Family Fun in the Mountains

Summer fun at Mt Baldy!

My aunt Sherry

cousin-in-law Nick and little Niko

Morgan and Karis coming down the mountain

Karis enjoying getting her hair wet and flinging back her head!

Niko throwing rocks

Up and down the mountain

Summer Schedule

Not a very exciting post here but I thought you might be interested to know my summer travelings:

June 20
   leave Dar es Salaam

June 21
   arrive Tampa, Florida
   drive to Fort Myers to stay with my sister, Liz and her husband, Rhett
   (help out with a summer arts camp along with my mom and our other two sisters)

July 2
   drive to Bushnell, Florida to stay with parents

July 5
   Barbeque with family!

July 6-8
   travel to Yulee, Florida and Evans, Georiga to visit cousins!

July 9 (today)
   ...remind myself I need to buy a camera so I can take pictures of all these events!!!!
   in Bushnell, Florida
   get-together for supporters and friends

July 14
   fly to Rancho Cucamonga, California

July (....)
   travel to northern California to visit friends (?)

July 26
   return to Bushnell, Florida to finish buying and packing

August 1
   fly to London, England to stay with Debbie, Naomi and Jess (with possible visits to other friends)

August 14
   fly to Dar es Salaam

August 15
   return to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania


... if I'm in your area, give me a call or email! I'd love to reconnect with you!

:)

June

Delicia, me, Naomi: housemates

June is a hard month at HOPAC. Although the end of the school year usually brings joy to teachers and students alike, in a missionary community, it also brings the season of good-byes.

As a teacher, about the third to last week of school, I'm saying "Come on, end-of-the-year." But by the time the last week of school rolls around, I'm saying "What? Already? Can't we have just a little more time together?"

This year is no exception, especially as there are many leaving HOPAC and Dar for good: families who have been the pillars of our community, prayer warriors, HOPAC leaders, small group girls, friends at church, a housemate. (Naomi, below)

It's hard to have so many good-byes at the same time and to be leaving Dar myself for two months, knowing I'll be returning to a somewhat different community. At the same time, I am thankful for so many friends who will still be in Dar, at HOPAC, at church. And as one friend said, "I am ready to open my heart again" to new friends.

I find myself longing for the day when there will be no more good-byes, no more transitions. I am comforted by the knowledge that my citizenship is in Heaven and I entertain the thought that in Heaven, all of my 'groups' will get to meet all of my other 'groups' in one joyful, never-ending, Jesus-hosted reunion.

But still, June is hard.

Smiles

Mary and Felecia

Judah and Mary

Mary and Anen, twins

Mary, Ethan, Felecia

Anna, Lois Graham (we have two Lois Gs), Precious

Jane (after several attempts to catch her smile!)

Ji Myeong

(Mary was around a lot during picture-taking time!)

:)

Pigs & Hens

HOPAC is currently in the middle of both Swine Flu and Chicken Pox outbreaks. Last week grade 2 was closed because almost half the class was out with swine flu and Chicken Pox has worked its way through almost everyone in Grade 3.

This week Grade 1 has their first case of Chicken Pox and their first testing for Swine Flu. I'll keep you posted...

:)

(What is it with these animal diseases?)