Dear Amazing Team,
Wow. We know so many of you have been praying, not only because we were flooded with messages of encouragement and assurance of prayers, but also we sensed them every step of the journey in our move to Makeni, Sierra Leone.
- The sale of our car in MN was smooth and convenient. Gotta love craigslist.
- Elijah slept on every leg of the journey (car, plane, plane, plane, boat) and has adjusted beautifully, considering all the changes.
- We had very gracious ticketing agents and flight attendents with no extra fees along the way. It could have been hundreds of dollars.
- Our welcome to the capital, Freetown, was very warm and eased by our Sierra Leonean partners and LBT supervisor.
- More was accomplished in Freetown than expected, enabling us to move to our home in Makeni on Day 8.
- We've had many helping hands and new friends to help us set up the basics of our home - including water filtration, running water, screens to keep mosquitoes out, stove and fridge, beds, etc.
- ALL our luggage and barrels made it safely to our home. Many contents from one barrel were quite moldy, but thankfully it was the barrel we would have picked if one had to be moldy. :)
- Ruthie was sick (stomach issues, weak, and fainty) for a day... it took an injured ankle, thankfully not broken, and a trip to the hospital to discover we're expecting!!!
- Elijah LOVES our new "home home home." He's been playing a lot in the back, hugging neighborhood kids through the front porch bars, and calling himself "Obotu" ('whiteman') because that's what he's been named by all the kids. *eyeroll*
I know many of you praying aren't sure what to pray about (it's okay, neither are we), Be assured, your prayers are an enormous support, and we consider the above answers to prayers.
Please continue to pray with us during these initial days, especially as we begin formal language learning, which will be our primary task over the next several months.
Lovin' it,
Josh, Ruthie, Elijah, and baby on the way!
