six months in

I'm sitting in our homeschool room, typing as the kids work on Math and Science, and part of me still can't believe this is for real. We had a Canadian team pop over for a little campus tour a few weeks back, and a few of the ladies were commenting that they always wanted to serve overseas. It's not lost on us the privilege it is to be here! To be transparent, If I had to choose a word to summarize the last month for myself, it would probably be 'weary'. While we fully understand it is a privilege, it also comes with adjusting, growing, adapting and just plain fatigue. The last month has been full of trying to balance many commitments, but not without experiencing immense fulfillment.

I'll start with the village visits. This has become a highlight of my weeks! Every Tuesday, the teachers go out to the villages to meet with parents and students to discuss matters. It is a mixture of asking questions, explaining changes or procedures, and updating the parents on how the students are doing. I've joined the teachers on these visits, and every time I walk away feeling like I've learned something new. On Fridays, one of the teachers (Nable) and I go out to the villages on more of a social visit. The people we visit don't necessarily have children that go to Living Hope Christian Academy; but rather, our intention is to get to know the community in which we live. The vast majority of the people we visit do not speak English, so having Teacher Nable interpreting is gold! Part of the fun of these visits is just getting there. The footpaths are an absolute maze and are narrow and overgrown because it's rainy season. We take our bikes out and it's amazing how quickly you can cover ground! Just don't ask me to navigate! These visits have taught me so much already, and I look forward to continuing to learn more as we carry on! We often walk away with a bag of maize or vegetables, and I always think it's such a great gesture of generosity!

After 10 exciting weeks, the soccer tournament wrapped up! Living Hope's team made it to the finale, which made the whole thing that much more exciting! Jon invited the local counsellor out to share in watching the final match. If I had to guess, there were probably 300 fans for the closing match, and it was a close game! The music played, the teams worked their hearts out, the fans danced and cheered, and Living Hope solidified the gold! As soon as the game completed and the trophy was being handed out, God opened up the heavens and it just started pouring! It was a nice easy way to clear the crowd, haha! The tournament was a great success, though it is kinda nice to have our Sundays a little less tied down! It may seem like an awful lot of time and attention to pour into sports - but this is a ministry in and of itself! I'll save you the speech on all the pros, but let's just say it was well worth the effort to watch the community gather, respect, encourage & just have fun together!

Zambia celebrates Youth Day, which is stat holiday to acknowledge and celebrate the important role that youth play in society. The kids and I planned out some indoor games that we could have in the chapel with the Living Hope children (the 15 that still live on site). The balloon stomp, Old Testament/New Testament line jump, and Head/Shoulders/Knees/SHOE were all well received. It's fun seeing people's competitive sides really come out (I can relate).

Jon continues to spend many hours a week fine-tuning solar problems and organizing and executing the maintenance side of Living Hope. He has done multiple dinners with post-secondary students to check-in with how classes are going, and how adjustments to life outside of Living Hope are going. One of the graduates of Living Hope had some pretty serious medical concerns, so Jon drove to the capital city (where she is in university) to chat with her doctors and professors and support her through this. She has since been flown to South Africa with our Operations Manager, where she successfully had two surgeries to remove her kidney stones, and we're so grateful that she is doing better!

Zambia is coming to the end of its rainy season. In a few weeks' time it'll be all wrapped up, and there will be not a drop of rain till October/November! It's so much different than British Columbia where there's rarely a month without a least a bit of rain! I love spring in Canada - all the beautiful blossoming trees and flowers, and how neighborhoods reemerge after the winter hibernation. Even the rain....I love the clouds and rain that so often hang in the sky. The change of seasons is coming here, too. June & July bring cold season, and I cannot wait to cozy up with a good hoodie again!

When I look back on the pictures I've taken over the last month, so many are of school work to be sent back to our support teacher in Canada. One of the writing assignments I had the kids do was to write through their thoughts, feelings and the events of finding out about moving, selling our house & belongings, and all the goodbyes. I think it was helpful for them to work through some of the big emotions that they just don't sit in every day. They all ended up in tears during the assignment, but I was so proud to read through their perspectives and takeaways.

"It was really hard for me, but I kept my eyes on God. Matthew 11:28 really helped me and it says, 'Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.' So, I put my burdens on Jesus, and I prayed to God, and He helped me through it."

"For a while I questioned God, and asked why He had to make me go through this all over again. Once was enough! I quickly noticed that it was a good thing, and for the better. God is working something great through us. He is using us to further His kingdom."

"The first few weeks here were an adjustment period; hard but beautiful. The hard part is probably easy to understand. Missing friends and family and all that stuff. When I say beautiful, I mean the friendships that have formed, connections being built and most importantly my relationship with God skyrocketed. I've really felt closer to Him, and it really feels like I'm living my life for Him out here!"

We are so thankful for the growth we've seen our kids embrace, even if it's only been six months! We put together a little update for Pathway Church, filled with videos and some little explanations of what every day looks like for us here, and even reflecting on our first half year makes us realize how much this experience has shaped, pushed and changed us. We'd love it if you would pray for continued energy & strength to take on the work set before us.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Renae

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:7-10. He will hold me fast.