After being gone for a year and a half, 7 weeks in the states almost didn't feel like enough time to see everyone but God worked it out perfectly. I even got to celebrate the 4th of July in my own country for the 1st time in 3 years!! I know that may not mean much for those of you not from America but it was a blast! I also had the honour of being back for 3 weddings of people that are very important to me! Two of my sisters and one really good friend. I was so thrilled to be able to be there and witness them starting a new stage in their lives. I can't believe my baby sisters are married! ;) As if that didn't make me feel old enough I got to see all my nephews and nieces and they are growing up SO fast! I know, I know, they all do..haha. I also got to meet my youngest niece for the first time and she actually likes me. That may sound funny to say but wouldn't you agree that there is always that hidden fear that maybe the baby won't like me even though I'm their aunt. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one with that fear. :)
So, that coupled with seeing friends that I haven't seen in years made it a very memorable trip. There isn't room here for all the stories but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and had lots of laughs. Besides the fun times, I was also able to share with many people about what I have been doing and what my upcoming plans are. Thank you to all of you who were interested and helped me out in my passion to work in Africa. It means so much to me. Needless to say that seeing and spending time with everyone almost made it hard to leave as is always the case when I leave my home town. It even felt a little strange to touch down in Cape Town. My time felt like a blur and probably was because we were so busy with weddings and catching up that I didn't have a lot of time to savour the moments. But I didn't have a lot of time to think about that either. I came back on a Saturday and went straight to a youth camp on Monday to help out. Besides the jet lag it was an awesome time! I got to help with the teenage girls which I absolutely love! True, they can be the hardest ones sometimes but they are the ones my heart connects with the most. So, as I got to work with them and also going back into Red Hill and seeing my girls it reminded me of why I love doing what I am doing. It did feel at times that I was working so hard and the girls didn't really care. But when I came back their reactions told me different. I was greeted by screams, big hugs and exclamations about how much they missed me and how bored they were without me. I had such a good laugh with them. It was a good reminder and encouragement that even though it is so hard for me at times to leave behind my family, it is so worth it when I look at these girls, see the change in their lives and think about the ones I have yet to meet. Who knows where God wants to send me next but no matter where I go as long as I am working with the young women I am happy.
As I settle back in I am getting very excited about my next journey coming up! I am going on a 3 month trip up through Eastern Africa. We are visiting long term teams and exploring areas that have not been reached yet, in hopes of maybe sending teams on a long term basis to work there. I will post more on this trip soon. We still have room for two more people if anyone is interested. ;) Please be keeping us in your thoughts and prayers though. We still need money to come in to finish paying for our trip and we are praying hard for protection and health as we travel. So if any of you feel led to help me and my team out on this trip you can use the link to send money and/or just follow my blog as we travel and catch up on all the adventures that I am sure are waiting for us.
