Seeing Friends

Visiting with our Canadian Baptist Ministries

team mates Bruno and Kathleen Soucey

We continue to push through the jetlag this week as we get our internal clocks back on Africa time. Tristan and Emma return to school tomorrow morning and we pray that everything goes well. We are so glad that we were able to return a week before they had to start (Even Ava -- our little alarm clock -- is having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning).

As we settle in and get online with ministries, it has been wonderful to be able to reconnect with friends and colleagues. On Monday evening, we had the joy of hosting Diane and Caleb Bannister on their way through the city. We will have a chance to drive out towards their home next week as we travel with a short term mission visiting Guardians of Hope projects with the Africa Brotherhood Church. The Bannisters continue to facilitate STMs in Kenya as well as supporting various development initiatives through The Sharing Way.

Earlier this evening, we were blessed to share some time with our friends Bruno and Kathleen before they caught their flight back to Kigali, Rwanda, where they serve in leadership in The Sharing Way programs with the AEBR. The Soucey's have been in Kenya over the past week with the Canadian Food Grains Bank training for our church partners here. We thank God not only for the ministry that they are leading in Rwanda, but for the encouragement and wisdom that they have shared with us and our partners in Kenya.

We haven't seen all of our CBM Kenya team mates yet, but we have had a great meeting with our new Africa team leader Colin and Karen Godwin. Please remember the Godwins in prayer as they seek long term housing here in Nairobi and for their children as they settle into school at Rosslyn Academy this week.

Ava and Emma having a sleep over

with Emma's friend Diana

Neema

Tristan and Ava saying good-bye to baby Neema

Our good friends Mel and Kerry have cared for orphans from the Nest Children's Home over the past several years. It was with mixed feelings that we joined them today to say farewell to baby Neema who is being adopted by a family from Germany.

One last good-bye hug!

A Week in Pictures

Tearful Good-byes

Emma and her best friend Lauren parting ways

One week ago today, we left New Brunswick to begin our journey back to Kenya. As we settle into Kenyan time and our routines here, we want to share a few snap shots from our final week in Canada. Again, we want to share a huge THANKS to everyone who has helped us along during our home assignment.

Ava playing piano with Don & Joy's grandson, Quinn.

While Erica and I took in meetings with our CBM colleagues in Mississauga (and did some last minute Christmas shopping), we were blessed to have the Hepburns care for our children as they enjoyed parks and a fun time together.

Saying good-bye to our friends

Don & Joy Hepburn in Toronto

Our girls pretending to sleep

at the Heathrow Airport, London

Despite our best efforts, we didn't get much sleep during the 18 hour journey from Toronto to Nairobi. Since getting back, we've continued to struggle with jetlag, but each morning seems to get a little better. We pray that the kids are back on an African clock by Thursday when they return to school.

On the tarmac at the Saint John Regional Airport, New Brunswick

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!!!

Safe and Sound in Kenya

We arrived safe and sound with all our luggage on Thursday evening. We had a wonderful reunion with our friends Judy & Carol and our very excited dogs (Both Henry & Reese have grown!!). Our friends Mel & Kerry had chicken soup and goodies waiting for us in our home. We were all very jet lagged and stayed up until 1 am unpacking bags and getting settled in.


It is great to be back! Kenyans seem very at peace with this weeks referendum and remarkably no major unrest has been reported with the major changes to the constitution. We've been out and about the past two days running small errands and gathering school supplies for the kids. Tristan and Emma start school next week and Ava will return to Potterhouse in September.


We want to thank Brian and Sharlene Craig, Grace Fong, Rob & Erla Jacket and Don & Joy Hepburn for making our time in Toronto so wonderful. We are so thankful for your hospitality and love that you've shared with us. You are AMAZING!

Once we have our internet up and running at home, we'll try to post a few pictures from our time in Ontario and New Brunswick. Until then, we also want to share our love and appreciation with Andrew & Kelly Myers, Linda & James Naves, and ALL of our family back in Canada. We love you all so much and thank God for the many memories we've made together over these past three months. The time went by way to fast!!! We will treasure our time with you, the bbqs, walks on the beach, splashing in pools, building our baby barn, playing cards, setting up tents, wrestling rain tarps, campfires, and turkey dinners!

Finally, we want to thank everyone who has been uplifting us in prayer. God has covered us with an extra measure of peace and protection these last few months and we know that this is an answer to many faithful prayers. Thank you for praying for us!!!

We look forward to continuing this journey with you!

Blessings,
Aaron & Erica