesday morning with two friends for some shopping, a visit to the dentist, and to spend some time with friends. Prayers for safety on the road appreciated! I'll be returning on Saturday and bringing up three other people, so it will be a squishy ride, but there will be another driver to help with the long trip.

Until next week!

A quick trip and school starts soon

Since the start of the 2018 school year was postponed, four of us single ladies decided that if we had potentially three more weeks of cooking for ourselves, we may as well head to Solwezi for a supply run. So, we gathered up lists for others on stations, wrote our own, and set off in the Patrol Sunday morning. There were some pretty awful parts on the sea of mud road before we reached the pavement, but with four-wheel drive, 8 years of experience driving on rainy season roads, and a lot of prayer we made it through. At one point there was huge piles of ‘gravel’ down the middle of the road and a truck stuck in the detour down each side. I had to off-road on the raised bank above the road; thankfully there wasn’t anything unpleasant lurking in the grass! We bought non-perishables, then headed back to the lodge to enjoy a lovely supper and a quiet evening. After breakfast we were greeted by this:

We’re still not sure exactly what happened, but obviously we couldn’t head into town like that! So, the cook and the gardener at the lodge changed the tire for us; thankfully we had all the tools in the car, and the spare was in good shape. That adventure over we went into Solwezi do visit a hardware store and get our perishable items. We checked the air pressure in our tires before leaving town (a good thing too—the spare was pretty low!) and headed back up country. The sea of mud road was actually a little drier than the day before, so we made it through with no problems. I have to admit I was pretty thankful to be back—as much fun as driving over swiss cheese roads and in hubcap deep mud is!

Today I helped with the Upper School bathroom renovation project; I finished the first coat and put the second coat of paint in the boy’s bathroom. I managed to not make too big of a mess, but my hands looked almost as Pollockesque as the vehicle had after driving to town.

Just as I was finishing up, I caught these rainbow clouds over Upper School; while there are frequently rainbows in the east this time of year, this delicate shimmer in the clouds to the west is more unusual.

School opening update: The government passed on a few days ago that private schools can open earlier, so we are looking at having our students arrive on January 22 and have classes start on the 23rd. I started working in my classroom today, but there is quite a bit more to do before the 2018 school year can start! Prayers for wisdom as we re-arrange our first term schedule, for the health inspection we need to be cleared to open the school, and help to finish up the big projects we started would be appreciated.

Parting shot: A little view out the window of the mission plane when I flew up to school a week ago.

2017 School year? DONE!

* The end of term program, What a Glorious Night, went well. We hope and pray that someone in the audience heard what they needed to that evening, and that the words of the songs and the text stirred everyone's hearts.

* I spent 3 days (4 really with the time changes) traveling and made it safely home last Thursday. We made it through to the pavement despite all the rain we had--a praise!

Travel is interesting with a sore ankle, but I managed. I slept better on the plan than I usually did, and I got some good sleep in Dubai.

* That wasn't the only thing I did in Dubai--I also went on a 2 hour tour of the city. Wow. Just wow.

Since getting home I have enjoyed sleep, putting up the family tree, starting to do a bit of shopping for Christmas and next year, and some time to put my feet up. I was so busy for the last month of term that having the time to read, to knit, to decorate, to just sit is such a blessing. I'm looking forward to catching up with friends and people here at home, and to having almost all my siblings home for Christmas. If I have learned nothing else in life, it is that people are so important. Flawed? Yes. But absolutely important. This Advent season as you listen to Christmas music, bake, decorate, go to programs, and buy gifts, don't forget to stop and love people. Because that is what Christmas is all about--the ultimate expression of love so that we would know how to.

Take me home country/bumpy/dusty roads...

Well, Ruthie and I are back from our epic town trip in which many wonderful and frustrating things happened. First, some facts about why road trips here are so epic. From Sakeji to Kitwe, the Copper Belt town that was our ultimate destination, according to Google it is 583.6 km, or 362.6 miles. Also according to Google, this distance should take you 8 hours and 7 minutes to drive (a figure that I would be fascinated to know how they calculated). In reality, it took closer to 11 ½ hours to drive it yesterday, and that was going as fast as was safe (for us and the vehicle). If you drove that same distance going at 70 mph, it would take you about 5.19 hours. So, with that in mind, here are the highlights of the trip!

