Fall-ish (The South Trained Us for This)

 

   September may be the official end of summer in the northern hemisphere, but down in the northern tropics it actually seems to get EVEN HOTTER 🔥The only oranges and reds we see are sunsets, clothing, and brightly painted houses. Growing up in the southern US, we already understand hot fall days! However, without pumpkins, pumpkin spice, or American football, it feels more like "second summer". We have about one more month before the winds shift and we get some relief. Until then, you can find us seeking out all the air conditioning we can find!

   

   After a quick 4 day quarantine at home, we went to the hospital to wait in line for our exit covid tests. We got a little nervous when we didn't hear results the same day, but praise God they came back negative the next morning! 

   The day after our release, the kids headed back to school for grades 7 and 4. They celebrated National Heroes Day, Independence Day, and International Day of Peace within the first two weeks. In fact, between quarantine, holidays, and a small covid outbreak, the kids did not have a 5 day week in all of September! The last Friday of the month, the kids went back online 😩Praying everyone gets cleared and back in person in another week or two.

   Getting back to church and CR felt like a breath of fresh air! There is just tons of joy in the ministries we get to do, and especially in the people we get to do it with. We have also met SO MANY new students now that Ross University is almost 100% back on the island. Watching these young adults choosing to seek out church, and community, and growth in this new place always blesses us deeply. 

   Being reunited with our island family is always amazing! They are the people we do life with, who love and support us, and we seek to do the same for them. No one can replace our bio families, but God has been very gracious to give us these people here who help St Kitts feel like home. They also all helped run church and Celebrate Recovery for the NINE weeks we were gone! It was amazing to see them step up and allow God to use them in this way. 

   I have the privilege of leading a group of five other missionary/expat ladies for a ten week Connection Group through Velvet Ashes, a ministry encouraging women serving overseas. That has been a really special part of ministry in this season! It's amazing to connect with others who "get" this crazy cross-cultural life. 

   Our biggest welcome back was from these two sweetie pies 😍. We are embracing all the kisses, and snuggles (and allergies) of having our two fur-babies around again. They are also a big connector when these vet students come to our house for Life Group, coffee, or just to talk. They are very good missionary pets! 

   September held lots of transitions - back to the island, back to school, back to work, back to friends, and now back to virtual schooling. Transition is traditionally a hard thing for our family, and so many at once could have been disastrous. Praise God that He has held us through these weeks, brought us lots of joy, and enabled us to feel at home and comfortable much faster than ever before ♡.

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

The monkeys were also a fun thing to be around again! As long as they stay off my fruit trees 😏