WE DID IT ! day by day....

We've managed to reach some major milestones ! I can't even begin to tell you how monumental this is for my MIND. It helps looking back - only for a moment.
Last year at this time the IDEA of our family returning to Malawi was already in the works. A year ago, however, I knew it would take TIME for all of the details to sort out and in the Lord's Hands we let it be because A YEAR AGO we dropped off our children for their second year in a row of school at St. Marks in Watertown, WI. A lovely two block walk up the road from our newly rented house. It was the first year for Anna to go to school at all ( which sent me crying in the girls bathroom stall as I released my baby into a new phase of life). And a year ago, we were still the owners of a very small health food store on Main Street. I remember walking I stopped off at Latte Donatte for a coffee as a treat to myself and then back to our little shop to man the cash register.
Over the course of a year our lives changed....and changed some more. Another year of blessings and challenges as is true of everyone ! And THEN we knew we were definitely Malawi bound. So while life went about its busy and exciting way -- so many thoughts continued to swirl around in my mind. What to pack - when will we go - where will we live - new school for the kids (again!) - how will it be....WAIT ! maybe I don't want to go....I like our life here.....but it will be okay and the Lord is directing us......swirling and swirling thoughts.....waiting and waiting. And I realized that I needed to find a way to live with all this swirling around. So through prayer I decided it was enough to take it DAY by DAY - hour by hour.....even minute by minute at times ! And so our lives continued. And I focused on each day at a time and we ENJOYED each day at a time. And suddenly it was time to leave the life we were living and move on ! THAT DAY came.....and went.





When we left Germany two years ago we had no idea when we might see our newfound friends and church family again. But the Lord knows and here we were - a NEW day - visiting so many loved ones in Germany and enjoying the sights and delights that this country offers.






Now our days seemed to really be moving and the swirling thoughts of Malawi were growing closer! And then THAT day came.....we arrived - or returned. We were here. WOW!


Still - there were some goals before us. Start connecting and creating opportunities for volunteers! Day by day we talked and visited and connected and now we are waiting for 3 opportunities to be filled - the DAY will come to welcome the eager volunteers - coming soon !


More goals - Remembering our promise to Anna that HER birthday would be celebrated in our new home in Blantyre. So we set off to find a house and moved in just 4 days before Anna's special day. we did it !





And then a few days left before that first DAY of the new school. Before that a promise fulfilled to see some African animals - after all we did tell the kids they WOULD see giraffe's and zebras if we did move to Africa.











And then the DAY arrived. Our alarms woke us up at 5:30 am - roosters crowing outside our windows. The kids all timidly put on their stiff uniforms and posed for first day pics. We talk about our friends in the USA preparing for their first day of school at St. Marks and how at that time they were still fast asleep. We remembered the very short walk we had to school last year and how now we have to drive 20 minutes through busy traffic. And then We arrived. A few tears were shed out of nervousness - Mom held hers back as we squeezed them one more time and released them into this NEW LIFE. A NEW DAY..... All that looking back......so often I wondered about this day and how it would be. Here we are.


At times, I don't feel in control of my life and the days keep coming and going and coming again and I remember no matter what comes,

"BE STILL and KNOW THAT I AM GOD" Psalm 46:10

This is an awesome school with a sound curriculum which will be a blessing to our children. We will supplement Christlight at home and have discussed how with our kids the great variety of people in the world as they get used to being in the high minority of children with European descent! I am on high alert as I see their reactions when we pass by mothers bringing their children to this same school with full Muslim dress and only a small slit open for their eyes and we told them " Even though you can't see that Mom's face she might be smiling underneath and so if you look at her you can smile at her too". She's a Mommy too !

And I remain thankful for the amazing experiences our God has placed before me and my family. This is the day that the Lord has made, TODAY I will be STILL and rejoice in it !

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Location:Blantyre, Malawi, Africa