Sleepless in South Africa... We're back.

I’m back in Africa!

I’ve never been so happy to be here in my perfect cottage, set right in the middle of my African family, their homes and the Ten Thousand Homes base. 

It’s never felt so good – or  been so exciting! - to ride down that bumpy dirt road on Plot 177, Plaston Road.

Thank you for your prayers as we traveled back. Carly B and I arrived safely (and slightly delirious) after two days of traveling. We felt your prayers and God’s provision all the way. We even had the row to ourselves on both flights!

And not to worry everyone – Carly B is already getting the full picture of life in South Africa. And I’m having my first “Welcome Home” experience here.

Let’s paint a picture, shall we? Please, get another cup of coffee… or whatever it is you’re drinking. You’re going to love this.

Keri Dodge and Lynn picked us up from the airport, we loaded up our 2 bajillion pounds of luggage, stocked up on water and electrolytes and headed out for the breathtakingly beautiful four-hour road trip.

I think this picture-painting will switch to a list format so we can have a numerical account of life as we know it… back in Africa!

1. We pulled into the driveway to find the ultimate welcome – Carla Shaw demonstrating the body roll. Nothing says welcome home like the body roll.

2. HUGS all around… and those beautiful Price children to kiss and kiss and kiss!

3. Cottage time! Carly B opens the door to find a “Welcome Home Carly B” sign posted and I’m dancing around when I see that Zach installed my new ceiling fan while I was gone.

4. Then…. Cue dramatic music.

5. We find out that the fridge got turned off somehow during the last two months and my condiment and butter supply turned into a mold farm.

6. This is about when the gagging started.

7. And then we hear the story of the dead mouse. But don’t worry, he didn’t die from starvation.

8. We decide to bypass the smell of mold and dead rodent for ladies night at Lynn’s house. After all, it’s rude to miss ladies night. And there are TWO new families living on base since I left. New ladies to get to know.

9. A home-cooked meal, good laughs, tasty snacks and delicious muffins with incredible ladies under the perfect starry night. Ahhh, redemption.

10. And, oh yeah, we had to show Lindsey the body roll.

11. After all the excitement, the sleepy travelers needed ni-night time… Alas! We’ve locked ourselves out of Lynn’s! We won’t go into details, but there was one Carly B leg and one Carla Shaw leg sticking through burglar bars… and a Keri Dodge climbing a balcony. We’re dealing with large rocky surfaces and moonlight only, people. Carla keeps finding new bruises and Carly B chipped her bright orange toenail polish. Life’s not always as glamorous as you might think here.

12. After one more forgetting-my-keys incident, we make it home safe and sound and are more than ready for a good-ish, jet-laggish night of sleep.

And now we’re in the present-tense… Day 1 in Africa.

Forgive me for not blogging instantly upon arrival, but maybe we should just start another list to fill you in on what today was like.

1. We “slept in”. (You can’t really sleep in here.)

2. Carly B puts on my paint pants and I’m still in the clothes I slept in… it’s go-time.

3. Refrigerator mold. Rat poop. Here we come!

4. Bonus round: a new ninja frog family.

5. There was girly screaming, giggling and a lot of sweaty cleaning.

6. Welcome to Africa, Carly B!
7. The highlights of the day, believe it or not, were not the frogs or the excessive bleaching (if I wasn’t white before, I am now!). It was the visitors!

8. We had visitors all throughout the day, catching us up on life, giving hugs and kisses (those were mostly from the small children), and helping us with some of the more rancid projects.

9. I might have gone to crazy-town once or twice.

10. But it felt like family.

So… there you have it. A look at a homecoming and an initiation. We’re not holding anything back! Carly B just finished an erratically-tempered shower and we’re ready to make dinner in my deeply-cleaned kitchen.

Please keep praying as I adjust back to my normal. Back to daily life. Back to home.

Although some of the parts feel so right, there are so many new and different parts. New families on base. New parts of me that I experienced through God and you while in the States. A new roommate (for a month) in the cottage. New teams coming next week. And a new year with new plans God has set in place already – plans for family, plans for Lifa and plans for speaking out His Truth and Promises.

I need your prayers. And I’m delighted to share everything from the day’s play-by-play to the deepest ways God is stirring in me and in Africa as we join together as family to bring the Kingdom to earth… Home on earth.

Thanks for being part of my Home on earth.

I love you and Welcome Home!