Christmas is coming!

So now it is winter in Chad…okay, so in reality the days are still topping 30-35 degrees, but the nights are now dropping to as low as 15 degrees. We even need a blanket now with our sheet!! What amuses us is watching all the children in their coats and woolly hats walking to school while I’m taking Rachel in her shorts and t-shirt. It is a little fresh at 7:30 in the morning but by 9am it’s definitely hot again. All in perspective and for the Chadians this really is cold compared to the hot season, which will top the 40’s day and night…looking forward to that one!!

So since our last blog post we have celebrated another birthday with Rachel turning three (and is apparently now about to turn 4 – not quite understanding the time concept of a year!!), and Rebecca has mastered the art of walking and is now running after her sister and trying to jump!! They are both doing really well and enjoying life in Chad.

We are busy preparing for a short break over Christmas and have decided to take a few weeks back in Uganda. It’s been a busy few months adjusting and settling here in Chad and so we decided it would be good to have a break for a few weeks. Unfortunately there aren’t many places to visit here in Chad, and nowhere that would be like taking a holiday so we decided to pop back to Uganda and have some refreshing time with family and friends there. We will be in Fort Portal with Sam’s parents and other family members over Christmas, and then will have time with friends in Kampala. We will also be speaking at our sending church in Uganda, Kampala International Church.

So as we head into the Christmas week we would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas.  As the MAF team here we will celebrate Christmas together this Friday with a meal for all the staff and their families at the MAF compound. We pray this will be a great time of fellowship as we share and eat and enjoy time with each other. In a predominantly Muslim city, Christmas is being embraced with some great little Christmas trees and lights popping up unexpectantly and a few street vendors wandering around with Santa hats on. But our prayer this Christmas is for the message to go deeper than the trees and lights and for Christ’s love to evidently shine though the Christian community here in N’djamena.

Have a great Christmas and a happy New Year

with love from us all 

Birthdays, bugs and broccoli!!!

Rebecca loving the balloons on her birthday!

Rebecca is one! Yesterday we celebrated Rebecca's first birthday with cake and balloons and all our MAF friends. It was great fun and a welcome break in the middle of a busy week. I cant believe it is a year ago that we were in the UK sitting in hospital trying to work our how this tiny little spinning baby was going to come into the world. Now a year on we have a gorgeous little lady with a great personality. She is so peaceful, easy going and loves spending time with her big sister. More and more we hear squeals of excitement from them both as they chase each other around the floor or hide under the table. Tiny nuggets of pure joy in the day which just make all the other hassles of life fade away! 

The girls are loving exploring all the weird and wonderful bugs and insects that are all

around their feet. Chameleons, lizards, crickets, grass hoppers, praying mantis, beetles, ants, sand lions to name a few. I often look out to see what Rachel is doing, only to see her squatting and digging in the sand looking for sand lions. Tiny little insects that live in the sand and eat ants. They make a small hole in the sand above themselves for the ant to fall in and then they pop out and eat them, so if you are quick and drop an ant in (or gently blow the sand in the hole) you can catch them! All good fun!!! Rachel is also enjoying seeing horses pulling their carts around town. (Okay, thats

not a bug, but brightens a journey!) Talking of horses, last Saturday we went out of town to a horse farm with two other MAF families. The children were able to have a short horse ride which was very exciting and Rachel loved being able to ride the horse. 

These last two weeks we have had two visitors from the MAF programme in Uganda and both came bearing gifts. I never thought I would say this, but fresh broccoli really is better than chocolate!!! And that is quite something coming from me (yes I do love my chocolate!). A few weeks ago one of the supermarkets here had fresh broccoli for sale....it was 8000CFA ($16/ £10)...for one head of broccoli!!!! So you can imagine our excitement to receive fresh broccoli and cauliflower. Every last bit was enjoyed by us all!! And then our second visitor brought us fresh oranges, apples, passion fruits and home made cookies from a friend at our church in Kampala along with cards and messages from so many friends at KIC. We feel incredibly loved and were so grateful to receive so many messages from dear friends. 

