was it all a dream?

We're sitting in the same bungalow we rented three years ago before we headed out to the Ship. We're living here for a month before we move around the corner to house-sit for some incredibly generous people. We've had Christmas - twice, been to Ethiopia for a few days, settled the boys in school, caught up with friends, been back to our church, the local parks and to the movies and and it all seems a little strange, like we never left.

We just spent the evening with friends talking about the Ship, friends from our Cambridge based support group who have been through all the ups and downs with us every month - from a distance - who have loved us and supported us for the last three years and to whom we are incredibly grateful.

We have been thinking of the Academy (school) starting the new semester as it goes through a lot of change, thinking about the hospital being set up ready for the patients coming, thinking about the crew exploring in Togo and it all feels a little strange to be sat here, in some ways that we should be there with them, helping them, being part of the community and yet almost like it was all a dream.

I think it is a little early to really have done much processing of the last three years, but we know that we have been blessed beyond what we ever could have imagined being able to serve as part of the Ship's ministry. We are thankful for so many things, people and experiences. So to our Ship friends - we are thinking of you and will keep partnering with you from a distance in whatever ways we can, and to our friends here - thank you for the support you have given us over the last few years and for welcoming us back. It is good to be here for this season and we just keep trusting the details of each crazy day to Him who has a plan for us here for this time.

New Schools

The boys started their new schools yesterday. Here they are in their new uniforms

Please pray for them as they adjust to their new schools. They are joining in the middle of the school year and it is difficult for their teachers to give them very much special attention in such big classes. Pray especially for Josh as it is a big change for him in full time school for the first time. Yesterday he didn't go to the toilet all day, only ate his sandwich at lunch because he was scared of the 'big boys' in the dining hall and missed the snack and milk at snack time because he didn't know where to get them from. He was a bit teary as his class went in this morning, so I hope it will be a better day for him today.

Surviving, but not adjusting yet...

So the last few days have not gone exactly to plan...after the wonderful birthday celebrations and day with Miriam things have been a bit crazy.

Our priority was getting Sarah's essay submitted (which has gone off this morning :-)) but that took significantly longer than we anticipated. Sarah's sister Amy has found herself a new job for the next three years proof-reading essays as she did such a fab job on this one...

...then began the saga about children's schools. Tom already had his place in the village where we will be living, but we found out that Josh can't go to school in our village as the classes are full. They proposed to send Josh to another school by public transport, apparently that is fine for a 5 year old who has never been to school before. Having seen how little road and person danger sense the boys have after living in such a sheltered place we really could not imagine packing him off with someone else. There was not a place for Tom there either to send them together. So we have the option of a second school for Josh now at Oakington C of E Primary School which should be easier for us to drive him to ourselves (only about 10 mins we think) but we are not quite sure how we are going to do both school  runs at the same time. We are waiting to hear if there is a place there for Tom to have them in the same school, but then Tom will not want to move as he has friends at the other school in our own village, so it is going to be complicated and less than ideal either way....

...so with that all taking some time to investigate the different options we finally started unpacking our suitcases yesterday evening. And then we shoved some things back in a suitcase and are off tothe airport headed to Ethiopia. ...

 ...the boys are excited about decorating the Christmas tree and being taken to the movies by Auntie Amy and Nanny. They have been playing football in the garden, snuggled up in multiple layers looking like the Michelin man. They have been checking out nearby playgrounds and enjoying eating toad in the hole (and a ton of other things)...

... when we get back there will be the small matter of Christmas with the Farrell's in Liverpool before moving all of our stuff from Essex to Cambridge in time for the start of school in January. I think we will be busy for a little while yet.

...we're hoping that they stay settled this week while we're away, pray that Nanny, Grandad and Auntie Amy survive and that we have a useful trip to Ethiopia. We haven't really had time to interact with UK culture yet (besides being overwhelmed with the choice of chocolate when trying to buy some to take to our hosts in Ethiopia) so we are postponing adjusting 'til next week :-)

64 units of blood...

Our last weeks on the ship were incredibly busy, so we had blogs in mind to write but that didn't get written before we left. Maybe we'll catch up on some of them....one of the things we were involved with was the blood donation for local hospitals. Staff from the maternity hospital where Sarah has been working this year came to the ship to take blood from the crew to top up their blood bank and that of the children's hospital up the road. Generally patients in Sierra Leone would have to call their relatives to donate them blood when it is required and at times this can prove difficult. If they are lucky a few relatives will turn up and be tested, but many are not suitable donors because of HIV, Hepatitis, anaemia or high blood pressure. It is always good if there are some units in the blood bank for women who have no one else to ask. The women coming for fistula surgery come alone, often having been rejected by their families and the staff often end up being the blood donors when required.

 Lara is one of Tommy's high school students students - she has spent some time working in the hospital/lab on work experience so for her birthday she got to help with the blood taking...

 Lara was fab, she got the blood from both of us on the first attempts and we had hardly any bruising, she'll make a fab health professional in a few years :-)

I wonder how many teachers let their students stab them with a needle?

Thanks to everyone who helped and to everyone who gave blood. You might have just saved a Mama's life :-)

FIVE!

Miss Elizabeth (Josh's pre-school teacher) made this birthday hat for Josh's goodbye/birthday party before we left. This is him wearing it just after we got off the plane - about 6am on his birthday, they are holding up five fingers each for his five years :-)