Home Sweet H.O.M.E.

Chirping birds in the morning right outside my window, the creamy orangesicle color that wafts into my window as the sun slowly rises, the giggling of mischievous kiddos that know they aren’t supposed to be outside just yet, the subtle smell of a fire starting from the neighbor’s house, the faint crying of a little baby, and the quiet chatter between families at the houses directly next to our compound. 

The sounds and smells of home had somewhat escaped my memory with being away for over a year. When I arrived for a month-long visit in January, I was reminded of all the sounds and smells of this place we love and call home. While many things have changed while we were away, those sounds have not, and they bring comfort in a strange way that I can’t seem to explain. 

 

While being home has been like a dream come true, there has definitely been a period of adjustment. Like getting sick….after all the traveling, we had to stay a few days in the capital city because of documents we need to live here. While it was smooth sailing from the time we arrived, and I am SO grateful for that, we were exhausted. Sleeping on a plane is uncomfortable and awkward and I rarely do any sleeping. The change of environment, change in diet and the 8 time zones we jumped through, put us all on the fast track to feeling crummy. 

Church at home before they reopened 

Jadon has had a weird, very dry cough since right before we left. We’ve tried natural remedies and medications, and he’s still fighting it off. Jo happened to get a lovely dose of blistering soars and we have no idea where they came from. I was reading that sometimes mosquitos or flies can cause different illnesses, blistering soars being one of them. The little babe has been fighting to not scratch her little blisters for about 10 days, but thankfully, all but a few have completely dried up. I was also advised by a friend to iron every single item of clothing she has, as well as her bedsheets, and see if that helps! I have a lot of ironing to do tomorrow….

Jo's first day of preschool

Other adjustments are just typical things – remembering how to load the pre-paid credit on my phone and how to do the same on the pre-paid electricity remote for the whole house. Helping with meals is a little different as the older kids are extremely helpful and do most of the cooking in the evening. My mama heart tries not to intervene too much because I want them to be independent and they also want to show what they’ve learned. The girls have learned how to bake beautiful (and yummy) cakes, and they can cook most of the traditional dishes we all enjoy. I am extremely proud of them all. 

The kids are incredible, by the way. Have I said that yet?! Each of our kiddos can read, write and is speaking a little bit of English! I am so thoroughly impressed. I love them each so much. To see their different personalities come out and watch them discover something they are truly passionate about is one of my greatest joys as a parent. Watching their eyes light up when they grasp a concept, or, they find something that truly excites them.

Jadon jumped right into school a few days after we arrived home, and he has been adjusting fairly well. His 7^thgrade expectations are far different than the 5^th grade expectations he remembers. He is trying to get adjusted and will hopefully continue to do so during this term. The school days are long for him, and the bus ride to and from school is more than 2 hours round trip. I know he is exhausted when he gets home, and he’s doing so well thus far. 

 

All preschools were closed until the President reopened them on September 27^th. Jo has been trying to adjust and it has been wonderful for her but also challenging. She cries most days for a few minutes, about halfway through her school day. She attends school from 7:45am-12pm and then has a long bus ride home. At least now she sleeps extremely well, and she falls asleep in about 30 seconds. She had a hard time at first sleeping in her own bed, a long-time struggle for her, but now she sleeps through the night in her own bed! 

Our staff did an amazing job while we were gone, and as soon as I have the chance to feel like I have my legs back under me, I’m going to make sure they each have a chance to get a little break. They’ve earned more than that and they deserve a little time to relax. They are each truly an amazing blessing to the kids and to me. I enjoy working with each of them and pray God will give us lots of years together to care for as many kiddos as we can. 

 

We would love your prayers as we continue to navigate the rest of this year. We live in strange times, and yet, we have a God who loves us so much that He cares about EVERY. SINGLE. LITTLE. REQUEST. we may have. We are trusting God to restore our energy, continue to provide for us, and to continue to keep us all as healthy as possible. 

Thank you for walking alongside us during this incredible journey. 

 

Do something fun today with someone you love! 

 

Laura and Everyone at HFTN