Billy is away for two weeks in one of tribal homelands, about 2.5 hours from Johannesburg. The kids and I drove up on Saturday and then again on Sunday. It was a bit of an icky weekend over here and I needed the solace. We got our hair braided into a million braids (and taken out and braided again... if you sit down long enough, the kids can't resist touching long straight hair), we played soccer and follow the leader (no words needed, Avery and Harrison found great comfort in that), we enjoyed a 5 hour church service under the tent and a huge homecooked meal afterwards. The team from Northern California is doing well, a bit of sickness, but God is up there with them - speaking and stirring things up and loving them well. Pastor Jacob and his team spent a couple of hours last night giving them each an African name. It was a beautiful time of intentionality - and the names they chose were truly inspired from God as they so often matched a quality in that individual or even something God had been speaking quietly to them in Africa. I'll get to go back up on Wednesday to spend the day with the team and the beautiful people of KwaNdebele. I just remembered yesterday how three years ago, my heart longed to be back with these people... it was my first realization that we would be moving to South Africa someday.
I love it that Harrison still loves that hat that Papa gave him. It always reminds me of your time here and his special relationship with Giusseppe. Who, by the way, tells us the "remembers with fondness, our grandson, Harrison" Two special guys, huh.
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