October Blessings

October was another whirlwind of activity. So much happened that I’m doing bullet points for everything except the biggest blessing: Joshua’s 1st Birthday.

October 25: Joshua turned 1 year old! What an exciting day!

We went to a friend’s church for the morning service followed by lunch and a trunk-or-treat festival. The boys carved pumpkins, jumped in bouncy houses, and loaded up on candy. Noah was a snake charmer. Jacob, in typical Jacob fashion, refused to wear a costume. Levi was a fire chief.

After we recovered from all that fun by taking long naps, it was time to celebrate Joshua. The boys each presented Joshua with gifts. Noah gave him an octopus tub toy that sprinkles water, spins, and lights up. He loves it! Jacob chose to give him a sippy cup and three little boats for the tub. Levi bought him a toy camera. With all these toys and all the other things he received earlier in the day, Joshua was entertained. In fact, all the boys enjoyed having new toys in the house!

Quickly, though, dinnertime came, so the entertainment was put away. It was time to eat! Joshua devoured his special birthday dinner of ham, green beans, and potatoes. Next, we sang to him in both English and Swahili. He was quite embarrassed and started to cry at all the attention.

He didn’t know what to do with the cupcake. When he first touched the icing, he made an awful face of disgust. With a little coaxing, he tasted the cake and then dove right in! Needless to say, a bath quickly followed the cake smash.

Joshua’s birthday was certainly the highlight of the month. Here are some other joys:

Jacob loses his first tooth!

We all go to the dentist, and nobody has cavities. Praise the Lord!

We (finally) meet a friend face-to-face after a 2-years e-mail relationship.

We discover a pumpkin patch together!

We get our container packed and shipped to Kenya.

While Aaron attends a conference in Florida, his mom stays with me and the boys. This gives me three free afternoons for much needed mommy-son dates! (I am one blessed momma, and I have the most handsome dates!)

The weather is nice enough for an afternoon plane ride.

Joshua discovers that he can open the kitchen cabinets, climb in, and ‘cook’ with me.

We host four more medical school students for a meal. It’s a blessing to meet so many young men and women who have hearts to serve God wherever He leads.

While it has taken us longer than expected to adjust to American life, finding joy in the day-to-day life here is becoming easier. Friendships are forming. Places are becoming more familiar. Culture shock has worn off. More importantly, I am learning who my new American self is. I’m not the girl I was, and I’m not the girl I thought I’d be. However, I am learning my new limits, expectations, and capacities. Through it all, I’m trying to give myself grace and to lean on God more and more. He is faithful. He is good.

Praises and Prayer Requests:

1. Praise God for ministry opportunities here in the states. We’re starting to feel connected and settled. Pray that we will be open to whatever God has for us in Lynchburg.
2. Praise God for healthy boys! As we make our rounds to various doctor/dentist appointments, I am amazed at the level of healthcare in this country. It is a huge blessing! It is something I no longer take for granted or see as a right. I am so thankful that we can catch up on the last 2 1/2 years of no appointments!
3. Praise God that our container was packed and shipped! Please pray that it will make it across the ocean (by boat) and arrive safely to Nairobi.
4. Praise God that my dad is cancer free! The spot on his lung was no cancer. He is undergoing additional tests, because his new doctors think he might have been wrongly diagnosed. Please pray for my parents in this long period of testing and waiting. It’s stressful. Please pray that a correct diagnosis will be found so that treatment can be effective.
5. Please continue to pray for us as we travel and tell our story. Pray that God would raise up people to support our ministry at Tenwek.

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Stephanie

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