We began our traveling the end of June. For deputation, and our last furlough, we had a travel trailer. So traveling with just a minivan was new to us. While both ways have their pros & cons, we had a good trip. This particular trip, we were in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and Ohio. Along the way we were able to spend a week with each set of grandparents. It always works out nicely when you have supporting churches nearby family. This was special as none of our family in the Midwest had met Luke yet! We have lots of memories and pictures were captured.

I love hiding where I can see my kids, but they can’t see me. I love to watch the creative ideas they come up with for hiding places. And how generous they are with the tiny spaces they think Mom can fit in!

You could almost think it’s Christmas – if you didn’t look at the calendar! Yet, in another month or so, summer will make its grand, rather abrupt appearance and will be here to stay for the next 9 months! 🙂 All of you hot-weather-loving-people can book a flight over to South Africa when Fall comes and you miss the heat! We have plenty to share.

It has been the time for visitors these past two months – but we love it! We enjoyed visits from Garry & Michelle Castner and family in April and Tom & Krinny Gaudet and their daughter Lisa Johnson in May. It was a blessing to our family to share our home, ministry, friends, and this country where we live. We had the fun privilege of taking each family on a quick trip to Kruger National Park, and a trip to the Blyde River Canyon as well.

It’s a lovely Saturday afternoon here in South Africa. As I write, I am sitting on my back porch. Everything is a very vibrant green with the recent rain we’ve had. There is a pleasant breeze blowing. There are a few exotic birds frolicking in the nearby tree. There is also a distant Patch the Pirate CD playing. 🙂

What a rainy time of year! Our rainfall is one of the greatest in the area making it a lush tropical paradise. It is not uncommon to a storm system move in for a week, without any taste of sun. But it sure cools things down. I love rainy days!!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I must say, that I still find myself laughing when I hear Frosty the Snowman playing in the stores when it is 100 degrees outside. It is very amusing to me. There are Christmas decorations everywhere, music playing, and watermelons for sale! I am ready to do something festive around the house. I reminded my husband that Thanksgiving IS over, so we can start playing Christmas music. To which he replied, “I’m going to write a book – Lies Women Believe.” Ha!

Summer is here in Africa! For us, that means the start of a new school year, and that Grandma & Grandpa Hammett will soon be here in Africa! Joel started his 1st grade year, and Anna her Kindergarten year. They are both having a blast. Luke, however, isn’t too happy to be ‘left out’ of what big brother and sister are doing. 🙂

8,000 words for you 🙂

You all are so sweet! Thanks for the many cards, gifts, and emails for my birthday. It sure made it extra special. What fun it has been to read your questionnaires! I feel like I am sitting down with each of you and catching up or getting to know you. For the next few months, I want to take the time to answer the questions you asked. There is a list of over a dozen questions, which should be fun to answer.

One of the highlights for our family this month was a visit from my mom and Eva Reith from LVBC. Such times are SO SPECIAL! What fun! After many rearranged flights, they finally made it. Their bags weren’t so fortunate. They arrived with NO LUGGAGE! It took 48 hours to get their bags to us here. They were wise and had enough packed in their carry-on bags.

God has been doing many neat things in the ministry here – and back there too! We are just thankful for the privilege of serving Him after all He’s done for us. But you can read about all that from my husband’s emails. 🙂 Now for a woman’s perspective…

As I walk those halls, sit in the waiting room, and glance across the hall to Radiology, it all comes back in a flash as if it was yesterday: handing my 3 day old infant over to strange doctors, undergoing complicated tests, waiting to find out if she had any kidney function at all in her tiny little newborn body. We can never forget the miraculous way God used Anna’s pediatrician here to call his own personal urologist in Pretoria to get us in ‘only as a favor’ just 2 days later. The halls we remember walking while tearfully asking our God for grace, and strength, and mercy, are now the halls we walk thanking God for sweet Anna and for another good annual check up.

And he’s off!! I cannot believe that my baby Luke is walking and running.
It’s always so exciting, yet sad at the same time since he’s growing up SO
FAST! This new milestone and the phenomenon of now having 3 children running
around has ushered in yet another stage of life. I’ll be completely honest
and admit that most of this month, I feel like I’m in survival mode!

Care for some fresh picked litchis? Or lychee, laichi, lichu – depending on where you’re from. For us, it’s the taste of summer! We are blessed this term to have our very own gigantic, shady, litchi tree in our backyard. Our bountiful crop was ready to enjoy at Christmas time!