Two weeks ago we finished our last term of the school year. It was a busy time for everyone with the Christmas program, report cards and end of year activities. MICS experienced a great deal of growth in the 2015 school year. We went from around 140 students when we arrived to 176 at the end of November. Some classes now have waiting lists as we’ve capped class sizes to help maintain a high quality of education. It’s exciting to be part of a school that is having a growing influence in the Macha community.

 

The boys finished Reception (like kindergarten) and will be moving on to grade one in January. They are excited to be moving to the classroom block where the big kids are. Mommy is a bit sad that she won’t be able to spy on them from our veranda during break time. We’ve now begun a seven week term break before the new school starts in the middle of January. While there is work to be done, it’s a slower pace and quieter. We are enjoying extra time as a family and looking forward to a trip to Livingstone in just over a week.

 

Micah came running into the house, “The clouds are dark. I think it’s going to rain!” Not long after, we heard the sounds of thunder and the skies opened. Sweet, beautiful, cool rain fell from the sky. I put on my rain boots and went outside enjoying the amazing sensation of feeling cool for the first time in weeks. Everyone was out watching. The boarding kids danced and played. It feels like the temperature has gone down by about ten degrees and we’re enjoying the cool breeze through our house. Please pray that the rains continue. This country needs it, but we are thankful for the first signs of hope. Today is definitely a good day!

I’m a big fan of vulnerability. I want to share the hard stuff as well as the good stuff. I think it’s important but it’s not easy to do. I’ve written several posts (which I haven’t shared….yet) where I’ve felt like I’ve had to have some kind of silver lining. But today, at the risk of sounding like a bit of a whiner but in the spirit of being real, I’ve decided I’m simply going to tell you why today has been hard.

• It’s hot. This is the hottest time of year. We have no air-conditioning and a few fans when the power is working. But sometimes it just feels like more hot air blowing on you…which it is.
• I have a baby. I love him. He’s a gift. He’s adorable. But this week has been hard. He’s been way more fussy than usual, especially around nap time. His naps are short and I have no sweet clue how to change that. I feel like a first-time mom all over again. My usual soothing techniques have had little effect this week. It’s frustrating not being able to help him.
• It’s hot and I have a baby. Have I mentioned that already? Sometimes breastfeeding or cuddling or soothing is no fun when the two of us are dripping in sweat. I might cry too if someone picked me up and held me tight in this heat.
• Power outages. We just learned that in addition to our 8 hour daily outages, the power will also be out from 6pm to 9pm each day. Enough said.
• Being homebound. Sometimes it’s hard having nowhere to go. I don’t mind being a stay-at-home mom for now but I miss having options…going to the gym, a playdate, visiting grandparents or a trip to the grocery store. We didn’t even make it on our daily trip to the office today. The farthest I’ve gone is the clothesline.
• Neck and back pain. I’ve had neck pain since the early weeks of Nathaniel’s life, likely due to breastfeeding. And my back hurts from carrying him so much. I would love to be able to book an appointment with my chiropractor or massage therapist today. My pillow is too soft and I wake up in pain. But instead of a two minute walk to Homesense to buy a new one, a decent pillow is a seven hour drive away.
• Food choices. I was actually thinking this morning how many more options we have in Zambia than we did in Zimbabwe. But I’d still love a chocolate croissant, or some ice cream or a bowl of raspberries. I miss the luxury of unlimited choice.
• Friendships. This is hard to admit but it’s easy to feel forgotten. I know life goes on back home and I can’t base my happiness on the number of messages in my inbox, but on the days or weeks when there are none and I feel like I could really use it, it can be discouraging.
• Cloth diapers. Not the worst but not my favourite and definitely more work. And today some cows tried to eat them off the clothesline for lunch (thanks to Arja who noticed and chased them away before they did too much damage).
• Validation. It’s hard being a primary school teacher at a primary school and not teaching. My boy needs me right now but it’s not easy being an observer in the busyness that surrounds us and feeling like my biggest accomplishment of the day was a load of laundry.
• Living on a school campus. Let me be clear, this is generally an awesome thing with many perks and I know I signed up for this. But when you finally get your son to sleep and over 150 kids walk past his window, it can be a little frustrating.

How is your day going? Do you have someone you can tell the truth to if it’s not “fine” like we all tend to say? I encourage you to try it. I feel better already. 🙂

This week the grade seven class at MICS is taking their national exams. They must get a certain score to continue on to secondary school next year. Due to the quality of education at MICS, all students who have taken the exam in the past have been able to continue on to further education. As we all know, education is key to giving them a brighter future.

Join us in praying for these students this week, that they will be focused and do well. They are bright kids and have worked so hard to get this far. We are excited for all that is ahead for them.

To learn more about MICS check out one of our videos here.

It’s been a few weeks since we arrived back at our home in Macha. The boys have been happily riding their bikes, playing outside and are back at school. There have been a few hesitations but it’s great to have them back in a routine… at least Mommy thinks so!

