I didn't mean for so much time to pass before writing. Things have been so busy. We have settled into our new house and it is beginning to feel more and more like home. Joshua had a difficult time for a while. I believe he went through some culture shock, even though I never predicted that one since he is so young. We celebrated his second birthday last weekend! We had a nice party with americans, egyptians, and family that attended via skype. Sandy is six months now, and is such a blessing! She is a wonderful baby! She cut her first tooth a few days ago. I can not believe how fast both of my children are growing and developing. Please pray with us for wisdom and persistence as we train them up for the Lord.

Language school has been difficult, but rewarding. It is so nice to be able to pick out a few words when people are talking and to be able to say some sentences. I stay with my children in the Church nursery on Sunday mornings. That used to be one of the most difficult times for me. I was lonely, and even though I was with other women, I wasn't able to talk to them hardly at all. This Sunday I left feeling so good about what I was able to say and understand. Don't get me wrong, I know I have a long way to go, but we're making progress.

David is doing great! I am so proud of him; I always am! He is so determined and works so hard to get this language down. He is a bold witness to those he is around. Not to mention, that he is the best husband and father in the world!! I truly love him more and more everyday!

Always thought I would dread cooking from scratch on the mission field, and it is more time consuming. However, it has really become a hobby. I love looking for new recipes and trying new things. I made a buttery apple cake tonight. Just tried a bite. It was ok. David likes it. I'll probably give most of it away tomorrow because we don't need it (health and weight wise), but hopefully it will make someone happy and it was very inexpensive.

Thankful for God's Goodness!

We have pretty much finished setting our house up and are getting ready for language school. I am so thankful that my husband came and found us the perfect apartment. The pastor we are working with told us that he believes our place is a gift from God. I agree with him. We have begun learning some of the language by talking with people, but we start classes in just a couple of days. David is doing great. He learned some arabic before we came which helped tremendously when talking to taxi drivers and getting our furniture. I thank God for giving me the best husband in the world!

The kids are adjusting well and are starting to get on a flexible schedule. Joshua is already using some arabic words! Not just repeating them! We are thanking God for his goodness to us!

Progress

It was really hard for a while after Mom and Carrie left, but I am doing better now. We have gotten more of the necessities for the house, but still need a few more pieces of furniture and appliances. We found a language school, and yesterday we checked out a daycare which was walking distance from it. All I was thinking about the whole time we were there was that kids movie - Matilda. Wow, the lady that ran the school had a strong sense of darkness about her, and we were told at least 10 times that our children would have regular health checkups because they had doctors on call and would receive their vaccinations there. Scary! I wouldn't trust them with my children's daily needs and I sure wouldn't want them giving them medicines. We will be checking out another nursery and will be meeting women we have recommendations for. Pray for the Lord to lead in this area as I need to leave my children a few hours each day to learn the language. Oh- by the way- we can make it home 99% of the time without getting lost! :) Praise the Lord! We are making progress.

Settling In

We are getting a lot of our shopping done to set up our house. We have some furniture ordered, but won't get it for about a month. Almost everything is made on demand, and we have to wait for it. We have bought a washing machine, but won't be able to get it for another week. We are really looking forward to getting it. There's a lot of washing to do in this heat and dust. Everything has to be washed everyday. When we got here, we were facing 108-109 degree weather. It has cooled down some now, and from what I hear, it may be a little cooler than it is in GA. Temps will go back up here on Monday though.

The Beginning of our New Life

We made it to Egypt safe and sound! David picked out a great apartment, and it was nice having a home to come to. (I love my husband who worked so hard to find us a wonderful place to live and had the necessities ready for us when we came in.) Life here has been very different. More different than I expected. Shopping has gone well. We now have a bedroom suit and a sofa and love seat. It is hard to find furniture that is not really expensive or terribly cheap. We have been working hard to get things done ASAP. We are usually out by 9:30 and do not finish until about 9 or 10:00. Then, we unpack and clean.

Culture shock has got us a few times. More people than I expected don't like us. We usually have ladies try to curse us and our children at least 2-3 times a day (Not David, he fits in!). But, I must say, the people who like us are really hospitable and loving. People assume we are rich and try to rip us off. And, we get lost every time we come home. haha. Today, we were right around the corner and didn't know it. This city is confusing and everytime the taxi brings us home we go a different way! Crazy.

We have almost everything here. We have found some good places to shop that are not far from home. This is a blessing.

We are attending Bro. Thomas' Church on Sundays and Thursdays. It is all in arabic. The people there are very friendly and Bro. Thomas' wife, Ruth, really seems to love Joshua and Sandy. She doesn't speak english, but she has a good spirit about her.

Mom and Carrie seem to be having a good time. They have never been outside the states and it has shocked them. We have all learned a lot. They have been a tremendous help. I can't imagine doing all we have without them. It would have definitely taken us a lot longer.

Thanks for all of you that have prayed and written. I will get back to you personally when things slow down some. Keep writing though. It sure is encouraging.

Still in GA

Well, after a long day of packing and repacking suitcases. I went to the airport with my children, mom, and sister. We said our farewells to my Dad and other siblings, nieces, and nephews, and got onto the plane with the thoughts of not seeing each other again for years. Well, after sitting on the plane for over three hours, they made the announcement that for the first time in 21 years the plane would not take off due to technical difficulties. We took our carry-ons and sleeping children, got on Marta at 12:30am and met my Dad to head back to my parents. Tomorrow will be filled with more goodbyes and probably more tears, but I am thankful to the Lord Jesus for allowing the mechanics to find this problem with the plane and to keep us safe. I believe prayers were answered for our safety. Thank you all for praying. The Lord is so good to us-all the time! I am enjoying experiencing the Lord- His mercy and His grace!

Beginning of Goodbyes

Last week we went up to Virginia and said our farewells to family and friends in the area. Our sending church also had a send-off service for us. It was a bitter-sweet time. We are currently home packing and saying our goodbyes to friends and family here in GA. Our house is getting more and more bare everyday. It has been incredibly hard for me to pack and figure out what to do with everything. It's difficult in a lot of ways. Sometimes the stress is overwhelming and I feel sick to my stomach. I often have to stop and pray for the Lord's help. This is definitely the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I know it is the Lord's will. I am humbled that He would use my family to do His work. Please pray that I will be able to finish packing and moving everything by Saturday afternoon. Thanks!