Who would have thought...

One year ago we boarded a plane for our new home in the Horn of Africa.  No doubt life here is quite different from life in the suburbs of Lake County, Illinois.  We have learned much, experienced much and grown much in our knowledge of our Heavenly Father.

Here are some thoughts/impressions.  Some of these we wrote during our first week living here.

(This is in no particular order of importance.)

Who would have thought...?

• the people are soooo beautiful.
• the roads have so many potholes.
• how crowded the city is with people, donkeys, goats, cars, trucks.
• that we would get use to breathing and walking at 7700 feet altitude.
• we can only brush our teeth with filtered/bottled water.
• we need to wash our vegetables and fruits in bleach before eating.
• we hang our clothes to dry out on a line and don't have a dryer.
• we live without a t.v., microwave and hair appliances.
• we wake each morning hearing the mosque and the orthodox call to prayer.
• how amazing the coffee is and how cheap.
• Keri has yet to drive a vehicle.
• that a minibus could fit 24 people (can't be afraid to be close to a stranger).
• you need to watch your step when walking to avoid poop from animals and humans.
• you would see fresh goat/sheep skins, a leg or heads laying on the ground.
• the sight of a man going to the bathroom on the side of the road is quite normal.
• we would have a guard to protect us.
• we would cook mostly from scratch.
• Keri would wear a head covering and skirt.
• the kids would read by candlelight.
• we would lose electricity for days at a time.
• we would survive without water for a couple of days.
• we would look forward to care packages with velveeta cheese and brown gravy mixes.
• we would live without a/c or a heater.
• we would enjoy avg.  temp highs of 73 and lows of 50 about 9 months out of the year.
• a snow jacket was needed to keep us warm during rainy season. 
• we would learn to speak a language other than English.
• the lostness and misplaced hope of people could hurt our hearts so much.

HE did!  And HE has allowed us to see HIM in everything we do and say.  We see HIS people, we see HIS beautiful creation.  We are so thankful that HE loves the world and desires for all to know HIM.