Joel is back to work, focusing on strategic planning for the school and I’ve been home with Nathaniel. I am taking the rest of the term (which ends late November) to focus on my little guy who likes to eat and sleep often in the heat. The hope is that when the new school year starts in January he’ll be on some kind of a nap schedule and I’ll be able to work in some capacity with students again. The beauty of living at the school is that I can even have students come to my veranda and work from home. We will figure it out as we go but for now I’m thankful to simply be a mom in these early months. It’s hard to believe that Nathaniel is already 10 weeks old and as we are reminded often by our Zambian friends, he is a big boy!

Adjusting back to life here has, and will continue to inevitably have it’s ups and downs. It’s strange living at a primary school and not working with the kids. It can be a challenge being at home when there’s so much going on around us. But we enjoy daily walks to visit Daddy and Arja in the office and say hi to whoever is around. A few days ago we listened as the grade one class loudly sang in the activity room and stopped by when they whole school was learning about animals. We go to chapel when our day allows and attend our weekly team meetings. These little ventures out are good for me and I know we’ll get more involved as Nathaniel grows. I remember the struggle of having two babies at home in North America, often not seeing anyone else for a whole day. The isolation was the hardest part of motherhood for me and I know our new situation has its advantages. I can watch (or spy on!) Caleb and Micah play with their friends at break time from my house. I recognize how unique that opportunity is.

It’s been very dry, windy and hot. We often have to shield ourselves from clouds of dirt when we’re walking and it doesn’t take long for a layer of dust to settle in our homes, even with windows and doors closed. Weather-wise this is the most challenging time for me to be here. We are also experiencing daily rotating eight-hour power outages. A few gas burners, some solar lights and powered electronics definitely help us manage.  Rumour is that the situation will only get worse so we are anticipating what’s next. The value of the Zambian Kwacha has dropped significantly since we arrived in January. Although we are far from the hyperinflation we experienced in Zimbabwe, the economy isn’t in great shape. We are praying for things to stabilize and for good rains in the upcoming rainy season which will hopefully begin in the next month or so.

While we were home, many of you commented to us about how much you enjoy reading the blog and getting updates. As we continue sharing our life here, if there are specific things you’d like to read about, please leave us a comment and we’ll do our best to write about them. We want to know what YOU are interested in. Thanks for continuing to follow along!

We arrived in Canada three months ago and what a summer it’s been. Almost seven weeks ago we welcomed our sweet Nathaniel into our family. He is thriving and we are loving life with him. But on Monday night we begin our long journey back to Macha. It’s time to go home. As I’ve been processing the thought of leaving it is definitely bittersweet but I’ve been struck by the privilege it is to have two homes. Two places that couldn’t be more different from each other, but they both feel like home with people who are dear to us. In some ways, it is harder to leave this time than it was in January. It’s not easy to take a baby who seems to change daily, away from family. But I know this time was an unexpected bonus and I’m grateful for the months we’ve had here. Although I’d love to say I had a baby in the bush of Zambia, we remain confident this was the right decision for our family.

While I’m sure there will be tears tomorrow and goodbyes will be hard, we are ready to go home… to our house, to MICS, to our work and to our friends in Macha. After three months of being spoiled the boys are in need of some routines and to be back at school. We are incredibly grateful to my parents who have opened their home to us over the last few months, to friends who have given us baby equipment or filled our tummies with delicious meals and the countless other ways we’ve been loved and supported while we’ve been here.

We appreciate your prayers as we return to Zambia and adjust to life there with a young baby. The country is now experiencing eight hour daily power outages which will make life more of a challenge (you can read more about it here). Our next visit is planned for Christmas 2016 so this will be our longest stretch away. We recognize this adventure is not possible without the love and generosity of so many of you. Thank you for your support as we continue on.

My little Zambino,

Today is your due date. I can’t believe we have made it this far together! To be honest, I thought we would have met you by now. Maybe it’s because your brothers had already been around for two weeks at this point. Or maybe it’s because our whole purpose of coming to this side of the world has been for your arrival so we’ve been extra focused on it. I’m not going to lie, these final days have been tough. Yesterday was especially hard. I cried a lot but I think I needed to. That’s one thing I hope to teach you…to give yourself permission to feel what you feel, whether it’s sadness, frustration, disappointment, fear… I find the fastest way out of the hard places is to let yourself be in them for awhile. Then when you’re ready to move on, gratitude is a great way to climb out little by little.

Yes, the waiting is hard, but do you know what I’m thankful for today? I’m thankful that I even have the chance to be waiting for you. To be honest, Daddy and I thought we’d be waiting an eternity for you. We had given up on the idea that you were ever coming. It was hard and we were sad but we accepted it. Then, just as we were about to make the biggest move of our lives, we got the biggest surprise of our lives. You were on the way! And do you know what? I still really can’t believe it. I can’t believe that in a matter of hours, days or (dare I say it), weeks, you will be joining our crazy little family and it will never be the same.