So now we are on the countdown to Rachel's 3rd birthday. She knew Rebecca's birthday came first but lacks the concept of time, and so each day is expecting it to now be her birthday!!! Today she told me it was now her turn for presents and cake!! Roll on 30th November!!!

Lastly we praise God as Rachel is now happy and content going to her pre school each day. She went back happily after half term and we have hardly had a tear since. Our little lady is growing up and feeling more secure and happy in her new surroundings. Thanks for all the prayers on this, please do keep them coming!! 

Twelve beds in twelve months!

This certainly will be a year to remember in relation to all our moving around. A year full of people, places and new experiences. Unfortunately this is another temporary move we hoped we could avoid but finding a longer-term house to rent in the city has proved harder than we thought. So

Packing to move with the MAF Kit to
our next home!

with the two other MAF families returning we needed to move off the MAF compound. We are now living on the SIL compound (another larger mission compound). It is only about 5 minutes drive from MAF so easy to pop between the two! The new house and compound also has a small play area and trampoline, which is great for the girls. 

I now have the packing down to a fine art form, made easier by the fact that we are still moving around with our seven bags we arrived in Chad with as we wait for the rest of our items to arrive from Uganda. Two small delays with that though as firstly we need to have a house to put all our items in, and secondly we need to wait for MAF Uganda to be able to fly them all up on one of their planes. (Due to an issue with the CAA in Uganda, no Ugandan registered air operators are allowed to fly internationally at the moment. We hope and pray MAF Uganda will be able to fly internationally again soon, not only because of our needs, but due to the amazing work they do supporting South Sudan and DRC). 

Living out of seven bags has been interesting though. I remember packing in Uganda panicking as to whether we were bringing the right things. So many unknowns and what ifs!! On some days it has made me realise though how little we actually need and question what exactly is in the 20 or so boxes waiting to come! On other days in a moment of frustration or sadness I have longed for a few of my photo frames or kitchen comforts or the girls toys! But with the iPad full of photos, and generous MAF friends sharing their kitchens, and with sunshine all day and outside areas to play we quickly move on. That said we will be very excited when our things do come! 

Another major change we have had to adjust to this last month has been the weather. When we arrived in July it was the start of the rainy season. Highs of around 30ish degrees celsius, very muggy and humid and some amazing storms which cooled everything down momentarily! As we crept into October the rains ended and it started to get very hot and dry. On an average day we now have highs between 38-40 degrees and humidity can be as low as 8%. For a few weeks it was just hot, all the time. We especially felt this moving to the new house as we had been blessed with air conditioners at MAF (depending on power) where as now we just have ceiling fans. The temperatures at night were staying around 30 degree so that took a bit of adjusting to. Now we are heading into November the nights are cooling off and for the first time early this morning I actually needed to pull the sheet up!

So as we now head into November we have lots going on and lots to look forward to. The house hunt continues, Rachel returns to her pre school after two weeks half term, two little ladies will be having two special birthdays (Rebecca will be one on the 19th and Rachel will be three on the 30th), we hope and pray all our things will arrive in Chad, and Sam has a very busy work schedule. 

Thank you again for all your love and prayers. We love hearing news from afar and apologise that we don't always manage to reply.

Six weeks in...a few refections

I was sitting here this morning trying to work out how to sum up 6 weeks in Chad. Do I tell you all about the flies, worms in feet and many mosquitoes or do I talk about poorly tummies and pricking Rebecca's finger for a rapid malaria test (which thankfully was negative!). 

Or should I tell you about the difficulty of helping a two year old settle in a new country when you take them away from all their wider family and friends, expect them to live in someone else's home without their toys and then you send them to a French speaking Chadian nursery! At times when out of no-where Rachel asks if this is our new home, or she remembers someone special from UK or Uganda my heart lurches as I wander whether a year in three different countries, multiple different homes and now having to learn French will have any lasting effect on her. Where is home, where are our roots? Is this the meaning of life for third culture kids? 

