Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

Today, July 5th, Nate and I are celebrating our 1st anniversary! I can't believe we've been married for a year already! We've had a wonderful year, a year of learning and growth, laughter and tears, joys and challenges. I calculated that we've called 9 different houses or apartments home during our first year or marriage, in Kenya, Canada, and the United States. Sometimes it's been for 3 months, sometimes for 3 weeks. It hasn't always been easy and neither of us prefers such a transient lifestyle but I think we've learned to be "home" for each other in a unique way, a way that we'll need during our years in Africa. All year I've carried around in my suitcase a framed wedding picture of us, which I take out and put by our bedside when we get settled at each location. That has also created a little bit of home for me, wanting to remember our main reason for being in North America this year, and that is to build a strong marriage before we return to Sudan to begin a new ministry.

The beginning of July also marks a different anniversary for me--2 years ago I arrived in Nairobi for the first time on July 1st as a new missionary to Sudan. As a single missionary, I believed God had me in that position in life for His own purposes, to glorify Himself through my life. I felt fulfilled in Him and enjoyed my early days of learning in Sudan. However, it didn't take me long to begin sensing that the Lord wanted to do a new thing in my life, and that that might involve marriage. The more I interacted with Sudanese mothers and children, the more He gave me a deep desire to minister to them as a wife and mother myself. I waited...

I didn't need to wait long! I met my wonderful husband Nate on an airstrip in Sudan at the end of that October. If you'd like to read the whole story, see my posts from Oct. 23rd, 2008 and following, written a year after the exciting events!

So here we are, married a year and expecting our first baby in about 8 weeks! I believe the Lord has given us to each other and wants to glorify Himself through our marriage and our family. When you pray for us, please pray for His blessing and protection over our marriage and our little baby as we get ready to return to Sudan.

U.S. Immigration Interview in Montreal

Thanks to all who prayed for us while we were in Montreal. Amy's interview was successful and she is now a permanent resident of the USA. After a 9-month process, we are finally done! Please email us or leave a comment if you would like more information.

Our plans still involve time in the US extending until shortly after New Year, upon which time we will return to Sudan to work with the Koma/Ganza tribes. Our support level has reached 72%, with about 4-5% of additional support committed. Thank the Lord with us for His provision and keep praying for the additional 23-24%. Have a wonderful day!!

Learn about the Ganza people

I just wanted to direct you again to one of our website links down the page and to the right--a blog called Loriann in Sudan. Loriann is one of our SIM Sudan teammates, beginning a new work among the Ganza people, one of the 2 people groups that we're praying about for our future ministry. She's recently written some very interesting posts and I thought you might enjoy reading them. I particularly enjoyed the 2 most recent posts called "Reveal Your Love Oh Lord" and "Ready in 5 Hours". The Lord is really working among the Ganza!

Please pray for us next week. We'll be driving to Montreal this Sunday for my US immigration interview on Tuesday morning. Please pray that all will go smoothly there and that they will send me my visa soon afterward. We're anxious to get to the States to share in several churches that have invited us to come and of course to prepare for the birth of our baby in September!