You have two amazing brothers who are so excited to meet you. I grew up with two big brothers so I know what a treat you’re in for, and that you better be prepared to have a few wrestling moves practiced on you. But they will love you and want to protect you and it’s pretty great. I also know that you have a community of family and friends on two sides of the world that are  eager to meet you and ready to love you. And I know most important of all, you have a Creator who will love you better than we ever can but will help us do our best and give us grace when we fail. I am incredibly grateful to Him for the extra special gift He’s given us in you.

So my Zambino, you come when you’re ready. The how and the when is out of my control and I’m okay with that. What matters is you’re coming and that’s more that I could ever ask for. You are absolutely worth the wait. I love you so much already!
Love,

Mommy xo

It’s hard to believe we’ve already been in Canada for almost four weeks. We’ve all transitioned back to life on this side of the world. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

The Boys…

Caleb and Micah did remarkably well on the long journey home and even slept a bit. Their favourite parts (and our lifesavers!) were their individual TV screens (building ‘towers’ on Tetris was a hit) and the indoor playground in the Heathrow airport. They’ve been enjoying being back at the kids program at our church. The comment the first week was “that was really short!”, not at all like our long services in Macha. Another favourite comment I overheard was, “Micah, we’re not in Zambia. You need to flush the toilet!” A week of swimming lessons got them comfortable in the water again. We’ve been swimming as much as possible as that’s not something we do much of in Zambia. We also got to visit their kindergarten class where they answered questions about life in Zambia and played outside with their friends. The highlight for them has definitely been two trips to Grandma and Grandpa’s farm where they love running around, riding tractors and helping out with chores. This week they are doing a kids camp at a local church in the mornings to bring a little routine to their lives. They seem excited about the idea of a brother or sister joining the family soon. A few days ago they helped Daddy install the car seat, did some cleaning and practiced their rocking skills. I can’t wait to watch them become big brothers!

The Grown-Ups…

Joel and I have been enjoying time with family, reconnecting with friends and eating way too much food. I think I’ve enjoyed mint chocolate in every possible form. It’s been nice to have a few dates out of the house as well. I’ve been having weekly appointments with my OB and an ultrasound showed that the baby is looking healthy and on track. I’m now well over 38 weeks so ready any day to meet our little one. It’s hard to be patient and I’m hoping I don’t go too long so I can attempt a VBAC but I know it’s out of my control. Quality family time and lots of rest is the order for these final days, however many there are. I still can’t quite believe this is happening. We look forward to sharing the news when our Zambino arrives!

 

 

 

Two weeks from now we will be on Canadian soil. It feels like time has flown since we’ve made the decision to come back for the birth of Zambino. We finally told the boys about our plans this past weekend. When asked what they are most looking forward to, tractor rides at the farm and going to “Old McDonald’s” topped the list (yep, it’s great parenting when a fast-food restaurant is a top priority, but I’ll be honest, I’m looking forward to it too!).

I have one week left of teaching and am trying my best to stay plugged in, despite being sick and not sleeping well these days. The boys are continuing to enjoy school and life on campus and I pray they will adapt well to Canadian life. Joel has been incredible taking on pretty much all the duties of domestic life and allowing me to rest as much as possible. We are grateful for my parents who are opening up their home to us for the summer. It’ll be nice to have a comfortable place to bring our baby home to while someone else is living in ours.

I’ll be honest, there’s a bit of dread with the thought of 33 hours of travel being almost 35 weeks pregnant with two kids. I don’t really sleep on planes and am often uncomfortable on the best of days.  We are hoping the boys will sleep on the long flight to London. Micah was the only one who managed any last time. Here’s our general itinerary for those interested…

June 10 – Say goodbye to MICS and travel to Livingstone with the Sanfilippo family, stay overnight
June 11 – Fly Livinsgstone to Johannesburg, overnight flight to London (6-hour layovers in each airport)
June 12 – London to Toronto

There are a few things we are looking for that will make our lives a little easier when we are back on Canadian soil. If you can help us out in any way, please get in touch…
1. A cellphone for Joel to borrow. We’d prefer he has a way to be connected to his wife that could go into labour at any point 🙂
2. A vehicle. We no longer own any vehicles and while we will sometimes be able to borrow from family, it would be nice to have or own to get around. If you are going away at all and will be leaving one at home that you don’t mind lending to us for any period of time, please let us know.

With one Facebook post I was able to get almost all of the baby items we need since we passed all of ours on to prepare to move. I’m thankful for the generosity of so many friends so we won’t have to lug too many things back across the world.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers as we finish up at MICS in the next week or so. This feels like home and while we are excited to return in a few months, we look forward to being back in our other home for awhile. And most importantly we can’t wait to meet our newest family member. See you soon Canada!

We had a great experience today connecting some students here in Zambia with a class in Canada. A friend back home who teaches grade four asked if his class could Skype with some of the students at MICS so they could learn more about life in Zambia. We chose three students who speak English well and who wouldn’t be too shy on the computer. They received the questions the day before and seemed excited about the opportunity. Being a totally new experience for them, they did a great job. Technology is a pretty amazing thing!