And then there is all the work we could tell you about which is so special and very important. And ultimately that is why we are here! Just this last week we have had two medevac flights for NGO/ missionary workers in remote locations who were in desperate need of medical care. MAF is able to respond quickly to provide that crucial step that could make the difference between people succumbing to their illnesses while working in remote locations or receiving the vital treatment they need. But it just makes me stop and think about the local people who get sick and don't have access to that extra care. 

And did I mention the flies? This has become Sam's favourite evening occupation - swatting flies! In the home we are staying in at the moment they have the big Texas fly swatter!! Just what you need to expend some energy at the end of the day. We just need to remember to collect the dead flies up now Rebecca is crawling!!! 

Or I could tell you all about shopping!! Forget the big supermarkets with everything under one roof, forget walking out of Asda tapping your back pocket with the extra change left over, forget your abundant fresh fruit and veg...yes its a little different here. N'djamena is the second most expensive city in the world for expats to live and yet one of the poorest countries in the world. http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140818-most-expensive-cities-for-expats  Try and work that one out!! Between about 5 little shops (about the size of your Tesco's metro) and the market you can just about find what you need but it is so expensive. Twice a week an elderly man called Nana brings a selection of things to our compound - bread, eggs, carrots, bananas, tomatoes. All dependant though on what he can find. Sometimes we get apples, today we didn't! To break the monotony of carrots, I found some frozen broccoli in one shop. A little soggy when cooked but hey...its not carrots! 

The roads, I should tell you about the roads. In the city they are great, paved, smooth, relatively congestion free (compared to Kampala they are empty)! 5 minutes out of the city centre they are a little less smooth! We attempted a compound trip out of town on Saturday. After two hours of thick, wet, slippery mud and one stuck in the mud incident, we decided to turn back and come back home. The children thought it was great, I didn't! 

What haven't I mentioned, oh yes, the ladies attire. Well, with this I am just quite confused. Do I cover my head or don't I, do I dare wear trousers or is it wrong?!?! Many missionaries here work with Muslim communities and so to be respectful it is good to cover your head, shoulders and legs and to always wear a skirt. This I respect and understand. But N'djamena is a city, which is evidently changing. On my first day here I saw a local Chadian lady riding a moped wearing a short denim skirt...I could see her knees! I was in shock! And then on many occasions I have seen ladies wearing trousers, and very many Chadian ladies do not cover their heads. So should we as Christians working here cover ourselves completely out of respect if the local Christians do not? I have probably worn skirts more days in the last six weeks than in the last 10 years, and this is fine. Actually with the heat it is more comfortable. I have covered my head just once when going to the market shops as this is a more Muslim area of the city. I do wander though where the line is between being respectful and being me. Can I witness in this culture without a headscarf? More to think about and reflect on!!

Leaving all the day to days aside for a moment though I think one way to sum up the last 6 weeks is through Gods love, faithfulness and grace. Yes we find the flies annoying and mosquito bites unpleasant, we are still not yet settled in our own home, starting school for Rachel has been really hard and leaving her crying each morning has been too much on some days, shopping is tiring, skirts are not really me and life is sometimes frustrating. 

But we praise God because we have come though the different small sicknesses and nothing has been too serious. The girls are happy and content and settled because home is where mummy and daddy are and as a family our roots are in God which gives us the strength and confidence for each day. We now have a great circle of friends round us who have helped us settle over the last 6 weeks. Rachel has today walked into school and greeted her teacher with 'Bonjour, Ca va?' and given her bag when asked for 'ton sac?'. We have been blessed with enough support to be able to afford some of the inflated prices and to own a car that can manage the thick mud. And through our work with MAF we are able to help the local people in their remote settings by flying people and resources in to provide the support they need. 

Lastly, the last 6 weeks have given me time to think, read, pray and reflect on all the above and so much more and finally after six weeks we are beginning to see the beauty of this place that we are slowly starting to call 'home'! 

