Finally an update from the VDM's!

I have definitely fallen off the blogging bandwagon as of late! I am really not sure where to start with an update. It seems as if the last time I blogged was in October, just before I started my job here! So I will start there...

I got a job in October working with a non-profit in the Bay Area called "East Bay Innovations." It's a great organization working with people with developmental disabilities. I was immediately drawn to how warm and caring the staff were and I think this was the biggest reason I accepted the job! :) I am all about the working relationships, and so far my experience has been great at EBI.

Ruco has also been busy with classes. He is working on his Masters in City and Regional planning, and trying to focus on international housing and slum upgrading, etc. He is enjoying it, but this Masters degree thing is much more work than either of us expected for him! He also received a GSR (Graduate Student Researcher) position at Berkeley, so is busy working with his professor in his Nairobi Studio class, and is really excited about going to Kenya in May with that studio class to learn more about slum upgrading projects.

So far this season of life for us has been good, but not at all what I expected! To be honest, Ruco and I really needed a rest after our time of working in Karamoja, and I think we thought that being back in the States and working towards Masters degrees would bring us rest, but so far it has been a lot more about transition, and little about rest.

We did find a great church right away in Berkeley. It's called Mosaic, and though it used to have ties with the Mosaic church in LA, it doesn't any longer. Immediately Ruco and I felt cared about through our small group and gatherings at our church. In that way, we have found rest. We are thankful God gave us such an amazing church family right away, and for the last 7 months we have lived in California, he has helped us to nurture those friendships.

But we still miss working and being in the field all the time, and I find myself getting emotional when I think of the friendships and the work we left specifically in Uganda. We have had some friends from Uganda visit us here in California--Susan, and Chris and Jodi. They all worked with us in Uganda with Samaritan's Purse. It really meant so much to us that our friends would travel just to see us, though we would both feel a little sad when they left. I think it's just a sadness for having left a place and jobs that we loved with all our hearts. Truly, Africa is still my heart, and God placed the desire to work there in me when I was just a little girl. My grandmama always tells stories of me telling her I was going to be a missionary in Africa when I grew up, and I remember a friend of mine in high school (Amy) and I also talking about the same thing when I was a teenager. For as long as I could remember, that was my dream. But it's not just my dream, it's the dream God gave me, so I think I am going to always feel unsettled unless I am living that dream. I don't think it's a bad thing that Ruco and I have this time in the US. I think it's necessary that we pursue more education, and are prepared when we go back to the field, but we just miss it! And this is definitely a time of transition for us.

Ruco is actually in Tunisia working with SP right now. He is working at the Libyan/Tunisian border with refugees who have come over from Libya (though they aren't just Libyans). I miss him tons! He will be gone a total of 2 weeks. When I talked to him today I said, "Are you ready to come home?" He said, "I'm ready to come back to you, but I don't know that I want to come home. This is what I love doing!" He is in his element, and I am happy he was able to make the trip to Tunisia.

We have had fun in California too. It's not all sad transitional stuff! ;) We've taken trips to Yosemite National Park, Point Reyes (where we saw a huge pod of gray whales--I was SO excited), Big Sur, and this weekend I went to Lake Tahoe with our Mosaic friends. God is SO good to us! He takes care of us and blesses us more abundantly than I ever anticipate, and I am so thankful.

Thanks for always praying for us, and loving us! I will try so much harder to keep my blog updated, so I don't have to make a book of an update! Thanks for reading! :)

Yosemite for Thanksgiving

in front of golden gate

Suz came to visit. I am so blessed by her friendship.

my baby brother also came to visit in December! I love him!

beautiful Big Sur, CA

Ruco's very special 28th!

Elephant seal on the beach at Point Reyes! Awesome!

Being silly in front of the Painted Ladies

Christmas time in the city

Friends from Mosaic, and also a couple of Ruco's classmates

We spent Christmas just the two of us. It was a sweet time.

Ruco with Dan, our friend from the Gambia. He also visited in November

You can't tell in the photo, but it was POURING on us!

me and Suz again

Christmas with our small group

I had a little skin cancer removed in December. That was a stressful time! wear sunscreen, people!

Natalie and I.

So much fun at the Harper's home!