First let me say hello to you all!! These past two weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions!! We have had our share of highs and lows!! These past couple of weeks seemed to have more lows than highs but we are managing!! One of the highs was definitely celebrating Gretchen's birthday!! She is an amazing little girl who just lights up our days and nights!! We had a great time celebrating with our new family here at Mbingo!! A low was we definitely missed celebrating with friends and family back home!! This past week was the hardest week for me since we have been here!! Very homesick and very emotional!! Also would like to say Thank you for all the prayers for Marlis's daughter Ashley! For those who don't know Ashley was admitted to Mbingo hospital last Thursday the 14th. She ingested a chemical used in making their laundry soap! I am very happy to say that she was sent home today and she is going to be fine! She had a few sores in her mouth and throat but there is no other damage!! God is good!!!
The Birthday Girl!!!
She got 4 different colors of play dough from Isaac and Cathen! I'm not sure who is more excited to play with it me or Gretchen!!!
Gretchen on her new ride!! She got a bike and a shopping cart!!
Blowing out her candles! (Note to self it might have been nice to throw in a few boxes of birthday candles seeing as we are having 4 out of 6 of our birthdays over here!!) But we do want to say a big Thank you to Christy Lee who gave the kids party hats and the party blowers!!! She also made homemade Strawberry ice cream and my favorite Mint Cookie Chip ice cream!!
Another pic of the kids playing!! They are so cute!! Isaac and Cathen come over to play at our house a couple times each week. Lindsay and Angela take turns bringing them over! This has become a highlight for the kids!! And me too! We really enjoy spending time together and getting to know them!!
The FOOD! It wouldn't be a blog post from me with out a food picture!!
We had a wonderful party! Good food but more importantly a good time with friends!! Elliott had fun playing basketball and ping pong with JR and Chuck. They are Cathen's dad and Isaac's dad! He later said it was just like having his Uncle John here playing games with him!!! Megan being the social butterfly that she is sat and talked with all the ladies! She also played with the little ones too!! She is such a good big sister!!!
Elliott found another bug!! EWWW!!
This bug was about 4 to 5 inches long and really fast!! Randy said it ran in the house when our door was open and he had to chase it back outside! Maybe a centipede?
On to more pleasant things!
Tortilla chips! Here we are making our tortilla chips.
We have good food here but we haven't had a food that tasted just like home! Until now!!!
Grandma's pickled eggs!! They are so good and they actually taste just like Grandma Pepple's!!!! I think Jen and I did pretty good! I actually got emotional eating them!! I told my mom eating them made me homesick! Remembering all the family holidays!!! But I am going to keep right on making them!!! Not everyone shares our love for Grandma's pickled eggs!! We had Megan's friend Livette over for lunch and I offered her one! She took it and tried it. She was trying to be polite but you could tell she did not like it!! She ate the yolk out of it but left the rest!
Had to show everyone our giant pineapple!! Papa, Mama, and Baby Pineapple! This is one thing I don't get tired of! Love the pineapple!
African Lebanon Bologna!!
Actually it is salami but tastes similar to LB!! You have to get past the fact that is bright pink!!!
We found Strawberries!!!!! Our first strawberries since we left home!
We thought this was funny!! Jen said I didn't know Bruce Springsteen made mayonnaise!!! HA! HA! It is the little things that make us laugh!!!
Prayer Requests
Prayers for us as we start the process to have our Visas extended for the last three months. Pray that whatever happens it is Gods plan for us. Continue to pray for Thad Ferry and family! Also please pray for Brandi's Pap and Gram Batzel. Jr broke his arm and Jo already had a broken leg from earlier this winter!!
Prayers for Jen as she deals with things at the hospital that one can not even begin to imagine!! Pray for the patients she sees daily who have no chance of surviving! Pray that they will come to know the Lord and find comfort in him! Prayers for all the doctors here at Mbingo and all the patients they see. Praise the Lord for those who worked on Ashley and helped her to get better!! (Including Jen) There is a lot of heartache and death here at the hospital but there is also good! I also hear about the joys and miracles of the patients getting better! I know that it is hard on my sister to not be able to help or save everyone! She has such a big heart and I know that it is hurting right now but God will comfort and lead her during this time!!
My last thought is just a praise! Praise the Lord for our new family here at Mbingo! We have been truly blessed with a great group of people who support each other and make being away from home a little bit easier!!
