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Tomorrow we leave Uganda for the first time in three years.

I looked through my pictures for something with our house or yard, but almost every recent one is from Kampala of all places. Shows how much time we've spent at home lately. 

It's been a full and sometimes crazy last few months. We've been back and forth and back and forth again to Kampala, trying to finish paperwork, get passports and apply for visas. My emotions have ranged from bored (from waiting) to anxious to busy to exhausted (is that an emotion?) to excited to sad. Everything is bittersweet. I keep reminding my children that we are coming back, this is just a visit, but it's still hard to leave. My journal entry sums up the pull Africa has on a person,
"I feel like a milk bush that has been uprooted and stuffed down deep into the soil of Africa. Nothing to hold me but somehow I grow until I am firmly rooted, tied to this land and thriving."


This place gets in your blood.

I asked Zion the other day if he thought he would move back to America someday.

"No, Mama, Karamoja is my home!" with firm conviction in his voice.

"Well, do you think you will marry a Karimojong girl then and stay here forever?" I ask him, very amused.

"No, I'm going to marry a Chinese girl! They are the prettiest," he says with a big smile, "and then we'll move back to Karamoja!"

Well, I'm glad to know he has a plan :)

Despite our reluctance to leave our home here, we are VERY excited to be coming for a visit and hope to see many of you, our friends and family. We will also be sharing about what God is doing in Karamoja at churches around the country. If you are interested in hearing our stories or meeting up with us send us an email at [email protected].  Thank you for praying for us over the last few months. God has been faithful to answer ALL of our prayers in bigger ways than we ever thought possible.

We are so blessed.

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