whirlwind recap

November is officially at a close, and it has been an absolute whirlwind. It's been just over 2 months since we left Canada! What a learning curve it's been! There have been days where we feel alive & energized, and days where we feel lonely & longing for the familiar, but through it all God is holding us close.

An exciting outing was when we went with Karl & Kailey & their kids (serving @ Seeds of Hope Children's Ministry) and drove 2.5 hours to a sunken lake. Jon looooves water, and in a land-locked country, bodies of water are hard to come by. The drive to Lake Kashiba was beautiful, from huge banana plantations, bags of charcoal lining the road, to little huts & villages.

The lake was a little evasive, but we found it, and it blew our socks off with it's beauty! There is no beach or real easy access to the water, but the lake was crystal clear, and we had it all to ourselves!

The kids were timid to jump off the cliffs at the start. They quickly gained confidence and were jumping off the high cliffs for hours straight! It was fun to watch while basking in the sunshine or floating in the water!

The next day, the leadership team arrived from the USA! It was lovely to meet 3 out of 4 of them for the first time (we've met via Zoom, but not in person!). The week was filled with lovely chats, meetings, planning, dancing, a bonfire and more! One of the board members' wives is a dance instructor back in America, and she led worship dance classes with both the little students that come to Living Hope Christian Academy (grades K-2), and also the Living Hope children that live on site (20 children total). Our kids were able to help with setting up and taking part in the dancing, and it was just so fun to sit back and watch it all unfold. My favorite part was listening to a song that my dad used to play when I was 5 years old when I rode in the semi with him. Hearing the song being played on the opposite side of the world and watching a whole group of little African children dancing to it, was just the best collision of worlds!

For privacy purposes I can't show their faces - but trust me - they would fill you with joy!

We first met Kathy Flowers when we lived in Zambia in 2021/2022! She is still heavily involved in the operations of Living Hope Christian Academy. What a gift to be able to continue to get to spend time with her - and this time it's within the same organization! Kathy has a beautiful and inspiring reliance on God to carry her through whatever life brings!

Their week stay was done in no time! Shortly after, we had the windows in our house replaced with windows that have screens (praise the Lord!). We had expected that one window would be taken out, and a new one put in it's place right away. The joke is on us for expecting it to be that simple! Ha! Instead the windows were removed, and there was grinding and plastering involved. The whole house was covered in dust, and we taped plastic over the windows through the night so the mosquitos and flies wouldn't invade. I don't say all that to complain - I really don't! We are beyond grateful for windows that we can have open without all sorts of bugs flying in and ones that completely close and lock. It was just a big process to have it done. After that busy week, we decided to take off to the capital city for a few nights to recharge.

The school year in Zambia begins in January and closes in December. This Friday is the final day of school for both the students that come to Living Hope Academy, and the children that live on site and go to school down the road. December is holidays, and this mean the children that live here at Living Hope have the opportunity to go home to relatives or family friends while school is out. There are staff here working hard to line all requirements up with Social Welfare & the families so that the children can spend a few weeks within their villages. This is so essential to their reintegration to these communities after they graduate grade 12! Please pray that we will be able to line all this up for our children, and that they can have a safe & enjoyable time away.

For the 75 students that come to Living Hope Christian Academy, they will also have a month break from school. Living Hope sent out a 'student spotlight' email that tells the story of one of the students here. "Rachel is one of our Grade 2 students. Her family could not afford to pay government or private school fees, and so when LHCA opened in January, it opened up the opportunity for her to attend school for the first time. Her mother is the sole provider for her family, and life is very challenging for them. Rachel is almost entirely reliant on the two meals each day that she receives at school." Students like Rachel will definitely notice the break from having two meals here, and we ask that you pray for their wellbeing during the holidays.

While Christmas time is usually a time where things get busy - presents need to be purchased, get togethers start booking up every weekend, and church celebrations need organizing - we are experiencing the opposite here. Our kids love hanging out with the children on site here, and it's about to feel really empty & quiet. The other day, we were at the playing field, and I wish I could bottle up what I was witnessing. Austin was playing goalie as five boys were taking shots on him. Ivy was whizzing around the basketball court on a skateboard, while racing and laughing with a teenage boy (who is just so lovely!). Zara was inspecting a toy car a boy had stitched together using cardboard and bottle caps (so creative!). London was carrying around a staff members' one year old daughter and playing with her. Home. This is home.

Watching the kids made me stop & realize how smoothly the adjustment has gone. We have confidence that this is where God has put us...at this place, at this time and for His purpose. Although it has been relatively smooth, there are undoubtedly the hard times where we feel the distance, too. Last night we set up a Christmas tree, and already it had one of our kids in tears just thinking about what we will not be able to participate in this year with family & friends. That being said, we are excited to focus on the heart of Christmas - & focus not on what we don't have - but the abundance of what we do. Please keep us in your prayers during these holidays!

As always, thank you.

Love, Renae