yes

yes
we are still here in south africa.
yes
we are still up to our ears in cucumbers.
yes
we are still trying to find the "best" way to convince young moms to join our support group.
yes
we are learning and coaching a boys rugby team.
yes
we are loving people in our home, the local McDonald's, the townships, everywhere...
yes
we are praying that flight prices drop so this family of 6 can fly home to TN for a visit.
yes
we are reading the Bible stories leading up to the death of Jesus and His resurrection.
yes
we are selling bread, biscuits, chelsea buns.
yes
we are realizing that the summer is ending here and it is getting colder and rainy.
yes
we are pinching every penny.
yes
we have the most amazing group of friends and missionaries loving on us here.
yes
we overwhelmed at the opportunites God is blessing us with.
yes
we have no heating or cooling system in our home  (or most any home here).
yes
the banking here is an experience of patience to say it nicely.
yes
we have heard the voices and stories of those suffering.
yes
we are learning daily about how life is lived here; differently in each township.
yes
we hand out rand/money to beggers when our eyes can't bear to look away.
yes
our car window is broke again (at least it is just that).
yes
we say "no thank you" over and over to men at the robots, in the parking lots, everywhere
trying to sell us something or beg from us.
yes
we will miss the hundreds of people we pass walking up and down the roads every day
whenever we leave this place.
yes
we see men carrying little pink girls backpacks like it is nothing.
yes
we (only when Joey is with us) give rides to strangers
yes
we see Jesus in the hearts of many.
yes
we see need, we see hope and hopelessness, we see suffering, we see loneliness.
yes
we are overcome with the discrimination and segregation that is still so evident.
yes
we see beauty that is beyond explanation and description and can only be witnessed in person.
yes
life is totally different than it was when we lived in TN.
yes
it is harder than we could have ever imagined to move our family to africa
but God provides daily for us and gives us hope, joy, love, peace...
yes
we will stay here as long as God calls us here.
yes
this is the hardest thing we have ever done.
yes
some days we are overwhelmed in every way.
yes
we miss family, friends.
yes
we have amazing visions for work/missions here
yes
we are so grateful and blessed by those who support our ministry.
yes
we feel your prayers.
yes
we can not wait to hug your necks, hold your hands, feel your kisses
read your letters, open your packages, get your emails, sit at your kitchen tables...
yes
we are so busy.
yes
we wish we didn't just have 1 car.
yes
we spend a staggering amount of time in the car delivering kids and ourselves to where we need to be.
yes
everyone we meet has been incredibly kind to us.
yes
balancing the old life and our new life can turn us over and back up.
yes
our children are in a most brilliant school.
yes
the kids love life here.
yes
we love working with living hope, way, grace, care...
yes
we are learning and growing
in faith, in family, in life experiences.
yes
joey wants to be mayor here.
yes
we play with kids who have more than us, less than us, or literally nothing.
yes
we now have gardening, baking, ministorial, and evangelical skills to attach to our business and nursing resumes.
yes
we are losing some of our southern tennessee accent.
yes
some people around us sleep on the dirt and in places we wouldn't dream as fit for humankind.
yes
some kids have no blankets.
yes
we miss american customer service.
yes
the global/world view we are experiencing is stunning.
yes
we sometimes look at each other and say...can you believe we live in africa?!
yes
real life, real struggles are seen on the faces of those we see daily.
yes
we are excited to do more for Jesus.


and yes
this post is long:)