Blake's email update yesterday

Today was clinic...130+ files, pics, charts, eye exams, HIV test, polio, tetanus, and measles vaccines, vital signs, dental exams, and letters to sponsors. Praise God...ZERO HIV positive.

That's it for now. We're tired and going to bed. We'll get back to creativity tomorrow. J

Love to all!

Blake

-Again, don't forget to check the other blogs for more details!

Checking in

Well, Blake is GREAT! They are having a wonderful experience there. All he mainly says is that it's hard to describe. Hopefully he will be able to once he gets home!! i did get to have a great conversation with him yesterday, and it REALLY put me at ease. I needed that!!

Don't forget to check the other blogs. They are all taking turns, and are doing so well at it! So fun to live it through each of their words. And-please comment on their blogs if you can! It's really the only form of communication they are getting from any of us!!

Last email from Blake:
Love you...just wanted to check in. We're going to be out all day at the boys house digging post holes for the fence and then VBS. I hope acacia was good. I miss you and love you very much. Please hug the boys and let say hi for me. Read the blogs to know what we're doing. My turn to blog hasn't come up yet. I'm not a blogger, so it won't be like the others, but whatever. I'm having to do a lot of what I normally wouldn't do anyway. Today is my devotional though. We're about to have breakfast so I'm gonna go. Write back and tell me what's up.

Love,
Blake

Updates...

I've been able to talk to Blake twice now. He's doing great, and not eating nearly as bad as I thought they would! They had tilapia tonight for dinner! Who knew? They are all sleeping well and it seems as though everyone is getting a little used to Uganda living. They are doing a great job with keeping up with the other blogs, so don't forget to check them!

Here's an update via an email that he sent me. I had no idea he'd be able to access his Scooter Store exchange server from Uganda! Did you? HA!

From him: Hi Babe. Josh bought a sim card and I can access my exchange server

OMG, the arrival to the house was overwhelming.

Joy and sadness all at the same time and about 100 screaming kids, all wanting to touch you and hug you at the same time. I fought hard not to break down and cry. I got to meet and hug on Moses. No one calls him that here. They all know him as Okere. Just Okere. He is sweet. Didn't get to visit with him that long...Susan sent them all home (boys house) so that we could unpack and eat dinner.He says that he loves us and he prays for us everyday.

Don't know if I'll email everyday, but maybe. Tell the boys hello and that I love and miss them deeply. Same goes for you.Love you, -bt

From me: Love you! Thank you so much for the update! Its so wierd that you are across the dang world right now! & that I can talk to you via email. I hope you are able to get some good, good rest tonight. I love you so much & it was SO good to get the email from you!! I didn't think I'd miss you this much already. Don't forget to take care of yourself!! & stay away from the roadkill. Heard y'all bought some road side chicken on the way there via jack. Babe, like mexico dog tacos. Love you!!

From him: Chicken on a stick is better than dog tacos. We also had roasted banana. Josh and I liked it, the rest did not.Sleep was good. Ambien rocks! About to have breakfast, talk to you later.Love,-bt

Blake's in AFRICA!!

My sweet husband is now officially in Iganga, Uganda, East Africa!

What, some of you might ask?? (Probably not, with only a couple of people that read my blog & you know the story, but oh well.)

Here's the short of it: We are privileged to be a part of our wonderful church, Riverside Community Church. There are 2 trips that are taken pretty regularly through the church in the past 4 years-one is a teaching trip to Israel and a the other is a mission trip to Africa. Blake was going to Israel, I was going to Africa (part of our 10 year plan of life). See, Blake is smart. He can beat anyone I know at Trivial Pursuit, well maybe not his dad, but anyone else. Blake loves to learn new things. He loves the bible and history, so it made sense that he wanted to go to Israel. Me, I love kids. I love to serve. I am not a trivial pursuit champion. I get excited if I get 1 question right in the whole game, and it's normally pop culture. I wanted to love on some kids, not hike through the desert & memorize scripture. I know, terrible, but everyone is here for a purpose.

So, about 9 months ago, they start planning the Africa trip. Again, I want to go. Not necessarily this time, I am thinking, but Africa is my trip. So Blake looks at me and says, "Babe, I think I am going to Africa." In my mind I think, heck no, that's my trip, but out of my mouth comes "OK!!!" What? Blake? Africa? No way. Now?? It's expensive! It's FAR! We have 2 young kids! How in the heck to we come up with the $? And for Blake to go?? But, even though those thoughts went quickly through my head, I was filled with a complete sense of peace & knowing that HE WAS GOING TO GO, and we would find the $ for him to do so.

Fast forward 9 months, after lots of planning, reading, praying, wonderful, WONDERFUL hearts (people) that gave towards his trip, our saving, and some tears, Blake has made it. I was very torn if I should even write about it. It's not my trip, it's his, but I have the blog, and this is my side of the story. So there.

Here are a couple of pictures from the airport on Wednesday when he left...

Now, that's a LOT of luggage!! The team was able to take soooo much stuff for the orphanage in Iganga. Everything from medicine & medical supplies...more than you could ever imagine!, school supplies, clothes, a post hole digger, vbs supplies, and sooo much more!

The boys were so excited for Blake, can't you tell by the look on Bran's face?

The 12 person team that are going to do God's work in Africa over the next 15 days!! Please pray for them by name: Colton, Brian, Kayla, Josh, Blake, Ryan, Jaimie, Liz, Amanda, Sue, Nicole and Tamara.

And...with their families! (that's my hand & camera case at the very far left above the Little Mermaid pillowcase. Whew...I made the picture! and not sure what Blake was doing with his face on this one. Think it was something like "can we please stop taking pictures now" face)

Sue on the trip is going to try and update her blog at http://www.sue-henderson.blogspot.com/ and there should be someone updating the http://www.riversidearoundtheworld.blogspot.com/ one too. Just in case you wanna get it from their point of view too!!

New Post...what's that??

Well...I have spent the better part of the afternoon updating my blog, thanks to my MIL. Thanks Chris for the gentle reminder!!

Well, I wanted to update, but then saw my friend Brooke's blog and decided that before I updated with a new post, I needed to make it pretty like hers!! Then I started looking at all the other blogs attached to mine, hers, friends of friends of hers...then it all goes down hill from there. So, I managed to update mine a bit and add a new post! Yeah me!!


So...for the post!! Here's a snippit of the boys' baseball season. It was super fun while it lasted, but we are glad to have the break! 2 kids on 2 teams makes for 2 tired parents...and about 2 whole home-cooked meals the whole season. (Click on the pic to see it bigger!)