What are we doing now???

It's now been a little over a month since we arrived back in the States! Several have asked about a blog update, so we thought we'd take a minute and fill you in on what we've done since we've left Uganda...

Our Time in Europe…

We slowly started adjusting back to Western life while we were in Europe for two weeks. When we arrived in London from Entebbe, I was overwhelmed by how smooth the roads were and how clean, charming, and pristine everything was. Everything was so green, cool, and lush; it felt like winter had just melted away and spring had crisply sprung. The fashion was quite amusing as well: mini skirts, tapered jeans, and even some mid-rifts in Italy, none of which we saw in Uganda!

Yum...David enjoys a mouth watering pizza in Naples, home of the original pizza!

Our time in Italy was lovely- and hot! We probably got more sun being in Italy than we did in Uganda. The whirlwind tour included stops in Rome, Naples, Orvieto, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terra, and finally Geneva, Switzerland. We walked around all day, every day, saw many breathtaking cathedrals, ancient ruins, art museums, country sides, and of course dined on scrumptious Italian cuisine.

Cinque Terra, five quaint fishing villages built into the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean, was absolutely breathtaking and one of our favorite places. As you can see in the picture, the water was a sparkling Caribbean blue. We spent a day hiking the difficult trail between the villages. We camped and enjoyed meeting some young backpackers and two young Christian couples from Sweden and America.

Cinque Terra

David stands with the great reformers in Geneva, Switzerland

The Engineer is trying to fix the problem

Our trip ended in England with a visit to Jean, a fellow eMi intern. We visited her hometown in the countryside of England. On Sunday, we went to her dad's church in a charming village and ate fish and chips by the sea. It was raining and chilly the entire time we were there, just how you'd imagine England to be. Jean also took us to Oxford, where she attended University. It was very sophisticated and extremely posh--old stone buildings, exquisite gardens, and cobblestone streets were everywhere. We even ate at the pub where C.S. Lewis and Tolkien hung out, Eagle and Child.

At the chilly sea side with Jean in Ipswitch, England

So what are we doing now?
Realizing that Westminster Theological College and Seminary only has $40,000 in the bank and they are in need of $275,000 before we can return, we decided to live in St. Louis for awhile. Actually, God provided jobs almost immediately after returning for both David and me. I will be teaching 4th grade at Twin Oaks Christian School at 141 and Big Bend where I used to attend elementary school. David took a three month job with his dad's company, Guarantee Electric. They are really busy with the electrical design at the new St. Clare Hospital at 141 and Bowles. I actually visited him last week and saw the job site trailer where he works with other designers. He is looking for an engineering firm to begin using his Arch E. degree.

We will be in St. Louis for a bit and we have no idea how long that "bit" will be. My parents graciously let us stay at their place for awhile (along with Matt and Becky!) and now we're at the Baca's. We're currently looking for a place to live....

Prayer…
We are thankful and rejoice in the opportunity God provided for us to serve him in Uganda. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support; it could not have been possible with out you "sending" us. Please continue to pray that the money would come in for Westminster and that we would be patient on God's timing during this interim period. You can also pray that we would find a place to live and for David to find an engineering job.