Young Marrieds

We just loved our Young Marrieds Crew that comes to our home once a month. Five of them have had babies over the last 1 1/2 years so we are so thankful to welcome these precious little ones into our home as well. Taylor and Ellie babysat as all of the adults hung out ❤️

Stockings for all the precious babies

Christmas tree decorations

 Our home is now filled with lots of Christmas decorations…one of my most favorite times of the year. Having a 4 year old in the house brings back some of the magic that gets lost as kids get bigger. 

Thankful to remember to real reason we celebrate by doing our annual advent and counting down to the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving

We are so blessed to have amazing friends who have become family to celebrate Thanksgiving with each year. This years Thanksgiving held a scavenger hunt for the kids with each clue leading them to an activity to reflect on what they are thankful for.  It’s the first year I haven’t been able to find a Turkey to cook but we had an amazing meal with a chicken taking the place of the Turkey.  So many things to be thankful for this year!!

 

Kids ministry

Due to government Covid restrictions, the children have been unable to attend church or any other gatherings for nearly 1 1/2 years. Since the lifting of restrictions in October 2021, the kids have been coming out in huge numbers…we had nearly 100 kids my first Friday back. The kids have worked so hard on memorizing their Bible verses we have been giving them as we have visited their homes through Covid. 13 children memorized every single verse in both English and Setswana and were awarded a devotional so they could continue to grow in their walk with the Lord. 22 other kids memorized some of their verses as well and were awarded prizes. So important to hide the Word of God in our hearts ♥️ 

So thankful for an amazing group of teachers who have continued to meet with the kids during my absence in the States. 

 Prize Giving

We’re HOME!

After nearly 9,000 miles and 30 hours of traveling, we made it home to Botswana. The first night in our own beds after sitting in an airplane for so long is so refreshing. We had to quickly get over jet lag as the kids had to get back to school to write their end of year exams.

We are so excited to get plugged back into ministry and feel refreshed and and excited to see what God is going to do. 

We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

One of Ellie’s favorite books is ‘We’re Going On A Bear Hunt’. During our trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, we decided to make our hikes a little more interesting for her by telling her we were going on a bear hunt. We had a blast exploring caves. 

 

We found some bears but thankfully they were stuffed and in a restaurant 

Ok so we probably will do lots more bear hunts 🐻 

Family

 I recently heard the quote ‘there is the family you are born with and the family you make along the way.’ This has never resonated more true than at this point in our lives. So thankful for all of our family and those who have become family. 

Fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains

 Our time in the States has been amazing and filled with lots of much needed time with family and friends and speaking at churches most of our weekends.  As amazing as it has been, we have to admit we were tired. After our last speaking engagement we took a dear friend up on her offer to spend 4 nights at their cabin at Wintergreen in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was so refreshing and rejuvenating and exactly what we needed to fill our physical, emotional, and spiritual tanks back up before our return to Botswana. We are so thankful for each moment of our time in the States and ask you to pray for us as we prepare to return to Botswana on November 10. 

I love the quote by Henry David Thoreau ‘I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees’ 🌲