Rachel's first day at pre-school

Now a month in it is amazing to see time flying and Chad feeling more like home! There is so much to take in, process and understand living here, and so much we would love to share. I am just not sure where the time goes! In due course we will share more about life and work here and all that we are up to. For now though I just wanted to share a quick post to ask for prayer for Rachel today and through this week. 

Today is her first day at pre-school. A local Chadian french speaking pre school! She was excited to be going and it is great that she is with two other MAF children who she has been playing with here on the MAF compound since we arrived. Esther is 4 years and has already been at this pre school for the past year, while Nathan, who is 3 years is also just starting today. Its a long morning for them as they start between 7:30 and 8am and finish at 12:30pm. 

There were a few tears as I left her there this morning so I am now home longing for 12:30 to arrive so I can go and see how she is!

Please do remember her this week and pray for her to feel peaceful about going each morning. Also pray for her as she has to begin learning a new language. Little brains are amazing but I'm sure the next few weeks will be tough for her as she copes emotionally with being away from mummy and daddy, mentally as she tries to understand french and physically as she copes with the long mornings. 

More on life here to follow very soon...

We have arrived in Chad

We are here! After months of planning and preparation, endless hours of French lessons, being completely overwhelmed by boxes, bags and never ending packing, and to top it off an overnight flight across Africa from Uganda via Rwanda and Ethiopia, we have finally made it to Chad! We arrived two weeks ago hot and tired but fell into the loving arms of the amazing MAF team here who have made the transition and settling so much easier. 

Leaving Uganda was tough. Saying goodbye to dear friends and Sam's family was emotionally hard mixed with the tiredness of all the packing, but through it all we had an overwhelming sense of Gods peace and a renewed sense of His calling to Chad. 

And so the next chapter of this journey has begun. The first two weeks have been good, we feel we have begun to settle well and are slowly adapting to all the new experiences. Fortunately we have arrived in the rainy season so the temperatures are relatively cool at 30 degrees(!) although with the humidity it feels a lot hotter. We are currently living on the MAF compound in the home of another family who are away on furlough for the next three months. This has been a great blessing for us to start life here on the compound as it is very well set up for the children and we are with the other two MAF families who are here at the moment.

The compound has lots to keep the children occupied with swings, slide, trampoline, sand pit, a small climbing frame and a paddling pool. With Chad having very little else for the children to do this has been great and Rachel is loving walking out the front door straight onto the trampoline!

At the moment there is no available house for us on the MAF compound so by October we need to find an alternative. We are currently looking at a number of options and so would value prayers in knowing the best way forward. Also, all our household items are currently being stored by MAF in Uganda and so the sooner we have a more permanent home then the sooner we can bring all our things up which will help us, especially the girls to feel more settled. 

Sam began his role as soon as we arrived and is busy getting to grips with all areas of the programme. We have already met some of the partners we fly and it is amazing to hear some of the testimonies about the importance of MAFs presence in Chad. Sam will continue to connect with local NGO's and missionary organisations to understand more about what they do and how we can support them better. 

Having now been here for two weeks, it is interesting to reflect on some of our first impressions of life in Chad. Although on the surface the main centre area of the city seems relatively developed it doesn't take long to see the extent of poverty all around. Many people live in mud houses within a few minutes of the city centre and yet the prices of food here are so high, even by expat standards. Arriving in the rainy season has shown us just how severe the rains are. We were concerned about a bit of flooding in our home, but the next morning as Sam drove to work he was shocked at the extent of flooding and the number of homes submerged. We now understand why MAF is busiest in the rainy season with 90% of the countries roads impassable at this time. Also all our great French lessons have left us confused as here they tend to mix their French with Arabic! On a lighter note, we are slowly getting used to powdered milk, not a lot of cows in Chad!!  

We would ask for your prayers as we settle in these early days:

• For Sam as he gets to know the programme and lead the team here in Chad
• For good friendships to develop both in the programme and with the wider missionary community here
• For the girls as they adjust to yet another new home, new friends, the heat and different food
• For the right permanent house to become available
• For us all as we continue to navigate this journey together as a family.