P.S. Almost all the pictures are curtsy of Ruthie, as I was pretty busy driving most of the time!

• Thursday: Ruthie, Bethany, and I load into the truck and start the drive to Solwezi. Compared to another trip I took with three ladies across that cab, this one was far more comfortable! We arrived in plenty of time to grab a lunch at Hungry Lion (a South African chain rather like KFC, but much greasier and somewhat dodgy—I’ve had about half and half good and bad experiences there) before taking Bethany to the airport. Ruthie and I tried two windshield places to see if we could get a replacement before tackling RTSA (Road Traffic and Safety Administration—the Zambian DPS). No luck, so we headed to the lodge where we were staying, enjoyed a lovely dinner, and headed to bed.

• Friday: Ruthie had started feeling ill that evening, but is very nauseous that morning. We consulted the school nurse about items to look for in pharmacies here, picked up a few other treatment items, and then went to do battle with RTSA. It took me 2 ½ hours of standing in line and going from room to room before I emerged victorious with my renewed license; I decided that if they wanted to renew it on the strength of an expired US passport, that was their problem! I had checked on Ruthie a few times in the car; she was able to sleep some and had started to feel a bit better. We grabbed some lunch and then headed back to see if we could get the fitness (inspection) done on the truck, and it was a relatively painless process—God is good! They passed it even with the cracked windshield, so that was one more item off the list. Another complication of that day was we were unable to unlock the gas flap of the car. Many vehicles here have locking gas flaps for security reasons—siphoning off gas is not unheard of. We tried and tried to open that flap and popped into many little mechanic type shops looking for help, but eventually the lodge sent a trusted taxi driver to help, and he was able jimmy the latch and took the whole lock off so we wouldn’t have the problem again. Once we got back to the lodge I ordered supper as Ruthie was still not feeling that well, and then we were hit on by a very drunk Zambian MP who would NOT go away. Finally after sharing some horrible personal details (dude, I can’t think of any culture in which that TMI would be okay!) he left so I was able to eat my supper and we could escape. Not the most fun day to live through, but the Lord was good.

• Saturday: I woke up with some pretty intense chest congestion and almost unable to talk. I had been exhibiting some warning signs of a cold for the last few days so I wasn’t surprised, but it was annoying since I had a long way to drive that day. Back to the store for what turned out to be some excellent medicine, and then on the road for the drive to Kitwe. On the way I lost and regained my turn signals and hazard light; dust or a loose connection? We made it safely to my friend’s farm, took showers, and spent a quiet evening.

• Sunday: We sleep in, enjoy a leisurely morning, and then head into town for a late lunch. We did some pricing and scouting, and then headed back to the farm for the evening.

• Monday: Farmers Day, a national holiday, so some of the places we wanted to go weren’t open. We did a bunch of non-perishables shopping at the new mall, enjoyed Pizza hut for lunch, and revised our lists for the following days.

• Tuesday: One of the big treats for this trip was we had booked manicures, a hair cut (for Ruthie), and lowlights (for me) at a lovely spa and salon I’ve been to and really enjoyed. It took most of the morning, but it was so nice to be somewhere clean, enjoying relaxing music and lovely smells. Afterwards we did some school shopping, got lunch, and did our perishable shopping. We also got the car windshield replaced; I figured it was the least I could do since Jill is generous enough to let me drive it. It was dark by the time we headed to the farm to sort and load what we could, but it had been a very productive day. And, I really like my hair!

