Two Years

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It is almost 6 and we are finished with supper, except for Jori who is still scooping up the last bits of her taco salad. Tyson is playing the Wii, Darin is leaving a What’s App message for his dad and I’m sitting at the computer, looking out at the rain falling to the ground and a rainbow in the sky. Our night could be your night, only if I sit here long enough, I might see a giraffe walk past, which probably isn’t going to be happening for most of you J

Monday marked 2 years since we moved to Tshepo ya Bana. These have been some of the most difficult, tiring, and stressful years of our lives, but also some of the most joyful, blessed, fulfilling and redeemed years as well. Redeemed might seem like a strange word to use, but after our first 18 months in South Africa, the business struggles, stress on our family and depression that was getting deeper and deeper, our time here at Tshepo ya Bana has been redemptive in so many ways. We can look back and see how God used people and events, both positive and negative, to bring us to this place, to allow us to be available for a time when we were needed, to have people in place who knew our hearts and were able to pray for us in personal ways.

These years have been hard. Trying to balance the needs of our children, getting a new business off of the ground, learning how to work in a South African context, living and interacting with hurting and vulnerable children, seeing how broken and corrupt the world can be has been draining, but in these difficult areas we have also experienced growth and Grace and have seen our faith increase.

We were so glad to travel to the states to see our friends and family this summer, but we missed our home here in South Africa and coming back wasn’t the terrible thing I thought it might be. I was worried that we would realize that we didn’t actually belong here, afraid we would miss life in the United States and our loved ones there too much to remain in South Africa, and maybe even a little nervous that we’d come back and find out we hadn’t been missed and weren’t needed. Instead of having these worries and fears realized, our return reassured us that THIS is where God has planted us and our lives here have taken root.


We are so glad we’ve been able to share this adventure with so many of you and will continue sharing the journey as long as we are called to be here.

Comments

pjvs said…
Good on all of you for persevering. May God open many new doors and windows for you in this coming year
November 5, 2014 at 2:49 PM
Anonymous said…
yeah for me.. just checked in and saw you had just posted... and so we go... ready for bed.. checks in the bank and then out the door tonight to pay the bills... we know the cost of water here as we are still paying for our 7000$ pump.. thank you Lord for seeing us here on earth!! and thank you for sending Jonna and Darin to a hurting group of people 2 years ago.. love love love you.. kristi is sick.. needs mom and dad home to help. Cam has football play offs friday and Kels soccer play offs saturday... it has been fun.. just keep swimming.. love you
November 5, 2014 at 9:42 PM
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