Three months back in Uganda

Leaving the UK

So after 5 months, a second child and thousands of miles up and down the UK, we flew back to Uganda at the beginning of April. Armed with 11 bags, 2 car seats, a buggy and 2 children this was no mean feat but when we landed back 'home' it was all worth it. It was hard saying goodbye, especially to Abby's family, but we had had a great time in the UK and were ready for the next stepping-stone on our long road to Chad.

Our primary focus for our time back here was to learn French. So, since April we have been having lessons everyday which has been hard work and at times completely confusing, but we now feel that we at least have the basic tools we need to try and be able to communicate once we get to Chad.

Alongside the French Sam has been providing some support to the MAF Uganda programme.

One of the great things about being back in Uganda has been seeing life from Rachel's point of view. Before we left Uganda Rachel was still small and just accepted all she saw. We had also been here too long to notice any of the extremely different things that occur constantly around us! Now she is a very vocal two and a half year old and so it has been great to see daily life from her perspective! Here are a few examples...

• Cows blocking the road is not an inconvenience, its the highlight of the day! 

Cows blocking the road!

•  Driving down a dirt road and Rachel announces 'Daddy this car is not very good, the car is a bit too bumpy'
•  Mango's are amazing and she can eat a whole one for lunch (everyday if she had her way!)
•  We were walking through a shopping centre and ahead was a muslim gentleman in his full long white thobe with a long beard. Because of recent alerts and insecurities I immediately gave a wide birth, while Rachel walked passed, stopped, waved and said 'hello man'! To which he smiled and replied with a really lovely greeting to her. It’s great that my innocent two year old can challenge my inbuilt prejudices/ fears! 
•  She is also getting the hang of Kampala traffic...her new saying is 'slowly but surely'!

In order for us to learn French we needed Rachel to be occupied and so she has completed a term at a pre school called Swan Academy. This has been both good and hard for her as she has loved the painting, singing, playing, story telling, trampolining etc. but has found being away from Mummy and Daddy very hard. All part of growing up but not an easy stage! At least now though she has had some time to get used to a pre school set up before being put in a French speaking one! That’s going to be a whole new experience for her (and us!).

Support raising with a two year old!

Travelling up and down and across the UK was both great fun and immensely stressful with a two year old in toe!! Sleeping in different peoples homes, eating different food at different times of the day, having to sit through another different church service being admired by many different people is tiring enough for anyone but when you are 2 years old it can all be a bit to much at times! But, Rachel did cope remarkably well and due to her great outgoing social personality she pretty much took it all in her stride.

Now having done the rounds of churches we thought we would share a few of our top tips for surviving the annual church hop with a little ones.

1. Travel when they are sick!! OK that doesn't sound so great but believe me, it is! Unfortunately Rachel went down with a virus days before we were due to do our longest journey from Kent to Kendal. 7 hours in the car was not looking like a happy prospect but remarkably, due to her being unwell she slept most of the journey. It ended up being so uneventful and very peaceful!

2. Always take them to the loo before you start to speak at the front of church. Okay this was a major error. As we were mid flow in our presentation speaking at St Paul's Church in Bolton, Rachel who was just pottering around our feet suddenly declared right next to the microphone "Daddy I need a poo poo!" Fortunately it wasn't too loud and fortunately it was my sisters church and so Aunty Esther ran to the rescue and whisked her off the toilets!!

3. Jammy dodgers. Hooray for mini snack packs of Jammy dodgers. Yes they were used the whole way round as bribery to ensure our darling 2 year old did exactly what she was supposed to do!!!! We are now mourning the lack of jammy dodgers in Uganda!!

4. Sticker books. Hooray another perfectly great invention for a two year old. They saved the day on many occasions where we just needed a little person to sit quietly for just 5 minutes!

5. Family time. On a more serious note we realised how important it was for Rachel to have a few days of family down time with familiar routines in between all the busy visiting days. This just allowed her to be herself and helped her to refuel in order to cope with yet another church service!!