WoW We have lived here a year already....

So this is how it feels to be out of the our america for almost a year on Saturday. We really have seen this last year as amazing and we are no longer surviving but living well. We are so looking forward to school starting up in about 3 weeks. The students come back and we will be back in full swing. We have about 37 new students coming as freshmen. It will be amazing to get see our old friends (students and staff returning) and new friends (including the new staff and new students) It will be about getting to know more people! We like that. So for the last couple weeks we have been super busy and we also had no internet for the last week. We have been helping Josh and emily settle in. It has so fun to have them here. We have been also busy preparing for a wedding we were invovled in. Those will be the next post. Anyways here are some of the pictures for you...

So here is our deer that we found in December. She has grown alot. We are enjoying a exotic animal in our back yard and sometimes in our house.

here are some girls that are still living on campus over for dinner along with my friend Pam and that other white girl is Emily...
They are Rosemary, Kene, Umoodzi, Wanagua, Pam, Funa and Emily... We had tacos ( butt in chichewa) for dinner. For Some of them it was the first time to have Tacos. I love doing that.




Here is the boys... Bob, Blessings Joseph and Josh... And down below is Nya and Analise loving having and teasing Joseph.







Also-Just wanted to say thank you for all you emails and love and prayer over the last weeks. Not being able to be with my family as they gathered to bury my grandpa was hard. But through your prayers and love! I feel like it wasn't that hard. I will post the pictures up on soon of the wedding we were invovled with this last Saturday. Lots of love and thank you for you love, prayers, and support of us. Love- Amy Louise

Life...

So we are plugging away. Right now, we are getting ready for some friends to come and live here. They will be here for 2 years. Oh it is so exciting to have them come. She (Emily) will be a 3rd grade teacher at the academy and He (Josh) will be the on campus maintance man. They come this monday! Yippee. We are still busy with stuff. We got our car back! Yippee for us. We are thankful for that. We are having about 8 students over for dinner tonight just for a connect time. We are busy - but not as busy as the year starts. We can't believe in about a month we will be headed into a new school year. It will be nice not to be new this year. It will be nice already knowing people and connecting right away with the students. It is amazing to think that we have been a year here in August. I feel comfortable here finally. I feel fine driving on the other side of the road (along with the people, goats, bikes, and other crazy drivers). I feel fine going to 5 shops for grocery shopping. I don't get bothered by the flies that land on your face and won't stop landing on it when you shoo them off. I have accepted that there is nothing here to do but hang out with people. I am doing great with the weird different types of food. I have learned that life here is slow motion and that is great. I am still though struggling with the poverty and feeling helpless but recongizing that I personally can't change the world. I can only change myself and those that come in my sphere of life. I am loving my relationships that I have here with college students and other missionaries here. I really do still miss Target and A good burritto. Simply put - I have adjusted mostly- most days. Maybe not all days. I am fine today living in Africa.
I really have gone through a journey with my walk with the Lord these last few months. Very deep. I feel that He has stripped me Raw and all I have is Him to lean on. The greatest place to be even though it is hard to here at the same time. Both Bob and I have felt that we are at awesome place of nothing to offer Him but us. That He will use us for what we are needed to be used for , everyday that we give Him ourselves. We really have been amazed in all the deep life things we have learned. Ask us about one day when you see us in person. We would love to share the journey with you.
Just wanted to connect with you and let you know we are doing great! Somedays are better than others, but that is what life is about! Everyday is brand new day. And His mercies are new every morning. Thank God that we are not stuck in the yucky days.
Love you all and I will continue update you! Amy Louise

just life...

So we are just chugging along here. We had a fun weekend last weekend...
Analise has turned 3 years old. What fun she had and so did we...

Here she is with some of kids here...



Bob decorated the cake... It's Strawberry Shortcake of course! She so wanted a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake.
Making her wish! She said that she wants to be married - To Bob! So sweet!


So Nya is showing off losing her 2 front teeth...


She loves to ham it up for the camera!

well- Our car situation is still going on. Not fun. We are able to borrow a friend's car, so that works good. We are not able to get good parts here. they are shady sometimes they are real parts and some times they are fakes. So it is trial and error. with 4 weeks now waiting! "They" say it should be all put together by "Tuesday". So we would appreciate any prayers! Along with not good parts, it is hard to find gas. I went to 9 gas stations last week (as I was borrowing my friends car) and there was only one place I could get it. Well-It was a 3 hour wait. So not fun. Oh joys of living in Malawi.


Well- we have been really excited to be apart of our local Church here. It started 6 months ago now. It is growing and passionately lead by an ABC graduate. It is so refreshing to be apart of the local Malawian church here. Bob and I are apart of the leadership team. You may be wondering what is our responsibility is ! It is "hospitality" ! We are responsible to build the sense of community and fellowship in our church. Right up our alley! We are so excited to do that. We love people!
Well- just a little update from us!
Love - Amy Louise