Happy Anniversary!

A year ago today we arrived in Gemena, DRC…our new home. It is hard to believe that our whole first year has passed by already. Gemena definitely feels like home now even though we often long for our home in the states. Now that we are in CAR we are thinking about how things are going back at home with our friends and work at the Elikya Center. Who knew that a year later we would be here waiting for our first child? (We are still waiting, by the way)


If you want a reminder of what we were doing a year ago, read this post.

Parents in Waiting

Not many parents pick up and leave their homes a month before their baby is due to live in a different country and simply wait for their baby to be born. But, that is what we are doing. In the final month of pregnancy most parents are still working at their jobs and finishing the final preparations for their baby. We spent the month of June wrapping up most of our work and getting everything in our house ready for our baby so there would be nothing to do in the last month of pregnancy. So…we don’t have anything to do in this final month of pregnancy—except wait. Waiting is not exactly an easy thing to do; especially when you are staying in a country where the people speak languages you don’t speak.


Below is photo documentation of what we have been doing the past 2 ½ weeks to occupy our time while we wait to meet our firstborn.



Watching TV shows and movies on DVDs we borrow from the other couples living here



Playing cards



Skinning peanuts to make peanut butter

Baking delicious, funny-shaped treats

Reading

Being entertained by the funny animals that hang out by our back door

There are a few other things we have been doing too such as walking to the market, helping sort clothes for the hospital, strolling through the Garden of Eden (a large garden here that is part of an agricultural project and has a huge variety of plants, trees and interesting fruits) and checking FaceBook.


Hopefully we don’t have to wait much longer!

We have arrived

We left Gemena on Tuesday in a small SIL plane and arrived safely in Gamboula, Central African Republic that afternoon around 3pm. Everything went smoothly and all that is left to do is have a baby.


We are staying at the Gamboula Mission Hospital in a very nice guest house with running water, 24 hour electricity and an indoor kitchen. This definitely feels like a vacation. There are two other ReachGlobal missionary couples living here right now and they are doing a great job taking care of us. Sarah had an appointment with Dr. Tim on Wednesday and the baby looks good. We can’t wait to meet him or her…hopefully soon!

The plane we took from Gemena to Gamboula


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We were excited to get this view of the Elikya Center when we were flying out of Gemena

 Will you please join us in prayer for Mowa, the director of the Elikya Center? He has been very ill the past month and on and off for about a year. In response to the medical advice of the doctors in Congo, Mowa is here with us in Gamboula to get rest and medical care. At this time he is being cared for by Dr. Tim Wester and staying at the mission down the road from where we are staying. He is very weak right now and we are asking God for miraculous healing. His wife, Luta, and 3-year-old son have been traveling to Gamboula by motorcycle and truck this past week and hope to arrive Monday or Tuesday. Please pray that they arrive safely, Dr. Tim has wisdom in treating Mowa and that Mowa and his family will be encouraged by the Holy Spirit during this difficult time. We greatly appreciate your prayers for our friend!