I'm back...

So I'm safely back in Mozambique. For the record our internet is so slow I can watch an entire tv episode while I wait for pages to load while I check/respond to e-mail. Are you kidding me??? Absolutely ridiculous!
Anyway, that's just life for us at the moment. Back to the fact that I'm back safely. I flew on some of the bumpiest flights of my entire life (3 actually...each one getting worse). I sat next to a girl who had never flown before who grabbed my arm as we took off...but she did great!!! And gave me quite the entertainment on my first flight (Charlotte to JFK). Flight number 2 it was good I was buckled in safe and sound while I slept because the "turbulence" almost knocked me out of my seat...I think you should call it a roller coaster not just turbulence when you REALLY need a seat belt! Then after 5 hours in the Joburg airport it was flight number 3...just as bumpy as the others. Laura was amazing and picked me up despite being sick and even brought me to the grocery store before we came back. Erin and some of the other girls cooked me dinner...some amazing curry...and I caught them up on all the adventures of my time at home!
But, honestly it seems like EVERYTHING is different here...1 month makes a big difference. We have a new baby. His name is Alberto, and he is 5 months old. SO STINKIN' CUTE! He has the biggest belly and loves to laugh! I'll write more about him soon and upload pictures if my CRAZY internet allows! Also, the babies are BIG. It's crazy the difference a month can make in baby size. All the toddlers moved up rooms in the Baby House (they are in rooms by age). I walked in and couldn't believe my eyes! They look so grown up! Also, a bunch of missionaries who have been gone for a long time (meaning I hadn't met them just heard of them) got back this weekend too. And another new missionary arrived soon after I left. Her name is Emily, she's from Australia, and seems super sweet! Other missionaries are moving houses...including me! I'll be moving in the next few weeks because a couple is coming around the 20th of March and will be moving into my house. Many many many changes...nothing seems the same!
Ok...well that's all for me. Tomorrow I'm back to work. Our clinic nurse leaves for Brazil tomorrow afternoon...so it's all me! We shall see how this all goes. And it's official...Erin will be leaving us the end of May. :( I'm not happy she's leaving but am very excited to see what God has in store for her. Point being...there's A LOT of work to be done and not very many people to get it done. It should be an interesting few months...stay tuned for many many many stories of LONG days, HOT days, and FUNNY kids...I do live on a playground (to quote Laura!)!!!

Updates Updates Updates

So today I've spent some time trying to get things updated. I have added the movie of photos and facts about Mozambique and what I've been doing. I hope it gives you a glimpse into my life. I have shared it with many groups here in the US and it seems to help people grasp where I am and what I'm doing.
Also, I have linked my new video page on the right. It has a few other videos I have taken in my time in Moz. I hope you enjoy them.
Last, I just spent some time updating my pictures on my photo page. I'm so sorry I have not been able to keep that up to date, but the page won't seem to allow me to upload pictures anymore in Moz. I'll definitely try again when I return, but for now most things have been updated!

Have fun looking through everything and experiencing my African life through pictures and videos! And be sending up your prayers as I fly back Thursday morning!

Wedding Bells!

So...when I planned my trip home for the month of February it was just to see family and friends and share my ministry with all those who support me. But, I sat down in my parent's car at the airport after 26 hours of travel and they said..."We have news. Your brother is getting married Feb. 13th." My brother's birthday is the 13th and it was a day I would be home...so we all pitched in to plan a wedding in 12 days. Him and his fiance have been engaged since November and had decided on May but were swayed by my return and a trip my parents had planned. So my trip was for much more. It was to stand as a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding and get to hug him and tell him I love him in person on his special day! Here's a few pictures:

It's Snowing!

Yep...that's right! It's snowing in South Carolina! I was in Charleston this morning, and we kept getting calls from nervous mothers (not my own because she grew up outside of Chicago so snow is no big deal) who wanted us to get fire wood, buy jugs of water, make sure we had nonperishable foods. These are all things native South Carolinians think you need when snow is forecasted...although if you have lived here long enough you should know that 9 times out of 10 there will not even be rain and certainly no white stuff falling from the sky. Needless to say we were not worried. I left Charleston about 3:30 and it was drizzling. Within 30 minutes the drizzle had turned to sleet. 30 minutes after that it was SNOW...snow in South Carolina...yes it happened!!! So here's some pictures around my house tonight and one from my drive back from Charleston...it's 9:30 at the moment and it's still snowing!!! Such a blessing (and we are going sledding in the morning so watch out for those pictures as well...we have to wait until morning because I don't think my little African body can deal with cold snow with no sunshine!)!!!!
YAY...snow! I feel like a little kid again when it snows!!! The only issue at the moment is that my brother's wedding is tomorrow...please be praying for safe travel for everyone!

Superbowl Sunday...

So I'm sitting at my parent's house in Aiken, SC watching the Superbowl with my dad. (Ok, I'll admit I'm really just watching for the commercials...college football is my thing not pro.) I just put on my pj's and am wrapped up in the blanket because I've been cold since I arrived in the US almost a week ago. Honestly the first night I was here I had on flannel pj pants, 2 pairs of socks, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweatshirt under a throw blanket on the couch and was literally SHAKING!!!! Mom thinks I was over-tired...I think really it's just that 110 degrees to 35 was a bit much for my little body!
Ok enough on the fact that I'm cold. I thought this would be a great moment to tell you about the things I've realized are normal for Americans that hit me as I re-entered this culture...
~EVERYONE has a cell phone with internet/e-mail (I had not been in the airport in Dulles 2 minutes and everyone around me was on their blackberry or i-phone...I just laughed to myself and thought most days in Moz it takes me 5 tries to text someone and that's a good day.)
~Stating your opinion openly is excepted. (Americans are VERY opinionated in other words)
~Cars stay on the right side of the road. (This one was tough for me. I haven't driven in 5 1/2 months and as I got in the car the first time I kept telling myself...stay on the right...stay on the right. Well I drove to the end of our road on the left until I stopped and wondered where the stop sign was...on the right where I should be! OOPS!)
~People are on time, or at least try to be.
~EVERYONE is busy...always! (I'm not saying I'm not busy in Moz most of the time, but here everyone is running from one thing to another all the time.)
~Future thinking is normal; planning is expected. (The most frequent question I have been asked is what is next for you. I don't have an answer, but it's made me realize how normal it is to plan out your life year by year, as well as moment by moment.)
~Worrying about the way you look is a way of life. (Every morning I've been here, I've wanted to laugh at myself as I shower, dry and fix my hair, put on make-up, and pick out some clothes. In Moz I shower, throw my hair in the ponytail, put on whatever clothes are on top of my stack, and head off to work.)
I'm sure there are many other things that have hit me or taken me off guard in the past week, but these are what I can think of now. The part that amazes me is the bubble that American's live in...they just have such a hard time stepping out of this materialistic, goal centered world they live in to see how much of the rest of the globe lives. It's something I expected and was prepared for...as much as you can be prepared that those you love can't really grasp the last 5 months of your life.
All of that to say...I'm blessed to be home; I'm loving seeing family and friends; I can't wait to see the impact God makes in people here through the stories I have to share; but I definitely miss all the staff and little ones in Moz!