Hello From.....

Chad! Yes, that's right, we're able to blog while we're here. (Well, at least when the connection - which runs at the speed of a glacier - is working. First, let me say "thanks, Ray" for the excellent couple of blog entries the last few days. We appreciate it. Then, let me extend to all of you who read our blog a Big and Warm (and when I say warm I really mean it) "HELLO and WE MISS YOU" from all of us.

The trip went pretty well. Esther was very good. The only real problem we had was that both Liddy and Tawnee got sick. I think they were both battling dehydration. Both are doing well now. However, just as soon as Tawnee's foot touched ground in Africa she tossed her cookies. Poor thing looked terrible.

We have spent the first week putting our belongings away and are now awaiting our crates that we shipped from Fergus Falls over 1 year ago. The kids are referring to this as "Our First Christmas in Chad".

Our two other families - the Holzners and the Venbergs - have been a huge help. We feel blessed because without them here our transition would be very rough.

Weather has been hot and dry. Today it reached over 103 degrees and it was over 95 degrees by 8:00 AM.

The kids were very excited to finally get to their home and all have settled into their rooms. They have learned that leaving anything on the ground for too long is not a wise thing to do as it will collect all sorts of nice creepy-crawling things in no time. And, yes, there have been a few screams around here at the discovery of something unwelcome in a shirt or a bed.

Thanks for all the prayers and support.

There will be more entries later... either by us if we can get connected, or by Ray whenever he feels like it.

One house keeping note: if you send us emails, please just text only. Download speeds are slow and our internet service charges us by the KB not by time connected. So, the smaller the files the longer our pre-paid minutes will last. TYVM.

Until next time.... sf