The Top Ten

At Lake Kariba Dam on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe
(didn't make the top ten, but unforgettable nevertheless)

Don't we all love a top ten list? Thinking back over 2018, I decided this might be a fun way to share the highlights of a life-changing year for our family. We moved three times. We traveled to five new (to most of us) countries. We settled into a foreign culture. We learned a second language. So here are my top ten moments of 2018 (some including links if you'd like to read more about them):

10. New York City trip. As part of our mission training last January, we took a train from Richmond, Virginia, to New York City and spent a week living with one other family and two single women in an Air B&B in Brooklyn. We studied and mapped the neighborhood where we stayed, saw some of the major sites, and visited religious centers. What a fun and educational experience for our family! (Read more about it here.)

Outside the Air B&B where we stayed in Brooklyn

Savoring my last few months of chilly weather (for a while)
on our NYC bus tour

9. My birthday: receiving our visas. We ran into some snags in applying for our visas to enter Mozambique, so we were delayed for about three weeks after we thought we'd be leaving. I felt like God gave me the best birthday gift ever when our visas arrived on April 11. I had lunch with my mom and dinner with my family (some pretty darn good Mexican food) to celebrate. A momentous day.

With Mom at Neighborhood Jam in OKC

My visa, which arrived on my birthday

Birthday dinner at Barrio's in OKC

8. Ben's birthday party. This was our first big party to host (actually co-host—Ben's friend's birthday was around that time as well, so we threw the party together with his family) in Nacala. We welcomed about ten families for swimming at the beach, games, cake, and dinner. So many of these families had shown generosity to us by welcoming our family into this community, so it was our chance to serve them in gratitude.

Our handsome teenager on his birthday

Our sweet friends in Nacala singing "Happy Birthday" to Ben 

7. My first baby ceremony. About a month after we arrived, our pastor's wife invited me to a "baby taking-out" ceremony for one of the women in the church. This was my first experience of a cultural celebration. I learned about the dress, singing, and food at these kinds of events and what kind of advice women give each other. Since then I have participated in two other "tirar bebê" ceremonies and have gotten more comfortable participating alongside the other women. (Read more about it here.)

Singing and dancing with baby Monica

6. Shopping in Nairobi. As soon as I strolled into the Carrefour grocery store in Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi and saw chocolate chips and corn tortilla chips in the front aisle of specials, I knew I wasn't in Mozambique anymore! Lusaka, Zambia, had been a great shopping experience, but Nairobi was eye-opening. We realized we wouldn't have to wait a whole three years to enjoy some of our favorite comfort foods. Later on, in Johannesburg, we found even more treats (Dr. Pepper!!!). But Nairobi made me giddy, because it was unexpected. (Read more about it here.)

Nachos made with corn tortilla chips (our first since we had left the States)
at a restaurant at a Nairobi mall

Enjoying a little bit of 'Merica at Burger King in Nairobi

Some of my Nairobi scores: Hazelnut coffee syrup, maple syrup,
Starbucks Frappuccino, and chocolate chips

5. Victoria Falls. Harvey and I had visited Vic Falls when we lived in Africa thirteen years ago. It did not fail to impress the second time around. The kids were soaked and chilly, so I'm not sure they appreciated it as much as we did, but getting soaked in the spray is part of the experience, and experience it we did! Majestic, overwhelming, beautiful, breathtaking. Next time I hope we can see it from the Zimbabwe side. (See more pics here.)

Our first peek at the Falls

Soaked in the spray

4. My first Bible story group. I first met with a group of around five friends of Hortência, my language helper, outside her house, to tell them the story of creation. This was the culmination of months of language and cultural study and my desire to share the Gospel. But it was also the beginning of a journey: a journey of friendship and a Gospel-focused journey through Scripture. I am still on this journey and hope to complete my leg of it before we move to Pemba, when I will pass the baton to Hortência. (Read more about it here.)

The ladies in my Bible story group

3. Thanksgiving in Pemba. This was special for two reasons. First, we got to celebrate Thanksgiving with our mission team, both preparing the meal and eating together. Second, over the weekend we spent time getting to know the city of Pemba and see several houses that might be possibilities for our family when we move there. We began to fall in love with the city, and we left Pemba that Sunday even more eager to begin our lives and ministry there. (See more pictures here.)

Our mission team just before the Thanksgiving feast

2. Passing our language evaluation. After eight months of immersion and hard work in the Portuguese language, we reached the advanced level and were approved to complete our language studies and begin the process of moving to Pemba! We were so thrilled and thankful that we were able to do our final language evaluation before Christmas so that we could celebrate and then take our vacation to South Africa with that hurdle behind us and looking forward to what's ahead (a move to Pemba, our place of assignment, hopefully within the next month).

1. Judah's rebirth in Christ. How could this not be number one? On December 11 (our anniversary), Judah confessed her faith in Christ and her desire to receive Him as her Savior and follow Him as her Lord. How I had prayed and longed for that day. And how eager we are to see what good works the Lord has prepared for her to do in Christ. Thank you, God!

Judah with red eyes from tears of grief and joy

2018 was full of transitions and adjustments for our family. By God's grace we have all been healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually; we have enjoyed so many new experiences and made unforgettable memories. Thank you for walking alongside us in this journey by reading my blog and by your prayers and words of encouragement. We wish you could be here to experience African life with us, and we pray that in 2019 some of you will be able to do that! Blessings to you in the new year, and I look forward to experiencing all the moments the Lord will give me to choose from in 2019 when I'm making this list a year from now! Obriagada, queridos! xoxoxo