The Finishing Touches

I apologize for not posting recently. I wanted to send out one last update from Africa before sending out our final one upon arriving home. Things have been very busy lately with school winding down and meeting with friends that we are so sad to say goodbye to. Christi has been feeling pretty well lately. She had a great appointment with her midwife. She will have here last appointment next Thursday. Everything is going well with the pregnancy. She has still been busy with all of the bookkeeping lately. She is transitioning things over to another gal who will get things going for the school next year, but not necessarily a permanent replacement. Her sister Trina was here recently and we had a great time seeing her before and after her South Africa trip. It was hard to say goodbye not knowing exactly when we will see her again. She is looking forward to seeing family, friends, drinking a Dr. Pepper and eating Taco Bell.

Mili is doing well. She is growing up so fast. She is learning new words all the time. She has been playing in a field by our house with neighborhood kids almost daily. They love her and she loves them. It is hard knowing that she won't remember her time here. We are taking pictures so that she will at least have that. Emanuel, who works for us, said, "Please don't go, because I love you so much- and Mili. You could leave Mili and I will give you my son." We both laughed- not a chance! He has become a good friend and Mili loves him so. She is excited to see her Oma, and Opa (my parents) and Pop and Grandma Soup (Christi's parents). She said Grandma Soup while trying to say Grandma Sue and it sort of stuck. She kisses their pictures each night before bed.

I have one week left of teaching. I am so proud of the progress my students have made this year. It just goes to show you what a long school day, small class size, and dedicated parents can do for a child's academics. My class hosted a snack sale at our school a couple weeks ago. We raised almost $200 dollars for a local orphanage. The families of two of my students have or will be adopting children from this orphanage and will be taking it there to present to the nuns who run it. Next week my class will be having an international food fair to celebrate the 12 nationalities represented in my class of 15. I just found out that I will be teaching first grade at Centennial's Lynch View school next year. I am excited about it. This is actually where I would have been if I hadn't come to Africa this year. I am looking forward to seeing family and friends, catching up with my brother, eating good cheese, and seeing a movie in the theater. We are both looking forward to going back to our home church- Mosaic.

We will be stopping off in the U.K. on our way home. It actually ended up being cheaper for us to do it this way. The school pays for our ticket so they didn't mind either. Neither Christi or I have been so we are excited. We will be staying with a friend of our English housemate. We leave Kigali on June 12. We have a 10 or 11 hour layover in Nairobi. We may try to check out the city if our plane arrives on time. We have some teacher friends who are going to be meeting us at the Nairobi airport and flying on to England with us. We may try to do something together there, but we haven't worked out all the details yet. We then fly home to Portland. We will be arriving on June 16 after 9:00pm.

I can't believe things are coming to a close. We are looking forward to coming home, but at the same time we are sad to leave. We have so loved our time here. We have made so many great friendships and spent a year living in and with another culture. We feel so privileged and blessed to have been able to have this opportunity.

Pleas pray that the school will be able to find replacement teachers for next year. That the year will finish well and that Christi's position will transition well. For our transition home- we know it will be hard, but not in what specific ways. Please pray for Mili with leaving and not understanding exactly what is going on, for the plane ride, and transitioning back into our home. For Christi and the pregnancy and the transition and for me that I will be able to find some small summer work (anyone need their lawn mowed :) ), and the transition. Thank you all for participating with us in this adventure.