• Wednesday: We left a little after 7am and started the long drive back to Sakeji. We made a quick “few items we forgot or had thought better of” stop in Solwezi, as well as a quick stop to pick up something I had forgotten at the lodge. I again lost my turn signals and the hazards, but I got the turn signals back and then lost the horn—a big deal when there are so many goats and chickens on the road! We pulled up in a cloud of dust, offloaded the school items with the help of the watchman and the headmaster, and then went to our respective houses to offload there. There had been a massive hot water leak at my house while I was away, so Ruthie let me crash her shower since not showering was NOT an option! Boy was it good to crash into my own bed…

Today the leak was taken care of, I got pretty much everything else put away, and I have been enjoying a quiet day of being HOME. Yes, it was a lot of fun to eat out, go shopping, and get my hair done. However, as always when I go to town, I’m reminded of why I live in the bush!

Parting shot:

Home...for another week!

I apparently haven't downloaded my pictures from Canada yet, and I didn't take that many because to be quite honest I was far too busy living, but I figured I should do another update on the wild life of Lina. First, a quick run-down of my Canadian trip:

* I was stranded at Laguardia Airport for 28 hours. This meant I spent the night partly on the floor and partly in the food court, and that I now would rather wrestle a yeti than go back there again.

* Beth rescued me, and we got to see Niagara Falls from both sides.
* The Canadian border guards take themselves VERY seriously.
* I got to hold four day old goat kids, drive a tractor, meet some alpacas, drink Timmies, and got a hair cut.
* It was beyond amazing to get to spend some time with Beth again; I have missed her terribly over the 16 months, and we spent a lot of time talking and knitting.

Now that I'm back Stateside, I have just over a week to fit in all the things I need to do before heading back. Sorting through and packing up personal items, buying the last few things on my list, writing a TExES exam to add the Core Subjects 4-8 to my teachers certification, and two more presentations. Prayers for strength and grace (for others and myself) as I process through the many lists, the many emotions, and make decisions about the next few months would be appreciated. The time went far too quickly...

So Very Blessed

Once again a whole lot of life has been lived in the past few days. I got to spend almost a week in Montana with a dear, dear friend. She graciously allowed me to visit her while her family was trying to pack up and move, and in the midst of all the crazy that is her life right now, she spoiled me with treats and refreshed my spirit. It's not every friend who you can laugh with as easily as you can cry with, but God is so good and brought our lives together almost fourteen years ago. On this visit I got to know and spend some time with her beautiful little girl, and while I couldn't take all their burdens away, it was a privilege to be able to serve my dear friend and her family in a few small ways.

After some delay I made it to Colorado again and was able to spend my brother's birthday weekend with him. It was so special to be actually there, to meet more of his friends, and see snow! My brother is one of the kindest, most generous people I've ever met, and it was so wonderful to get to spend some more time with him. After having spent some time there, I can see why so many people fall in love with Colorado!

I'm just home for about two days before I head off on my last trip of this furlough; I'm going even farther north to Canada to see my third soul sister. In the midst of getting ready for that I am starting to pack and repack up my things for storage at my parents house. My time in the States is rapidly coming to a close and I know I won't be able to fit in everything I want to do, but I am determined to keep living each day to the full, and making every moment count.

Parting Shot: Going up Pike's Peak on the cog railway was an amazing experience; the views over the snow covered mountains were absolutely stunning. God is an awesome God!

Indiana and Administrivia

This past weekend I took a trip with my mom and youngest brother up to northern Indiana for a cousin’s wedding. Another sister and brother joined us, and we had a great time celebrating the addition to our family, and getting to see aunts, uncles, and cousins that we hadn’t seen for several years. We also had the chance to quickly visit a great aunt that I hadn’t seen since I was a toddler, and who is a faithful supporter of mine. I got to see my first snow plow, and was able to enjoy a little winter before heading back down South where spring is in full swing.

Of all the things I’ve been able to do this furlough, spending time with family and friends has been hands down the best. People are important—so important, and I am so thankful that I have been able to travel and see many of the people who support and encourage me.

This weekend I’m heading out again—this time to Montana to visit a dear friend, and then I’ll swing through Colorado for the next weekend to spend a brother’s birthday with him. This time we’re planning on going up Pikes Peak—an adventure for sure!

