Summer Days

It's been a summer to remember so far and busy enough to keep me from doing much other than spending time with those in front of me. If you are on our newsletter list, you have heard some of it. If you aren’t, be sure to sign up on our blog!

In May we were excited to welcome our daughter, Rikot, and her fiancé, Sadat, for a three week visit and last-minute wedding! I have looked forward for years to my kids getting married, but never did I expect it to be this incredible. It was an absolute joy to get to know Sadat in person and to spend some concentrated time with them as a couple. We are blessed to have him as a part of our family!

Surprisingly, all of my kids from the US were able to take a few weeks off to join us for the wedding. We hiked, played games, ate Liberian food and just enjoyed being together. It was a dream come true for me! Although we were sad to not have all of our friends and family here, it was still such a blessing to be able to celebrate with the new couple. They have since settled back in Uganda and are praying for the Lord's guidance for their next steps. Their hope and desire is to continue working with Rikot's community in Karamoja, Uganda. If you would like to support them financially as they serve in Uganda, you can give via Rikot's venmo (@Rikot-Williams) or email her for more information ([email protected]).

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Since the wedding, we have had an influx of visitors! In mid-June we enjoyed a visit from Kenneth's brother, Tim, his wife, Amy, and daughter, Jaelle, along with three other team members, Jenny, Jamie, and Donna. They spent the majority of their time putting on a discipleship retreat for the teen girls from a local children's home, the Betty Jonah Orphanage (you might remember that we brought books for them earlier this year). It was a joy to pop in and out and watch the way they invested in these young ladies. Selah was invited to take part and has made some lasting friendships due to that week! They were also kind enough to stock us up on chocolate and other delicious snacks along with some fun activities for my kids.  
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One of the best parts for me was watching my kids introduce them to Liberia. We were able to take a day trip up to Mt. Nimba as well as spend some time swimming in the river. Then there were the normal, everyday trips to the market which are nothing close to a normal American shopping experience! Redeemer Baptist Church, our church home here, also put on a concert in their honor, which they also participated in! They were a huge encouragement to us, and we were blessed by the way in which they served. Thank you for coming and blessing the students of Liberia!

The week following the team's visit, my sister, Kerri, brother-in-law, Andrew, and niece, Haven, joined us for a week! Despite not getting their bags for almost their entire trip, we had a blast together, catching up on news from the other side of the globe as well as showing them around Liberia. The cousins had a great time playing together and celebrating Jubal and Benaiah's birthdays. They even spent an afternoon swimming at the beach in the rain and loved every minute. We only wish they could have stayed longer!

As you can imagine, all of this coming and going has been really tough on the kids, particularly Jireh. After a week of screaming, crying, temper tantrums and meltdowns, he was finally able to put his feelings into words today.

"I don't want them to visit me. I want them to stay with us! I miss them."

Cue the tears. Mine, I mean. 

It's tough being three. But honestly, we all feel it. Although having visitors is exciting and fun, it also leaves a hole when they leave and makes us feel our homesickness more acutely. Last week made six months since we left, and it has been as good as it could possibly be! However, we still appreciate your prayers for our hearts as we miss those we love daily. 

Praises:

• Rikot's dual citizenship was approved! She can stay in Uganda as long as she likes and move freely between there and the US.
• Both Selah and Izzy have made new friends and are settling in well in Liberia.
• Kenneth was able to hire a new farm manager, and although he doesn't know a lot about farming, he is teachable and hard working. 
• We have been mostly healthy other than a few quick bouts of malaria.
• All of our visitors have encouraged us so much!

Prayer Requests:

• Kenneth got his class schedule for the fall, and he's teaching two new classes. He's very excited about them, but it does mean creating all new content for a semester course, something that's time consuming.
• Zion starts college in August at Justice College in Phoenix. Ezra will be transferring there as well. Prayers for them as they get settled in. I was originally planning to go help them but have since changed my plans.
• Ezra, Zion and Izzy are heading to New York at the end of July for a mission trip to serve our Nepali friends and their church. Pray for them to raise the funds they need (about $1,500 each) and to serve well. Please consider giving if you feel led! (@Zion-Williams-02 for Zion or @Ezra-Williams-10 for Ezra and Izzy)
• Pray for Kenneth to continue to manage his campus responsibilities well. 

We continue to thank the Lord for the community of friends and family who pray for us and financially support us. We are here due to YOUR faithfulness to support us! 
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We love you all,
Kristi and fam