The Summertime

We haven't had a summer in four years.

That probably won't make any sense to those of you who live in parts of the world that have four seasons—or an August–May (or September–June) school year. But in Mozambique there is no season called summer, and the school year runs from January to December with three terms and three breaks (none of which is referred to as a "summer break"). On top of that, the months that we call summer here in Oklahoma, the hottest months, are what would be considered winter (the coldest months, part of the dry season) in Mozambique. So while you were swimming and sweating it out on hot summer nights last June, July, and August, we were wrapped in capulanas, cozying up by a bonfire in Pemba (still not what would be considered cold, but at least cooler at night).

The summer weather here is similar to the year-round daytime weather in Pemba, but for the first time since 2017, our family is truly experiencing summertime.

What does that mean for us? Late summer nights (in Pemba the sun sets by 6:00 year-round). Swimming in Gamie and PaPa's pool. Falls Creek. Kids' camp. Mission trip. Road trips. Barbecues. Baseball. Water parks. Watermelon. Fireworks. Mosquito bites (okay, we had those in Mozambique).

And summer means family. Even when we lived in DC, we traveled back to OK for several weeks during the summers and spent lots of time with family. That is what we treasure most about being in OK, and summertime seems to bring more opportunities to spend time with them. We'll take it.

We are soaking up all of the summer fun that we can. After all, who knows when our next summertime will be?

In loving memory of Harvey's Grandma Helen Sparks, who passed away at the age of 98 on Thursday, July 29. She leaves a legacy of strong faith, fervent prayer, and love for Jesus. And we'll miss her sharp wit and sense of humor as well. She was a treasure.