Culture Stress

It's a lot like what everyone said it would be.

I became extremely homesick and overwhelmed by even the smallest of tasks. I did not want to leave our house. I cried-A LOT. And the tears helped me to heal. I prayed-both for my family & friends back in America and for myself. I needed God's comfort more than any other time in my life.

Missionary friends were my saving grace, as they would listen to me tell stories of home, vent about frustrations of living in a new place, ask questions, and vent some more. They all reassured me that they had been there at one point or another and that it was normal for me to be experiencing those thoughts and feelings.

On top of that, it hit me when I was in the middle of my 1st trimester of my second pregnancy. I was so sick that I could hardly will myself out of bed to care for my 9 month old daughter. It was bad. I was sick, depressed, and so exhausted. I slept many hours on the couch. I can't even tell you what we ate for those 6 weeks, because I didn't cook and we didn't have much to snack on, but somehow we made it through.

Thankfully, I'm coming out of "it". I am feeling happier these days and seem to be able to accomplish tasks on my "to do" list. I feel confident to drive around Fort Portal to do shopping and errands and am slowly getting things done around the house before baby #2 makes his/her entrance!

As far as pregnancy goes, I'm in my 14th week and am feeling MUCH better than before. I have energy and my appetite back. Even so, energy only lasts so long...and it is a very late 10:00 pm. :)

So, I'm off to bed on this Thursday night, feeling good about waking up to the sunlight and finding what tomorrow has to offer.

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

Cooper..the newest addition to our family. He's a 5 month old German Shepherd with enormous ears and big paws. He's a cutie and we are having fun getting to know him.









He's an outside dog and it's our hope that he'll be a good guard dog. He has already warmed up to our day and night guards, but we are hoping that he's not that friendly to everyone.


Anaiah LOVES him so much! She cannot stop smiling & laughing when she sees him--it's hilarious! She shares her love for dogs with her Nana, which makes my mom happy.

Life in Fort Portal

We are enjoying our new life in Fort Portal and are learning new things daily.

Specifically, we have learned:
-not take for granted when we have power and rejoice when the power is on and praise God when we can have a hot shower a few days in a row!
-to appreciate washers and dryers more than ever and are thankful when the internet is up & running (after days & days of working to get it set up)
-that we are amazed when something actually works the first time
-that finding parts to appliances and other household items is nearly impossible here

Aimee Jo has been setting up our home, cooking meals, and taking care of Anaiah. She LOVES being a stay-at-home mom. She's been attending the ladies Bible study on Saturdays, which Cheryl is teaching on the book of Acts. It has been good for her to study and pray with the ladies from church.

Andrew has been busy with accountability meetings, Bible studies, community service, fire fighting training, hospital visits and other ministry opportunities that arise. He is learning about how to minister in this place, which is so different from ministering in America. He is speaking the truth and is always praying for those he is helping.

Anaiah is growing and learning everyday. She brings much joy to us with her smile and slobbery kisses. She makes us laugh and amazes us with her new found abilities. And the most adorable thing is her singing and dancing during praise time at church--it's GREAT! She continues to stay strong & healthy, which we are most thankful for.

We miss our families & friends very much, which is to be expected. We allow ourselves to feel sad, cry, and pray to God for comfort & peace, and then press on.

All in all, things are going well.

God is Good...all the time...all the time...GOD IS GOOD!!

Home Sweet Home

We are pleased to announce that we have found a home in Fort Portal! YAY!!!

We are feeling quite elated and Aimee Jo is having fun picking paint colors for the different rooms, while Andrew is focused on the repairs and other boring, yet important things! :) It is an older home in town, but it is in good condition and in a great location. Two houses down from the Cashes!

It is a lot of house for us, but it gives us growing room, which is nice, and we got it for the same price as some other smaller homes in town. It's a four bedroom, three bath house, which includes the guest room and guest bath. There is a pantry/laundry room, a nice kitchen (good size for a house here), a living room, and a nice wrap around porch. The garage was also converted into a room, and we are planning to use that as a school room in the future. There are also outside rooms that we envision as office space for the church. So, the house is more than just a home.

We are excited to have our own place and establish family life as a group of three. We've not had our own home since May of 2006, so it will feel very weird at first, but I'm sure that we'll adjust quickly.

Well, enough about that...here's the good stuff:

Front of the house

Driveway and patio above the school room

The living room

One of the bedrooms

Our little dining room

Our little kitchen

View of the yard

Anaiah Likes it :)

Our family and the mission have been blessed.

Thanks for praying!!! God is good.

Well on Our Way

The tickets are purchased and the final details are coming together...
We leave for Uganda in 3 weeks!!!

Although Andrew and I have gone through some time of being stressed out for our big move, we are getting excited and are really trying to stay focused on the reason that we are going: to share the gospel message with the people of Uganda.

I have to admit that it has been hard to not lose sight of that reason through the nitty-gritty of everyday life and the preparations to move, but the Lord reminds us, just when we think we will lose our minds.

We have been trying to get together with friends and family as much as possible, and it has been wonderful to have so many people love on Anaiah.

We are staying busy and doing well. Anaiah is growing big and strong. We love being a family of three and are excited to begin our ministry as a family in Fort Portal, Uganda.

Look out, Uganda...here we come!!!

Family Photo

Here we are as a family of 3!! We are doing well. Anaiah is such a great baby (and super cute too!) We love her so much and thank God for giving her to us.

We just got her passport photo taken last week, and it is precious. Her eyes are closed though, and the passport people would like her eyes to be open, so we'll try again very soon.

We also purchased our plane tickets last week and received them in the mail today!! We leave December 10th out of Seattle and fly straight to London, stay in London for a few hours, and then fly out to Entebbe, Uganda. It will interesting to see how Anaiah does, but we'll make it regardless. We are very excited about our move and realize that it is quickly approaching.

Thanks for all of you who have been covering us in prayer. We know that God is taking care of us every step of the way!!

Weekend with the Evans Family

This past weekend we had a wonderful time with our family at the beach. Aimee's parents were able to make the trip from Idaho along with her brother Andrew (and wife Hayley) and sister Amanda. It was great to be able to spend some quality time with them as we don't often get the opportunity to be with them.

We stayed in a nice little hotel on the beach in Seaside. We also went to Canon Beach to see Haystack Rock and explore the many shops and art galleries that line the streets. Aimee's parents wouldn't let us pay for anything and we ate well.

Our Anniversary was on Sunday, August 5th. We've now been married for seven years. Its hard to believe that it has been seven years already. The time just flies by when your having fun I guess :)

We have been blessed to have such wonderful and supportive families. As we get ready to have our first child and prepare to move to Uganda, it is such a blessing to know that we have parents and siblings (on both sides) that love us so much. We have so much to be thankful for and we know it.

After the baby arrives in a few weeks, we will spend some time visiting friends and family. There is no substitute for good quality time spent with loved ones to sooth the soul. As we get closer to leaving, we cherish every opportunity to make more wonderful memories with our family & friends.