There is a lot of work involved in keeping a life running in two countries. I am waiting to hear back about the best way to reunite myself with my work permit for Zambia that I had to leave behind to be renewed when I came home, and today I took a trip down to the DPS to get my US drivers license renewed a little early so I’ll get it back before I leave. When I get back to Zambia I’ll need to renew my Zambia drivers license which will have just expired, and I also need to try again to get my alien registration card. I tried before leaving the country, but the office had just closed so it was a no go. I have to say though, while not my favorite place to go, I’ll deal with the DPS here any day over RTSA!

My other big project for this week is to get my taxes sorted out so that I have time to get them looked over before I have to mail them in. Not my favorite pastime, but render unto Caesar, right?

My shoulder is still a little sore, but as I just spent four days driving that is to be expected. I’m hoping it will work out to get another massage before I head out to make sure that it isn’t knotting back up again.

Thank you to all who have prayed for me, visited with me, and supported me in any way. May the Lord bless you richly for how you have blessed me.

Parting shot: As you can see, I came by my height honestly! These two uncles make me look if not short, at least 'normal.'

Home...for a few days at least!

I've been doing a lot of traveling in the last two weeks--in fact, I have been through 9 states in 10 days. Getting to spend time with so many lovely people has been so healing and so wonderful; it has been absolutely worth all the early mornings and many miles. First I got to spend a few days with my sister in Nashville.

While there I got to have lunch with my lovely great aunt and uncle--another wonderful conversation!

While I didn't get a picture, Mary and I drove over to have lunch with our grandparents and another great aunt. Then, I headed down to Atlanta to see my other grandmother and my aunt. It worked out that I was there for Oma's birthday, and we went out that evening with another great aunt and uncle!

Also while I was in Atlanta, I spent two days with a dear friend who took me to the delightful Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

I drove back from Atlanta, had about 9 hours at home to re-pack, and then I flew up to Philadelphia to visit another dear friend who lives in Delaware. We had a wonderful time visiting, knitting, and seeing the sights in historic Philadelphia.

After all that, I got to spend the afternoon with another friend from LU days, and to pick up some great bargains at Halfpriced Books. So, it has been a very busy last two weeks, but I have been so blessed by the sweet fellowship of friends and family. People are so important, and to spend time with those who know me and can help me work through things has been soul medicine. To all you who let me crash with you for a few days, I am profoundly grateful.

This morning I was able to get in for another doctors appointment, and I now have a name to give to the shoulder pain that has complicated my life for almost two years now. I have some medicine and practical measures to get rid of the massive knot that is causing a trapezius muscle spasm as well as to hopefully prevent it from getting this bad again. Again, I am so thankful for a diagnosis, for help, and for the hope of getting this under control. God is good!

Colorado

Over the weekend I took a quick trip to Colorado to help one sister drive her car up there, and to help a brother move. I was stunned by the beauty of God's creation in New Mexico and Colorado, and in the midst of all the miles and the moving boxes, I had some great time with my siblings. I am so thankful to actually have been on the right side of the ocean to practically help for once--God is good.

Home!

After a (for me!) uneventful trip, I arrived safely at home this last Wednesday. It has been so good to be with my family, and I look forward to the next few months of rest. Because that is what I am desperate need of, rest.

London and Bath were amazing; I’m so thankful that this personal treat worked out! As I held out on Christmas music until I left the station, it was a real treat to see, hear, and smell all the Christmas in England. Mince pies! Roasting chestnuts! Mulled wine!

Right now I’m pitching in on various family projects, working through some things I need, and just enjoying being home in the States. I picked up the care I’m leasing from MTT yesterday so I have my own wheels, and I’ve pretty much got my new laptop and phone figured out.

I'm home!

The nerd in me had so much fun at Bath!

Road Trip!

Last week I took a quick trip down to Solwezi with Jill to pick up some perishable supplies and to get off station. Some highlights include:

Staying at Mutanda Nature Lodge--lovely place and good food!

Buying a brazier up-cycled from a drum; actual picture of mine in use to follow.

We got to drive past some pretty big bushfires,

And I found a few personal treats including this fun hat in the stores at the new mall.

We had some car trouble, but the Lord worked things out for us and took care of us. Now, I have a few weeks to recharge and prepare for the last leg of this school year. With His help and strength, I can do all things!